When should I add fish?

[carolinaguy]

And you know this how?

Just to clarify, no one except you has mentioned fish being killed, but there is widespread agreement between science and hobbyists that physiological damage and/or stress becomes more likely as Ammonia levels increase, especially Free Ammonia. Recovery will occur in many cases, but, depending on the level of toxicity, some damage is irreversible,
Yes the LC50 toxicity levels for both Koi and Goldfish are quite high but that is little justification for subjecting these fish to avoidable stress.
As usual, I prefer to rely on what the results of scientific research indicate rather than anecdotal evidence.

Look this is observation and research. This is going to fish farms and interacting with the owners. You don't know it but if you buy fish from several of the best koi farms known, they raise koi in grow out tanks that, for 45 to 90 days, have water that pushes 1.0 ppm, and they don't bat an eye. So when you buy fish, you don't know it but according to you, they are already damaged. You can say that some damage is irreversible, but what damage? What can you present that is fact? Are these farmers wrong? Got a paper reference? Or just what everybody knows? There is no such thing as avoidable ammonia exposure, but there is control. What scientific research? I'm just asking you to share hard fact and not what everybody knows. Here's your chance. Show your cards.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Ask and you shall receive.

"Anytime the UIA is higher than 0.05 mg/L, the fish are being damaged. As the concentration rises above 0.05 mg/L, it causes more and more damage. At 2.0 mg/L, the fish will die.
Again, any ammonia indicates a problem in your system. If you find it, take corrective
measures immediately"
University of Florida IFAS Extension

"Ammonia affects the fish both directly and indirectly depending on the levels present, with certain species more susceptible to ammonia toxicity than others. At lowerconcentrations, around 0.05mg/L, un-ionised ammonia is harmful to fish species and can result in poor growth and feed conversion rates, reduced fecundity and fertility and increase stress and susceptibility to bacterial infections and diseases.
The Management of Ammonia Levels in an Aquaculture Environment (Pollution Solutions)

Exposure to low levels of Ammonia but over an extended period (6 weeks) may produce" serious disruption of gill structure" and that "exposure to low levels of ammonia (0.006 for some species) may well predispose fish to bacterial gill infections"
Ammonia Toxicity in Teleost Fishes: A Review, Geoffrey P. Haywood Department 0f
fisheries and oceans, Canada

"Non-dissociated ammonia is highly toxic to fish. The LC50 values, determined in acute toxicity tests, are in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 mg NH3 per litre for cyprinid fish and 0.5 to 0.8 mg NH3 per litre for salminids. The maximum admissible ammonia (NH3)concentration is 0.05 mg per litre for cyprinids and 0.0125 mg per litre for salmonids."
Water Quality and Fish Health, Zdenka Svobodova

I could post more but I think that this is sufficient.
Now its your turn to cite your sources.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I forgot to add that an Ammonia (TAN) level of 1.0 at a temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit coupled with a pH of 8.0 yields a non-ionized level of 0.052 which exceeds the lower threshold (as defined by science) of ammonia toxicity.

 

[Magzire]

I started my pond 3 times now and added the fish straight away each time.Never had a issue. Ammonia got a little high but eventually went down.