Your nitrite is too high to have fish right now. Looks like your tank is getting to the end of the cycle though. I'd wait about another 2 weeks, and do weekly 10% water changes until then. Test your waters weekly, and when the nitrites are at 0, it's ok for you to get fish.
With the bio-balls (blue balls...lol), you don't have to remove them because you have LR. I have a 55 gallon tank with 90lbs LR, and i left the bio balls in my filter. I haven't done a water change in 2 months, and my parameters are as follows:
PH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
Calcium 450
I don't know if it's because i left the bio balls in or what, but it works! If you decide to take them out, make sure you do it over a long period of time. Your system is used to having all of that extra bacteria, and if you remove it all at once, your LR won't be able to handle the bio-load. I'd say take out 1/5 of the balls per week, but throughout the week, like 3 balls a day or something. That way, your LR has enough time to take over for the bio-balls.
Also, are you using tap water???
Jenn
