[BlueWorldAquatic]

Most important, check the tank for leaks.

3 Key steps setting up a new tank:

1 - Patience
2 - Patience
3 - Patience

For the beginning, try to get some used salt water, and a cup or 2 of sand to start "seeding" the tank with bacteria.

You can also use products like Prodibio's Start Up, or Seachems Stability.

To keep the costs down, don't go overboard with the salt, you can use basice IO salt, then upgrade to reef crystals. Keep your salinity lower, you don't need to have 1.025, you can get away with 1.020 (use less salt during the setup time).

Make sure your refactometer is calibrated.
Ditch the stick on thermometer
Timers for your lights
I would recommend a second heater, so if one fails there is a backup. Also less work on just 1 heater.

Next step is preparing your live rock, we warned, buying used live rock is great, but be prepared for organisms that may be already growing on the rock that you may not want in your tank. In all our new setups, unless the customer has his own rock, we will supply new semi-cured live rock that have been sitting in our holding tanks for a few weeks.

you should be able to get any help on these forums or your LFS, but if you need, don't hesitate to contact me here.

Ken - BWA