If i remember correctly JLA sells 1/2 cured or whatever its called. When it gets to your system there is still a lot of life on it that will die off etc. You dont need to add a dead shrimp or whatever to the system. The liverock will have some dieoff all on its own as it adjusts to your new tank.
You do need to pick up some test kits. Mainly ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, and alk. Keep track by writing your results on a sheet of paper so you can see when your cycle is over. You will see an ammonia spike followed by spikes in nitrite and nitrate. Your cycle is over when these spikes bottom out to zero and stay that way for a few weeks. You will also more than likely have algae outbreaks during the cycling time. Its normal and will correct itself over time.
First inhabitants are a CUC (clean up crew) to help with the algae and to slowly add waste to your system and get a bioliogical cycle going. 2 weeks later add a fish. 2 weeks later add another fish if you want. But give some time between adding livestock or you will shock your system.
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