Ok so I'm new to salt water

[Snaz]

My two bits of advice.
1. Your local fish store does not always offer the best advice. Good thing you found these forums, read them and ask questions... No question is stupid and all will be answered.
2. Go slow.

[Phil]

Yes I have been adding frozen brine shrimp to the tank most of my rock was dry rock but I got a few nice peices from red coral haven't seen any due off yet but I might have not cycled yet. But I did add some bio starter a week ago maybe I'll wait another week or two. Anyone got some rock scaping advice I just kind of threw it all I'm my tank to get it going.

[HaZRaTTy]

Originally Posted by Phil

Yes I have been adding frozen brine shrimp to the tank most of my rock was dry rock but I got a few nice peices from red coral haven't seen any due off yet but I might have not cycled yet. But I did add some bio starter a week ago maybe I'll wait another week or two. Anyone got some rock scaping advice I just kind of threw it all I'm my tank to get it going.

Steve is a very good person to talk to, and "pick" his brain about things. One of the few people in the hobby that will talk to you as a human being and give a professional accurate opinion. Unlike 90% of the others out there I've personally encountered.

[Faithinc]

My first question is:

Do you have a skimmer?
Sand Bed?
Sump w/ refugium?
Good return flow?
Proper water movement (Powerheads etc?)

Between the fantastic live rock I had, a good skimmer + sump set up I was at 0/0/0 (phos/ites/ates) by week 3. Week 4 I added the Prodibio start-up kit just to be sure that I had enough stable bacteria in the tank, and added my first clean up crew (started small-5 hermits, 5 snails). I lost 2 Turbos within 3 days (arguably more to a lack of proper acclimation than anything else). But since then I have not lost a single creature in my tank. I'm on week 7 now with:

2 small clowns
1 juvenile Melenarus wrasse
13 narcissus snails
4 dwarf hermits
1 monster hermit (King Crab)
6 Turbos

The addage "Go Slow" is good advice--but--only in the context of what is safe and appropriate for your tank. You really have to get a feel for your tank. If you've put in the proper biological and mechanical filters in place, and your parameters are within their safe areas for adding fish--there is no reason (other than old-reefer mentality) that you cannot add a small, hardy fish and a small CUC to your tank.

The Number 1 motto you should live by as a reefer is
--BE RESPONSIBLE--
Those are not just colorful art-pieces your adding to your tank. They are living, breathing, feeling creatures capable of feeling pain and stress.

You wouldn't throw a cute malamute puppy in a toxic environment--there's no reason why you should throw a fish into one either.

[Phil]

Ya I'm on week 3 I have 80 lbs of sand in display tank 40, 20 in Sump w/ refugium and a skimmer and about 70 lbs of live rock gonna see if I can post some pics on weekend when I got more time maybe start a journal. Have 2 power heads in tank and a hy-3000 return pump

[chris121277]

As for your question about aqua-scapeing...the best advice is leave lots of caves and space for water flow.....and if possible keep the rock off the back glass....not only does this allow for better flow, but believe me when I say this.....you WILL drop something back there and more then likely it will be a $60 frag

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by chris121277

As for your question about aqua-scapeing...

+1 and also for cleaning the back glass