I'm in the process of setting up my first tank ever and of course I have a million questions. Some things are starting to come together but I need a little clarification/advice with some others. My tank is a 55 gallon setup and the goal is FOWLR. I've been lurking a little while so I know a little of the terminology but for the most part am VERY green.
1) I have quite a bit of the SouthLand argonite sand that i was going to use for my substrate. Should I buy some live sand and mix the two in order to get it the curing process started easier/quicker? I understand anywhere from a 1-2inch depth would be okay.
2) Is it okay to mix the intial water in small batches, I really don't want to have to do a giant bin of it.
3) Live Rock.......First, I just returned from Mexico and brought back some washed up pieces of the reef that we were near. Very cool looking rocks that I would like to add to the tank. Is this okay to do, use them as base rock? Does 30-40 lbs of actual live rock sound okay for this size tank? The only other filtration I am going to use is a protein skimmer. Should I add the rock immediately after the sand and water?
I also had brought back some fan looking things that washed up and would like to include them in the tank, they have been washed but are still a little pungent. Okay to use?
4) Protein Skimmer.....what is a good one that is a reasonable price. I see a lot on EBay but some seem really expensive and some really cheap. I must go moderate at this point in the game.
5) Lastly, should I keep the lights cycling throughout the curing process or leave them off?
I will end there for the time being. Sorry to berate with all of these questions but there is a lot to learn and there are so many experts on these boards.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
