new tank......how long till add fish/inverts?

[segraves1]

I just setup my 10 gal, saltwater tank (mixed the water last week and then set the tank up yesterday). Today I rechecked the salinity and it is right on 1.022 (same place it was 24 hours ago) and added a2-1/2 lbs pieceof live rock (starting small.......$$$ isn't free flowing).

I'm itching to add some small snails, hermit crabs, etc. (janitors). Do Ineed to wait for any reasonor can I just add slowly (like I would in freshwater) and just keep watch?

To keep the live rock "alive,"I just put a little food in right?

[graphixx]

Chris,

welcome aboard, you will want to wait at least 2 to 3 weeks to add your snails and clean up crew. wait till you start to see your algae bloom start. and then add them. if you do it before they are gonna starve.

and to keep the live rock alive do nothing. If you want to speed the process I would strongly suggest doing 2 things. 1. see if you can get a couple of cups full of sand from someone who has an allready established tank. this will seed your grave. and 2. throw a piece of fresh shrimp in the tank and let it break down.

other than that just practice patience. thisis the hardes part of the tank. just looking at it with nothilng in it.

but good lluck and if you have any more questions just ask

graphixx

[segraves1]

patience.....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO.......can I add fish yet or would that also be a bad idea?

oh well....guess I'll get to add a shrimp after all (the kind from my fridge)......

[graphixx]

I would wait at least 3 weeks into the cycle if it were me and then add like a damsel or a clown fish something hardy.

[segraves1]

good to hear you say "add aclown fish" asthat isexactly what I want to add...........

my goal is to have a pair of clowns with an anemone and a jaw fish to burrow in the gravel.......

[graphixx]

awesome, they will do great

[Tom McKenna]

Patince is the key for sure but the bigger the tank the easier to take care of in my book

[segraves1]

bigger is always easier......unless the lack of money gets in the way........