Protein Skimmer vs Filter

You should be fine to add them as soon as the cycle has finished.

 

Here is some reading that might sort some things out for you.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-articles-how-tos/all-about-sumps-filters-fuges-79852.html

 

I didn’t use a raw shrimp, or a $20 fish. I just used a $3 molly from petsmart, and acclimated it to saltwater. It made it thru the cycle just fine, and its still alive. It even has a mate now (the first one is a female, and I just bought it a male to be mates) and they get along fine with my clown. Mollies also nibble on algae. But It’s up to you.

 

My 2 cents is just that Yahoo answers probably isn't the best place to be looking for advice on reef keeping. I've seen some dodgy advice posted for fresh water systems, and reefs are much more complicated.

 

Carbon is something you really should run at least occasionally, even if not in a power filter like the ones used on FW tanks, just in a mesh bag in the sump. Protein skimmers don't pull out all of the bad stuff from the tank, just the proteins (and other hydrophobic molecules). Proteins are the big thing, as they have a whole bunch of nitrogen locked in them. Carbon pulls out toxic compounds; this is especially important with soft corals, chalices and anemones, as they all release these chemicals, but nearly anything will release other chemicals (Hormones come to mind) over time. Carbon catches this stuff.

 

How do you guys feel about "skilters"?