Ready to add water, I think?

Will I got salt, substrate, skimmer, lights, water movement, test kits, heater, hydrometer and some additives, forgetting anything? Live rock will come later, going to put a molly or 2 in there until I am ready to add life.

 

You have more than I did when I added water, I had the tank with stand, hood, dry rock, sand, filter, powerheads, salt, and hydrometer

 

With that said i would say no. LR will be your MAIN filtration in the saltwater tank, adding it later will only hurt the tanks abiluity to break down ammonia and trites. add some base rock, its cheaper and will become live with time.I wouldnt add any life in there till you test the water and make sure the cycle is finished. Witch will happen again with the addition of LR, so you will want to add that right away, like right after sand.

 

ohhh! I had planned on putting a few pieces of dry rock in there and the supposed live sand alone for a few weeks.

 

I do have live sand, 40lbs of it, no live rock yet, I have a question, I noticed in a lot of reefs the keepers don't use glass covers, I do have one for my tank, does it matter if you use it or not?

 

I wouldn't. Here's why.

Putting a top on the tank prohibits proper gas exchange in the main tank. If u have a sump it wouldn't be as bad. Also evaporation would build up on the glass makin the light needed to grow corals less powerful in a way than compared to a tank with no top.

If you must have a cover for keeping in leaping fish, look at making a mesh screen top with a window screen frame, and clear mesh.
Bulk reef supply is where lots of reefers get it.

 

I use a glass lid, always have always will keep it clean and you wont have light issues

 

+1, PITA plus what snook said. Doesn't seem like too many reefers have them, or keep them for long. Although Ingtar likes his so he can perch his laptops on top.

 

So hows about if I just used the first half of the top? Will I added water, clearing up now, so I am thinking about rock, i'll post a question in the rock catagory.

 

Think i'm going to add another 20lbs of sand.