when to add the aragonite sand?

I set up my 90g tank with 30g sump about one week ago, and have been curing my live rock in it since then. I plan to continue curing the live rock for at least another 5-7 weeks prior to adding any livestock. But my question is when can I add the aragonite sand? Should I add it now and allow bacteria to proliferate while the live rock is curing, or should I wait until the curing is done?

Also, how do I clean the sand once it is down? Will a gravel vac pick up the sand?

 

Sand should have been added right after the tank was filled with water. You are most likely going to restart the cycle after you add the sand. So sooner the better!
Sand can be cleaned by a vac and a cleaning crew!

 

Hmmm, I'll tell you what I was told so that you can give me your opinion on it. I was told not to add the sand before the live rock because piling the rock on glass directly was more stable than building on sand (which could shift/collapse). I was also told to leave the tank bare bottomed during cycling of the rock to facilitate removal of detritus that falls to the aquarium floor. Any validity to this? If not, I'll add the sand tonight.

 

Pack wouldnt that be only if its live sand?

 

That's exactly what I was going to say. That's what I did. You get the benefit of removing the debris that falls of the rocks. I don't think you would restart the cycle by just adding the sand, especially if it is dry sand. Although even with "live" sand it shouldn't be a problem. Your bacteria will colonize the sand in a few weeks after adding it and you should be good to go. You could probably start adding livestock right after you put the sand in. Just go slow to allow the biological filter to catch up.

 

Well, the rock first is a good idea. It's what I do. That way no future creatures can burrow into it, get under the rocks, and cause a possible collapse.
As far as removing detritus, that really shouldn't be done during cycling. The waste and rotting organic matter is what causes ammonia and creates the whole nitrogen cycle in the first place (same reason you do not run carbon or a protein skimmer while cycling). The detritus and other waste will be removed from the system in three ways in the future: naturally broken down by the bacterium, scavengers (cleaning crew), and manually cleaning during water changes.

 

You remove the detritus after the tank has cycled. This way, the left overs won't get trapped under the sand where they can decompose and produce hydrogen sulfide, nitrates and other not so great compounds.

 

Alright, so I'll add the aragonite tonight, won't vacuum it for a few weeks, and will allow cycling to take place. Thanks for the advice!