getting ready to cycle, few ?'s

[mwrmma]

Ok, 90 gal tank 100 lbs reef sand, 70 lbs base rock, sg 1.0245, temp is 78 deg f., 2 ph's putting out 500 gpm, and a fluval 404 and an aquaclear 500 that i will be putting about 5 - 10 lbs lr rubble in tomorrow, and i have 45 lbs fiji lr also coming tomorrow from foster smith. what i want to know is if i should buy a skimmer for the die off, and how many raw (DEAD) shrimp should i buy for the fishless cycle? and once i finish my cycle, what % wc should i do? also, how long does it take for the base rock to start to become live? thanks in advance!!!!!

[Feron]

Turn the skimmer on.. it'll give it a chance to 'season' while the cycle is going on so that's it's in full operational mode when it is time to add livestock.
I'd figure your live rock would trigger a cycle, so I wouldn't add more then one or two shrimp if you want em to help it along..
(I just cycled using my live rock, no base rock, so it might be a little different?)
As for the spread of life to the rock.. I think it can take many months for coraline to propigate to the base rock, but the bacteria that makes live rock live will inhabit the rock within the cycle..

[mwrmma]

i also have a stocking question. i need some advice from the pro's on this one. here is the list of fish that i have an interest in, and i would like some input as to which ones are best housed together keeping in mind the 90 gal tank.
a pair of clowns (probably false), a yellow tang, naso tang, sailfin tang, powder blue tang, yellow watchman goby, niger trigger, humu picasso, copperband bfly, bicolor pseudo, and some type of angel (koran or imperator).
I KNOW these all wont fit in my tank since i'm looking at about 18 " of fish, but which ones would be a good group? thanks for any input.

[melosu58]

You wont be able to keep all those tangs in there. Too many and not enough swim room. I guess this is only a FOWLR because some of those are coral destroyers. All those or most of them would be a pretty aggresive tank.

[mwrmma]

thats why i am asking for the advice of this forum to tell me which fish on that list will go with one another. i already stated that i know i cant put all of them in the tank. and yes it is a fowlr tank. please advise.
thanks in advance. any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[sdellin]

compatibility charts and info.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/c...lity_chart.cfm

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/SWCompatibility.php

[tecwzrd]

Originally Posted by mwrmma

2 ph's putting out 500 gpm

I want that ph that's kicking out 30,000 gph

As far as your fish list the yellow tang, yellow watchman goby, & bicolor pseudo along with a couple of Blue Green Chromis & maybe a smaller Wrasse would all be reef safe and fairly compatible with each other.

Personally I’d avoid any predator fishes like the trigger unless you want a predator only tank and no reef down the road. Also your tank is too small for a Koran Angelfish and especially too small for a Imperator Angelfish. These fish need a lot of swimming room and a 90 gal just isn’t enough for even one of these types of fish IMO.