1st Marine tank: 55g reef. Couple questions... with pics

[Greyhaven7]

Hey all.
Just to let you know, before I start ratteling off questions here, I've done NUMEROUS Google searches (with either no result, or conflicting results) and used the "search" function here.

Here's my setup:

55g glass aquarium
Marineland "Emperor 400" Bio-Wheel filter
Marineland "Penguin 550" Power head w/ bio filtration "sponge" on intake
Coralife lighting: 2 double Actinic and 2 double 10k's. (seperate plugs to allow timing)
About 40lbs of live rock (fresh stuff from a shipment the night before)
Live Sand (had been in the display tanks at the LFS for over a year... nice and bio-active)

Little story first...
This is actually my 2nd tank... the 1st was ruined within a week. The first live rock I got had about 8 Mantis Shrimp hitch hickers on it (tiny little ones, less than 1/8 inch). I asked my LFS for advice on how to get rid of them... they advised "Coppersafe" (a new employee). Being the newbie that I am I put it in. Then read about it online.... Well, I think you all know what that does (kills almost all inverts and can never be fully removed)... so the LFS paid for a whole new setup. Hence the nice fresh live rock, and year old live sand... also 2 bags of some of those little ceramic bio cylendar things that had been in their system for over a year.

This new 55g has been cooking for about a week with it's bio active goodness kicking up the Nitrate, Nitrite, and Amonia levels in just a few days... the levels are already dropping. Amonia is almost at 0, Nitrates are still at 35ppm, Nitrites are down to 5ppm.

Questions (finally).....

1.) There's some white fuzzy spots on my live rock... small... about the size of a quarter. They're a little fuzzy. I've read that they are die-off from the LR. Is there any possibility they could be anything else?

2.) Same thing on this sponge (at least i think it's a sponge).

3.) What's this little guy? anemone? coral?

4.) What're these little copper colored things?

5.) Should I clean this up?

6.) What's a propper lighting cycle... I've got actinics and 10ks and can set each on a timer. And plan to add corals, anemones, small fish, and clean up crew critters... snails, shrimp, crabs, stars.

7.) When is it safe to add corals? Crabs? Shrimp? Fish? (I've heard MANY conflicting responses on this one)

8.) Should I clean the brown crap off my LR?

9.) Anything else I should do? Anything important I should know? Suggestions on anything? equipment? critters?

Thanks guys!

 

[hcuellart]

Yes die-off the LR, for Q1 and Q2. For Q3 it looks like a glass anemone. For Q4 I have no idea as the pic is not that clear...
Q5 looks like your first algal bloom, don't worry it will get worst but it will pass with the natural cyling of the tank. If you can get a couple of powerheads for your water circulation.
Q6 I am assuming these are PC's right? Anyways 12-14 hrs is what is recommended. You could start with 1 or 1.5 hrs for actinics and then 11-12 hrs with the all of them and finally another 1-1.5 hrs of actinics only.
Q7 For at least 6 weeks leave the tank to cycle then get your cleanup crew, then maybe a fish or two and finally corals when you have your tank stabilized.
Q8 Leave it as it is for the cycling time...
Q9 Get a skimmer, this is a very useful piece of equipment and read a lot!!! In this hobby you can never stop learning

Good luck!