Steps for starting up tank

[Terrier]

I'm planning on starting up my tank in the next few weeks. It will be a FOWLR for a while until I am a little more experienced, then I hope to get into some of the easier corals. I have a 65 gallon corner-overflow with a 20G tall sump underneath in the stand.

Could anyone give me advice on the best way to get my tank going? Like what you were glad you did, or wish you hadn't done? I'm a planner to a fault, but I want to do it right!

The way I see it,
1. Add some base rock/lr/etc. right on the tank bottom so the entire structure is sturdy.
2. Add sand [or other substrate] and fill in around the rock.
3. Add water (up to tank 3/4 full, allowing extra volume for lr). I am springing for pre-mixed RO water from a LFS. Water will be poured onto a plate, garbage bag, etc. sitting on sand to minimize disturbance to sand.
4. Add heater and get water temp up to 77-78 before adding lr (if I don't do this, could adding rock to room temperature water be bad?)
5. Add lr, turn on pump/powerjets, let cycle.

I know this seems really basic, but am I missing anything? What if the water is cloudy and white after adding the water ... should I let that completely settle (days... weeks?) before adding the live rock so the rock doesn't get smothered? Also not start the circulation system, so that the suspended sand doesn't end up in the pumps?

Any info would be appreciated!

Terrier

[Gatorfreak]

I've read that it's better to add a little water before the sand and then pour in the sand. This is to avoid air pockets that you may get by pouring water on top of sand. When I did all this a month ago I got everything running and up to temp before adding the LR. I would imagine it's best to put the LR into warm water.

[jaiden]

Buy a rodi off ebay for $100-120 instead of buying the water. I use it for drinking water too and it's great. mine came with a pressure tank and faucet.

generally your plan looks great.

[Brad]

Since the idea behind having live rock is to keep it alive...you might want to fill up the tank with sand salt water and some base (dead) rock and get the aquarium running for a while. Throw a bit of dead shrimp in there to introduce some ammonia.

Then...once the tank has "cycled" (if you don't understand that term...STOP everything until you do...)...add your Live rock. That way, the life on the rock will have a much better chance of survival.

[Terrier]

I thought you can use lr itself to cycle the tank before adding any of the higher critters?