To address your first question, yes it is normal for salt mixes to be cloudy at first. With proper circulation, this should clear up in a few hours. However, if I am reading your post right, it looks like you may have mixed the salt in the tank. That's probably ok since there is nothing in the tank. Going forward though, you will need to mix your salt in a separate container so as not to kill your stock. ; ) As others have already pointed out, the next step could be to add rock if you are going reef or fowlr. If fish only, pick some hardy, inexpensive fish (damsels perhaps) and add them once the salinity, temp and ph is stable. GL!