What order to add critters?
Well, my new 75G tank is set up, heaters @ 77 degrees F, skimmer,
powerheads, 1.025 salinity, 4x96W lighting. Eventually I plan that this
will be a fish and reef setup. 75Lbs of live rock (cured) and live sand
arrives tomorrow. Even though it's cured, I'm expecting it may take a
little time (a week maybe?) for any die-off in transit to finish cycling.
So here's the question: At that point, once my ammonia and nitrates are
back down to 0, in what order should I start to add more life? I recognize
that fish mess up the ammonia/bacteria balance, so the initial addition
will be probably just 2 small clowns, with more later. But should I add
cleaning critters (crabs, shrimp, cucumber) before I add the fish? Or only
after the fish are there? Will cleaning critters add to the ammonia load?
Similarly, will any of the easy/soft corals add to the load there?
Everything I read says not to rush to do corals, but I'm wondering if they
will "mess up" existing balances, and if the tank has to be well-
established to add them, or if the warnings are because they are just more
sensitive to fluctuations that might come from other causes (like adding
other fish).
Thanks for your advice!
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