dv3

Hello all,
I am a beginner to saltwater tanks heres what i have:
30 gallon tank
N.O. light i think ?wattage
on the back filter (aqua lite 30 gal.)
20# oolite live sand
12# lived rock ...i assume cured( lots of live mussels and feather dusters) ...lsf said i could put right in the tank
salinity -1.022 ( using hydrometer)
pH -7.8
ammonia - .5
NO2 and NO3 -0

i added water 6 days ago (tap with declhoriater)
added salt on the 4th day
live rock and sand on the 5th day
this will be FOWLR
i understand that i have probably made several poor decisions in this set up and would like some help deciding the best choices to make some improvements before wasting more money ...please help

sgould

Welcome!

Here are a few thoughts/suggestions based on what you posted:
If possible, consider adding more live rock. You will often hear a recommendation of 1lb per gallon of water. Normal output flourescent lighting is fine for fowlr. If you decide down the road to start keeping corals you will need to consider a lighting upgrade. Keep an eye on your water parameters...the ammonia reading indicates your tank is not yet cycled. With no livestock in there yet, that is fine...the live rock should finish cycling the tank for you as it cures. Just don't add fish until ammonia and nitrite are 0. Two equipment suggestions...1) R/O water is much better than tap water. Tap water just has too many algae feeding nutrients in it and you will end up in a constant battle with various forms of nuisance algae. An RO filter will filter out those nutrients and help keep your water clear. RO filters are expensive to buy and run...if you can't spring for one, you can usually buy RO water from LFS. 2) Protein skimmer. Cleans a lot of organic waste out of the water before it has a chance to start breaking down and foul your water.