Adding rock, done cycling, and adding protein skimmer? Help

[soccerbo24]

I have just recently started my first saltwater tank 29 gallons! I am doing a fish only tank! My tank started its cycle on 4 days ago when I added 30 pounds of live sand, 26 pounds of live rock and then filling the tank to the top with saltwater from my local pet store. Turned my heater on filter on and power head on. Everything has been working fine and the water is clear now. I'm just wondering when should I start checking the water to see if it is done cycling? My tank looks a little empty with only 26 pounds of live rock so I am but 15 pounds of Florida reef rock to add to my tank. It isn't alive. So is there anything I have to do to make it safe for my tank? Can I just add it on top of my live rock? Or do I just need more live rock? I also wanted to add a small hang on back protein skimmer to skim my tank! Where can I find a cheap one? One that isn't terrible. And can I just add that at anytime? Or should I wait till it's done cycling? Also on the cycling how do I know when it is fully complete? Please help! Thanks guys!

 

[geridoc]

Don't go overboard with rock. 1-2 lb/gallon is fine. The tank may look a little bare at that level, but you will soon fill the empty space with fish, which is a good thing! Adding live rock may start a "soft cycle", but I never rely on that. Instead, add a cocktail shrimp from your local supermarket, leave it in for a few days, then remove it. Then measure the ammonium level in the tank. It may rise, then fall, indicating that the cycle is complete. Or, ammonium levels may not change at all, which would indicate that the "soft cycle" was adequate. Either way, you are then ready to add one fish. A skimmer is a good tool to help with water quality, but it is a rule of the universe that "a cheap one, that isn't terrible" doesn't exist. There are only cheap ones that lead to your buying a not-cheap one, which makes the not-cheap one pretty expensive in the long run. There is no rush to get a skimmer - wait until you have had some fish int he tank for a few months before you start skimming. Before that there isn't really much for the skimmer to do.