Originally Posted by
joeyfine
http:///forum/post/3252517
thanks for the advice. so would you start live rock, then sand bed, then plants and allow to cycle or do you put the plants in after the tank cycles?
that's a very good question.
I would start is the macro algae being the fist thing added after adding water. Then do the rest.
Sure add the rock, get it setup looking nice and so on. then immediately add the macro algaes and arrange.
Even if the macro does not do well. you can add some bioload then try some more. You will get the macros thriving which indicates the tank is ready for fiah.
Meanwhile it is entirely possible the "cycle" will not have measureable ammonia/nitrates because the macros prefer to consume ammonia directly.
my .02