InTheBeginning...

[guitartrbl]

i would like to benefit from the experienced out there - i've set up a 135 gal reef tank, stabilized the water, and am ready to introduce livestock. there is such a variety of fish, inverts, corals and such, that interest me, i'm having trouble deciding. it seems that compatibility and symbiotic issues should be key to success, but being new to all this i could sure use recommendations. thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to reply - it seems like there's a lot to learn:happyfish

 

[yellowtail]

take it reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll slow. there is alot of temptation but you gotta take it slllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooowwwwwwwwww.

good luck,
yellowtail

 

[soupysteve]

What sort of "bed" do you have for the tank? I kick myself for not using a sand bed - as I think a lot of different critters would prefer it to my aragonite bed.
But like the post above says, take it very slow. Buy inexpensive livestock first - I put my cleanup crew in first, then some EASY to care for corals, then my fish...

 

[cincyreefer]

Have you added live rock or fish yet?

 

[guitartrbl]

my brother, a enthusiast, helped me set up, and we used a crushed coral/shell mixture for bed, are there up or downsides to this?

 

[logan15]

downsides :nope:

 

[guitartrbl]

i've added seven damsels to help cycle the tank, which three have lived through the process, but no other live stock as of yet

 

[guitartrbl]

"downsides" fills me with unexplained dread - please elucidate

 

[rwhite]

7 damsels What kind are they? Hopefully schooling Chromis. I think most people will agree that most damsels can be trouble in a tank. Downsides I think means that CC requires more care than DSB. We have a 55 with CC and vacuum it every water change. The CC can trap a lot of "bad" things, I find it not so bad to maintain in the 55 but 135 may be a little more work. Good luck and HTH a little.
And, again, have you added LR yet? If not, run a search about CC vs. DSB and maybe you can decide from all the great info on the board. Even with LR and little livestock, you may be able to change if you choose.