New 30g any suggestions?

[ppm411]

I'm about 6 days into my tank. It's a 30 gallon. I started by filling the tank with regular fresh water (untreated). I let it sit for about 2 days so the chlorine would evaporate. Then I added the salt, 2 bags of live sand, and about 30lbs of dead rock. Filtration consists of a Fluval 404 canister. I was told this filtration would be enough for the time being and that it would be a good idea to add a light at some point. A few days later, I bought 3 Blue Devils and dripped them in. They were very very timid at first but are becoming more and more comfortable as time goes on. It's amazing how different each of their personalities are. They've all established their territories and it's not question who the king of the tank is at this point. As far as the Nitrogen Cycle goes, the nitrates are up to 20ppm and rising. I set up a nice spreadsheet in excel with a graph so I can monitor the progress. Email me if you want a copy in case you're setting up a new tank (ppm311@aol.com). Now for my question, do any of you have any suggestions as to how I've started? After reading quite a bit and talking to various veterans, I've come to realize that this hobby is much like golf in that you can't tell someone how to swing their club. It's all personal preference, so don't hesitate to give me your opinions. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

 

[hot883]

Welcome. I see a couple of eye brow raising items. 1st NEVER use tap water, you will regret it and get algea blooms from hell. Always and only use R/O reverse Osmosis water, or Distilled water. 2nd, IMO you should not have added any fish. The cycle will cause extensive gill burning that will kill the damsels or permanetly damage them. Take them out, take them back, add a raw uncooked shrimp to start the cycle. Of course the local fish store will tell you to do it this way. THEY WANT YOUR money. Cycling with damsels is a very outdated and cruel method. This is the hardest part in this hobby; being patient. The cycle will take 4-6 weeks to complete.
Hope this helps and good luck