Here is how you can do it. First add your base sand (not live sand) and make sure you rinse it out good to get all the dust out of it so the sand won't cloud up your tank. Then mix the salt and RO or RO/DI water in container and pour it in slowly. After you get salt level between 1.021-1.025 depending if you want a reef tank or FO then you are ready to add your live rock if you want to cycle your tank with uncured live rock. If you do cycle with live rock the dieoff from the organisms on the rock will cycle your tank. However I go with the shrimp method to cycle my tanks, which is to add a dead grocery store shimp(about 1 for every 20 gals or so) and let the tank do the rest until hte cycle is complete and then remove the rest of the dead shimp. Now you are ready to add your live sand to seed the dead sand and the live rock will have much less die off (I like cured)and shouldn't cause another cycle. You are ready to add the fish or corals you want after your tank is established and stable. The cycle should take between 2 weeks to a month. Good luck. And remember to ask questions if you are unsure and it will make you into a sucessful reefer.