Newbie Question - Uncured LR

[bfrink]

Quick question for all of you helpful sorts. My tank info is as follows:
72 bow
Standard florescent lighting
1" - 2" agronite
Fuluva 304 cannister filter
Whisper 3 power filter (no sponge, just carbon)
Prism skimmer
300w heater
20 - 25 lbs "cured" (according to LFS) LR
I know some my not like my substrate and filter choices, but for the time its what I got and it ain't changing for a while. The tank has been running for about two weeks (used RO/DI filter for water) with the above mentioned LR and no fish. Had a small ammonia spike. From looking at other tanks and reading on this site, I've decided that I want a lot more rock! I plan on this tank being a FOWLR plus some inverts. I ordered 50lbs of uncured live rock which will arrive tomorrow. I am planning on adding the rock to the tank as is and letting the die off cycle the tank. Here are my questions:
1. How stupid am I being?
2. Should wash or scrub the rock in any fashion?
3. Should I have the skimmer running when I put the new LR in?
4. How long should it take for the tank to cycle?
5. Once the tank is cycled, what are good non-agressive fish to add? And - What inverts should I add for a "clean-up crew" (also what is a clean-up crew?). Which should be added first - fist or inverts?
Any advice that could be provided would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[kpogue]

With that amount of uncured live rock, I would give it 3-4 weeks to cycle. If not more, I have so-called cured rock (stay away from cquarium) that has taken that long.

 

[bfrink]

Well I pick up the 50lbs of uncured LR from the LFS today at 3:00pm. I am planning on draining 10 - 15 gals of water from the tank to rince the LR in before putting it in the tank (also to make room for the rock!). Any other final suggestions from anyone? Also, my tank (see description as beginning of thread) just has standard flo lights. Should I be upgrading to PC lighting. As stated above I want that tank to be a FOWLR with perhaps some inverts (I'm still wondering what a "clean up crew" is). If I should get PC's, where is a good place to purchase online and what bulbs. As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[clarkiiboi]

a clean up crew, does just that, it cleans the "crud" from the LR, your substrate, glass, eats the fish waste, etc. which helps with the bioload and parameters. clean up crews consist of (just a simple example) snails and crabs. but from my experience urchins are very bad for cleaning your coralline algea off the rocks (which you want to have on the rocks). HTH.