Questions on starting a Reef Tank

[lions den]

Ive had my tank for about a year and a half now and I recently decided to convert it to a reef tank. My questions are this: 1.)how many pounds of rock do I need for getting started. I was going to start with 50lbs, but someone told me that I need 2lbs for every gal. 2.) Currently I have just your regular sand, but do I need Live Sand. 3.) Does adding rock and sand at one time raise ammonia levels drastically? I have many more questions but if anyone can help me gain some knowledge on your general start up it would be much appreciated. I plan on buying some books, but havent found any here locally.

 

[iceburg98]

Hey spencer,
Usually the typical amount of live rock (that i've seen) is 1lb to 1.5lbs per gallon, although more wouldn't hurt. Also, live sand would be the best (NOT crushed coral - get aragonite or another fine sand), but if you get good quality rock it will eventually seed the sand over time. Also, what a lot of people do to save money is buy "not-live" sand and then add a few pounds of live sand to help seed it.
Unless the rock is cured, your ammonia will go up and you'll probably go through another cycle. If you have an extra tank, you can cure the rock yourself. But even with cured rock, only add it a little bit at a time. your ammonia will go up a little, but not enough to cause any damage.