Starting a saltwater mixed tank

[texasmatt]

I've never tried a saltwater tank before and I'm trying to start a mixed tank with corals and community fish. I purchased a used 100 gallon acrylic tank that uses bioball filtration. I have about 40 lbs of live rock and some dead added in between. I have a coral life lighting system with 2 65 w actinic and 2 65 w flourescent lights. It's been running about a month and i have 3 turbo snails and 5 hermit crabs running around in it right now just to keep things clean-ish and 3 chromis as "test" subjects to more or less make sure I won't kill anything when I actually start putting fish in. What are things I should really know while getting this tank started?
I honestly don't even know what I don't know, and I am very enthused with the hobby and it's taking everything I have not to be buying fish and corals and left and right to get started. I'm trying to read as much as I can from new posters, but with my acrylic tank it seems the filtration system and many options are pretty much stuck as what is already on it. Any help is immensely appreciated. Sorry for the block of text

 

[loopy101]

first off welcome to the boards!!!
first off its good to take your time and read alot like you said you are doing.
have a few questions for you just to help everyone here know where your at in your tank.
what are your water peramaters? ammonia,nitrites,nitrates,phosphates,calcium,and alk?
did you cycle your tank?
your lights will be fine for growing soft corals and lps corals. but let the tank mature a little while before adding corals!!
you will need to add some more live rock along the way they suggest 1lb to a lb and a half per gallon of water.
can you explain a little more detail on your filtration? are the bio balls in a sump?
do you have a protien skimmer?
sorry for all the questions we just need to know where your at in your set up!
and also we all love pictures to see your progress!!!

 

[fitbmxdude989]

i agree you should use some more live rock, and welcome to the message boards

 

[texasmatt]

I know my nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia are at 0, my lfs wouln't sell my any life until they approved of the water levels in my tank. I had a cleaner shrimp die last week and immediately got my water tested to make sure it wasn't the water.
I am currently adding a liquid in two bottles A and B types once a day that is supposed to add calcium and some other helpful nutrients into the water to help for corals once the tank is better established I'm at work so I can't really remember too many details.
There is a protein skimmer attached, I don't remember the brand since everything was bought second hand but the seller said he used it for almost 2 years and was very pleased with it compared to other brands but I have no first hand knowledge at this point.
The tank has cycled before I added anything living to it, besides the live rock, but I'm still unsure of how often and how much water changes I should be doing, I'm getting a ton of mixed advice on the subject. Also with the lights directly over the water I seem to have nearly a half inch of water evaporate every couple of days.
The problem seems to be the tank itself. It has the filter in the back of the actual tank, so while the tank holds 100g, it has 75g actual for the fish to use. I have no idea what kind of filter it is, the water goes into the top left, through a pad designed to gather the large debris, and it the second tank next to it that has a slanted top with holes in it that filters the water into the bio balls beneath it, then back it the next tank where it is pushed back into the front tank.
I can take some pictures from the front but unfortunately I set it up in a closet so access to the back to take a photo is more or less impossible