Total Newb -- couple questions!

[solecraft]

Good morning:
So just as some background, we got a 46 gallon bow front tank about a week ago. We set it up, let it run for 5 days, and went and bought some fish yesterday. We just bought some cheap ones to make sure they survived before we got ones we actually liked. The store guy suggested yellow tail damsels, so we got three of those and a clownfish (I think it was a Tomato clown). So, here are my questions:
(1) Food: how much should I be putting in the tank? I feed them twice a day -- this tiny pellet stuff with herring in it (or something godawful smelling ha)
(2) Light: we have one of those florescent light bars sitting on top of the plexiglass, and we're not sure how long we should leave the light on, and at what time of day to do it. Any suggestions?
(3) Assuming these fish make it through the next week or two, what should the next steps be to purchase more fish? How many? What kind? What size? I would really like a lionfish, but im confident he'll eat everything in the tank.

Basically, whats a good next step?
Thanks for any/all input!

 

[shista]

1st of all check the water every other day for ammonia nitrite and nitrate you will see an amonia spike within the 1st couple of weeks. then it will drop as you see the nitrites rising then they will lower and your nitrate will rise and stabalise. around 25 ppm. then you need a 20% water change with RO water mix with salt let sit one day and them empty some water out and pour the new water in!!. about the food feed them 2 times a day they might not eat in the biggining so try feeding them 1 time a day. get some frozen brine shrimp fro the bigginging they will love it then u can feed them flake or watever u think is good. u shud wait about a month till the cycle finishes till u add more fish. i wound not consider a lionfish for a bigginer they eat small fish. how much watts is ur light??

 

[solecraft]

Originally Posted by shista
1st of all check the water every other day for ammonia nitrite and nitrate you will see an amonia spike within the 1st couple of weeks. then it will drop as you see the nitrites rising then they will lower and your nitrate will rise and stabalise. around 25 ppm. then you need a 20% water change with RO water mix with salt let sit one day and them empty some water out and pour the new water in!!. about the food feed them 2 times a day they might not eat in the biggining so try feeding them 1 time a day. get some frozen brine shrimp fro the bigginging they will love it then u can feed them flake or watever u think is good. u shud wait about a month till the cycle finishes till u add more fish. i wound not consider a lionfish for a bigginer they eat small fish. how much watts is ur light??
How does one obtain RO water? I didnt think you needed to have it sit a day before you put it in. Interesting thought -- I will try that. Im not sure what wattage my lamp is -- Im not at home right now. Does that effect the amount of time you leave it on?

 

[shista]

i leave mine on from 9 in the morning till 10 at night it doesent really matter if it bettween 9-15 hours

 

[shista]

and u shud let the ro with the salt sit so the salt desolves and stabllises better and use an airstone in there over night too.