YOU HAVE TO DO WATER CHANGES!
Richard knows EXACTLY what he is doing. Follow his instructions to the letter!
Setting up a TBS tank is completely different than setting up a regular tank.
With TBS, it's more like transferring an established system from one tank to another, as if you were upgrading tanks. Everything you are putting in your tank was in the ocean just days ago and never left the ocean water. With TBS you get an instant reef! And just a very short cycle. As soon as those nitrates get up to 20+, start doing large water changes or you will lose all that great life that came with the rock and sand. Change out 25% of the water every day until the nitrates drop to 20 or lower. Should take 3-6 days to come down. Once it does you are done and ready to get Part II! Then you will do the same thing and this time it's even more important because you will have even more life and more sensitive animals. It's a lot of work but for only a very short time! Then you are pretty much good to go. My tank is only two months old and it looks better than my 1 year old tank ever did! I have 3 fish including a sailfin tang, corals, sponges, stars, clams, etc. I will never start a reef tank without TBS ever again. :bowdown: