[black_majik]

1) Any kind of livestock should be added after your cycle and added slowly. The end of the cycle mark is when the diatom( brownalgae) break out goes away. Never before. As for hermits and snails, hermit crabs live in snail shells, usually dead shells unless their shell is too small and they cannot find a bigger one, then they will attack and kill a snail for theirs. Larger hermits will actually attack other hermits and kill them. ( If you see a "naked" hermit body you know the cause now)

2)Again with water changes the same thing with livestock, only perform them after your cycle is complete ( brownalgae disappears). You at that point can do a 25% to lower nitrates and everything else that build up during the cycle. After that create a routine and try your best to stick with it.

3)Siphoning your sand bed is more of a freshwater activity than saltwater. Ideally you should have micro organisms, burrowing snails, and other inverts ( including your hermits and snails) which will complete till and clean ( micro-burrowing snails) to lightly pick up debris ( hermits possibly snails, shrimps etc.). In fresh water you really don't have these clean crews to aid you. It wouldn't be bad though to lightly disturb your sand bed you do not having any burrowers so you can free nitrates and other things your sand holds onto.

4)It depends on what that "loose stuff" is. Sometimes you can small corals which will slime and add organics to your water if you do not clean it off. On the other hand you can have animals/inverts who feed in that style so you wouldn't want to clean it off. Depends on the loose stuff.

5)Ideally you want your livestock in before the corals go in. This way it is less stressful for the coral since they won't have to experience a "mini" cycle. Some softies wouldn't mind it's a lot safer to have the fish/inverts in before.Either way you would want to wait a month or two if you are adding "hardy" softies. You still will see organic problems up to 6 months of having the tank. You can speed up this process by larger or more frequent water changes there is a calculator on the homepage which will show you how long it will take you have your "pure" water levels over 80% ( ideal for coral adding).

6) There is no need for dosing if you have a decent salt and you keep up with your water changes. Now if you venture into hard corals they pull calcium and alk. out of the water and then you would need to supplement to keep up with them. Otherwise if you have iodide monsters ( which is rare) you could dose iodide I don't recommend it. Silica is something you want to dose. These is the cause of brown algae, but only in high levels if you put in small doses up to the point of brown algae growth than your fine. Silica builds up snails, sponges and diatom tissue. Iron is another you may venture into if you add a refuge. The corals zooanthae ( pardon my spelling) will benefit too, but if it is just for your corals than teh salt will do fine. Fatty Acids is good for new corals which are stressed and actually depend on the water column for food until they are comfortable to perform photosynthesis. Fatty Acids will ruin your water quality fast if you use too much only a small amount to a new coral and direct feed. Vitamin C is only good if your tank is in a stressful situation or if a coral is dieing. Aside for those OPTIONS I would not dose anything.