What to get first?

[fattyratrat]

I am planning a trip to the LFS on friday, and assuming my cycle is finished, and I have no amonia or nitrites, I will get some creatures for my tank. I have a 60 gallon tank, and soon will have a 40 gallon fuge attached.

Here is what I would eventually like to have, please give me suggestions on what I should get first.

-Sixline wrasse
-Yellowhead jawfish
-Yasha Goby w/ candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp Buddy

-a few Peppermint shrimp
-a skunk cleaner shrimp
-Turbo snails
-cerith snails
-margarita snails
-nerite snails
- one serpant star
- a red star? (good reef candidate?)

Could I add some sort of mushroom or soft coral also?

thanks for your help

[stingythingy45]

Just get a few turbos and see how they do first.
Is there any algae growing in there for them to feed on?

[fattyratrat]

plenty of that brown dusty crap. and theres some hair algae too.

[kau_cinta_ku]

i agree start with a cleanup crew and then wait a couple weeks

[Diver4life]

when the time to add fish show up, add the goby and yellow head first,the sixline last.

[ahullsb]

Yes the sixline should be the very last thing to go in. If you decided to try and add a fish later, the sixline could very well kill it.

[doubletap4311]

I agree with the wrasse

[snorvich]

I would not put a lined wrasse in my tanks. Most people try to figure out ways to get them out after a while. Clean up crew should be first but not necessarily the full quantity as there will not be much to feed them. What you should really get first is a refractometer and test kits.

[Sk8r]

No margaritas: they're coldwater species and die very quickly.
No red star: only survive in huge mature reefs, unknown what they eat. WIll starve in a month.
I agree with the refractometer, ph meter, and test kits of your own, for: alkalinity; and if you want stony corals, tests for calcium and magnesium. No other additives. Weekly water changes alone will do the job at first, until corals grow.
You can add hardy corals directly after cycle BUT make up your mind whether you want to go stony or softie, and that depends on your lights. And if you have corals, you must do at least weekly tests.
Once you have established salinity, put a piece of tape on your sump to mark correct water level and consider getting an autotopoff unit [got mine from autotopoff.com, one non-pricey source] which will automate that job...which otherwise must be done daily by hand. [sigh: I really recommend that autotopoff unit. In a 60, you should see evaporation of about a gallon a day in average humidity.]
First comes cleaning crew: snails, micro hermits. After tank is algae free, then some corals.
If you are really serious about doing well with corals, I recommend setting up a refugium: makes phosphate control SO much easier.
A lot to buy besides fish: I know that's the most exciting, but you will need that equipment or you'll be mistaking your salinity and stressing out your occupants.
Plus, before fish, get a qt tank: the reason for qt is not to protect the fish [it does actually] but to protect your TANK. If a parasite like ich gets loose in it you have to take all your fish out for 8 weeks and that is NO fun! Let them spend a few weeks in qt and be sure they're clean before they go in. Ich is very, very, very common at fish stores, and even a healthy-looking fish can break out in it after a few days in your tank.

Also, acclimate everybody.

[an411]

I would do the snails and shrimp first then fish