Yes, Just got thru ordering my pump.
PanWorld 250PS-MD100R External Water Pump - 1900gph

Looks like you are one step closer! :D

Did the sump arrive yet?

No the sump will arrive on Monday and the pump will arrive on Wednesday.

Hi all, I just got back from Gainesville, My sump arrived perfectlly, Thank goodness. My pump should be here later today. The rest of the good news is the taxes also arrived while I was gone. That means in the morning I get to order everything else I need. The plumbing will be done this weekend. First thing Monday morning I will be ordering the live rock. So in 1 week I will be starting the cycle. I am so pumped everything finally is coming together for me.

Congratulations Teeka!
:wav:

Have you been to Ocean Encounters or AquaTropics in Gainesville?
Anytime I am there I always try to stop in those two stores.

Okay now a silly question exactly which test should I order? I want to order all that I need but not the ones I don't.
Thank You Frag.

When first setting up a tank the 3 most important things to test for are Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. The problem with purchasing Ammonia and Nitrite test kits is that you will most likely not need them again after your tank has cycled. So it is up to you as to whether or not to purchase these tests. Most LFS will test water for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate for you for free. As soon as Ammonia and Nitrite has hit 0 and Nitrates start to rise then your cycle is nearing the very end. At this point I would do a 10-20% water change and you should be ready to start stocking. This process will take around 4-8 weeks.

After the cycle the important things that you will want to test for are PH, Alkalinity, and Calcium. (Nitrates too if you are having algae issues, phosphates are tricky to test for as there are organic and inorganic phosphates and different tests read differently, but I would not worry about this unless you are overwhelmed with algae)

I don't remember but I think you said you are going to use RO/DI water right? What salt mix are you planning to use?

No I haven't benn to either but next time I am in the area I will make sure to stop and check them out.

The ph I was planning on getting the pinpoint meter for, would this do? The reason behind the meter is in Aug I plan on adding the calcium reactor,

A PH meter is not completely necessary at this point but if you have the extra money then yes it is a great thing to purchase.

Too bad they don't make affordable alkalinity and calcium monitors, yet. :)

Would it take the place of a ph test kit?

Yes. Sorry if my previous post was not clear.

Oh I Know I would rather have the meters then all the test kits.

It will be nice when the day comes that all water parameters can be checked and displayed digitally. Color changing test kits can be a pain to read.

What is the best kind of salt to use? I know I am playing 100 questions today but I want to get my order together. I am very nervous about this.

That is all a matter of opinion. If you were to ask 100 different people that question you would probably get 100 different answers.
I have used Coralife which I didn't care for, Instant Ocean which is what I have been using for years, and Tropic Marin which I bought a bucket because someone recommended it to me and said it was great and I wasn't impressed when other people swear by it. I have been thinking about trying the SeaChem salt which has elevated levels of borate to stabilize alkalinity.

Here is an article on "The Composition of Several Synthetic Seawater Mixes"

Some people swear by oceanic, but some instability in a few batches a while back has scared off a lot of people, which is one reason I have not tried it. I know someone who has had success mixing Instant Ocean with Oceanic to get the best of both worlds. Certain levels that Instant Ocean are low in Oceanic has plenty of and vice versa.

It is difficult to make a wrong choice in which salt mix to use. Try a few of the major brands and see which one you like best. Sometimes the PetsMart website and Dr. Foster's will have good deals on salt. Just remember that if you order salt online then usually you will have extra shipping surcharges.

I have started a poll here to see what salt mix everyone else uses. Maybe the feedback from others will help you make up your mind on which to use.