[jimw369]

Yeah, I looked at those pumps today at the lfs. I liked them. I am interested how well they work for you. Some good features the powerheads dont have.

If your tank cycles like mine did you will have some Detritus (die off) collecting on the sand and on your rock. Being new to the hobby this was a great way to play with my powerheads and actually see how the water currents worked in the tank. Good time to experiment a little and start figureing out what critters you want and where they can go related to the water movement.

Good time to start looking at your water temp variations and how you will control that. Some people are lucky I guess and there temp stays within a 2 degree swing all day. My tank with the warm weather outside and a return pump that creates heat can vary up to 6 degrees. I contro; it with 2, 4" box fans mounted inside the canopy(just built) with temp probes on them so they turn on and off when needed.

Now is a great time to experiment a little and learn first hand how the equipment works
and work out any bugs before your critters arrive.

Test Kit yet. Most people will say dont bother testing untill you think you are nearing the end of your cycle. I respectfully disagree. (most of these guys know more than I do!)
While the test results during cycle time are really irrevelant, it is a great time to start and develop a good habit. Say test every 3 days? Its fun to do anyway!(Im abnormal)

Start reading about water chemistry if you havent already (extremely important topic).

I must stop! Hope I havent overstepped my boundries.

Keep us informed. Post pics! We love pics!