Assuming the water is pre-mixed saltwater (and I may be wrong in that assumption) why couldn't all of it (saltwater, live sand, rock) be added all on the same day?
Not quite understanding the 1-2 day wait between adding the water and then the rest (again, I'm assuming the wate being added is pre-mixed salt water).
If the salt water is being created in the tank (something I've never done) then I 'get' it: (need to assure all of the salt has been dissolved first).
Is the live sand one of those bagged products or live sand taken from an LFS's tank? An LFS in my area used to have a mangrove display tank (that also housed fish, corals and other inhabitants) that also doubled as a live sand source and would be teeming with life.
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African cichlid and saltwater aquariums