Setting up a used setup with fish? Bacteria die off?

[Jonahnguyen]

So my dad is picking up a 90g reef setup. Comes with corals and a some fish. The guy who sold it told my dad that I shouldn't add the fish until 8 weeks after setting it up. That doesn't make much sense to me from what I know about the hobby. Even including die off, shouldn't there still be bacteria in the rock to get things going? Plus I have bacteria starter (debateable whether it works or not but I get employee discount at petland so it was $2). I'm upgrading from a 28g nano cube, so I can't just throw 8 fish from this new tank into my 28g for 8 weeks. Isn't it perfectly fine for me to setup the tank when it gets here (which is in a few hours mind you) and then add the fish? Il obviously have to keep tabs on parameters in case of an ammonia spike. Thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

Put the fish in qt UNTIL the tank has been through its ammonia snit on re-set-up. Discard the sand. Get new medium grain aragonite, thoroughly washed (or cope with mud)...Don't let the fish in until it's safe. For a re-setup, with live rock and all, it may be a 5 day cycle, not too awfully long. CORALS can survive the ammonia spike that will kill fish, but just to be nice, put the coral into the cube, too until its safe. THen start with them, and if the corals are opening and happy, you should have a good indicator for the fish. DO test, however.