Yes. I know this is going to sound a bit weird, but the first and most important thing in reefing is managing water quality. Everything else comes later: fish, corals, etc. Most of the successful reefers have become very good at getting their tank's water into a stable condition. And this takes time. It can take months to get the water stable, seasoned with a good strong and flexible bio system that can handle new additions of corals and fish as you build your reef tank. Going slowly is a good thing. There's an old saying that "nothing good happens in a reef tank quickly."
How long has your tank been setup and going?