[Cougra]

Another thing to think about before starting your tank is what you would actually like to have in it. Are you interested in large aggressive predatory fish, having a nice community tank where fish and inverts live together? Do you like SPS corals or soft corals? What kind of animals are available in your area?

I would recommend that you look around and get a list of animals that you would really like to try to keep and then ask about them and the type of set up required as different animals have different needs. For example if you want a predator tank then expensive brilliant lighting isn't essential however if you want to keep SPS corals and clams then you'll need to invert in better lighting systems. Some animals require sandy substrates to live in so that would affect the types of water flow you would need to set up.

Of course your interests will change over time and you may be required to change a few plans but the more you plan now, the easier it will be to plan your system to match the tank you want.