Welcome to the Sanctuary. You start by locating a spot for the tank away from direct sunlight and put water in it. Preferably RO/DI water and add a commercially available sea salt. Add some LR (live rock) about 1-2 lbs per gallon and some LS (live sand). Get your skimkmer running and add a piece of dead shrimp, to the tank, from the grocery store to get your nitrogen cycle started. It's imperative to have the proper test kits during this time (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate). As your tank is cycling test for these compounds. You will first see the ammonia rise, then the nitrite will rise. Eventually the ammonia and nitrite will start to fall. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish and invertebrates. When the ammonia and nitrite fall back to zero you are ready to add your clean-up crew.(invertebrates that clean the sand and glass-snails, red legged hermit crabs etc, etc.). You can also start adding fish at this time. Don't over do it. One or two at first because there may be another cycle. You will also start to see the nitrates rising after the nasty part of the cycle is over. These can be controlled many different ways, one of which is weekly water changes, DSB (deep sand beds) and refugiums.
Once you get through the nitrogen cycle, which can take 3-6 weeks, you will have had sufficient time to do more research and do more indepth reading and studying of the above steps. Once you get more into the hobby and become more advanced you can delve into other areas of reef keeping.
Best of luck to you!
