the most important thing with marine set-ups is the rock.
as it goes the choice of what each person uses is down to them, fake rock, live rock, ect ect.
however, live rock is so important as its the king of all filtration aids in the tank
and fake rock nore maturing additives/liquids, just cannot compete in any way what so ever. so its a good idea to stick with live rock.
fiji rock is best.
when filling the tank RO water must be used as tap water contains things which will kill of marine life almost immediatly.
and at the cost of marine...nobody wants that lol
adding the salt can be done yourself with the aid of a salinity tester to measure the salt levels with the water once mixed.
realistically you want to aim for a salt reading in a "reef tank" of around 1.021 to 1.024 at most really.
anything more and corals get grumpy lol as do some species of fish.
if you dont want this then you can have your RO pre-mixed with salt at your local fish shop.
but you will still need a salinity tester for water changes ect.
on first set-up a salt water testing kit is a very good idea, API make a great test kit for marines.
powerheads are essential when setting the tank up, as if you already have the live rock and theirs no water movement, the rock will die.
plus their useful to give the inhabitants a "real ocean" effect within their tank and corals require a current.
of course a heater is essential also, but depending on your tank size you may require 2 heaters to get the correct warmth for your marine set-up.
when moving the tank always have help to move the tank itself.
always remember to completly empty the tank before hand. (water, rocks, sand, corals, fish, ect)
as when set up and full, the amount of weight inside the tank can strain the glass, making it weaker when empty so watch out for this.
good luck.
