Ok, step 1, inspect your seals on your 3' tank. If they're clear or very lightish sky blue you're ok to use that tank. If they're a blue-green kind of like the color of the statue of liberty (excuse the yank here
) then dont use it as the seals are contaminated with copper. If seals are not contaminated, proceed to step 3.
Step 2. Get a new tank and stand. The only options you'll want with it are an appropriate sized heater, a hood, and a thermometer. Bigger tanks are more expensive to setup but less expensive to run.
Step 3. Get some new lighting. T8 power compact flourescent will be fine for Fish Only. T5s will be required for soft and large polyp stony LPS corals, and metal halides will be required for small polyp stony SPS corals.
Step 4. Decide on filtration. Standard hang on mechanical filters are not advisable as they become deadly nitrate factories. Your options are live rock only or live rock with a sump. LR only is commonly used for nano tanks (30gal and lower) while sumps are popular in larger tanks where there is ample rooom under the tank stand. Either way, a ratio of 1lb per gallon is reccomended for LR. Spend your money on rock instead of canister filters, you'll be happy you did.
Step 5. Decide on substrate. Most people use sand instead of crushed coral. Crushed coral limits your selections of cleanup crew and fish, so unless you absoloutely HAVE to have that look, avoid crushed coral. Either way, make sure your substrate is aragonite based. Live sand is a waste of money as LR will populate the sand over time.
Step 6. Prepare the tank. Level the stand, apply a pad under the tank, or put some egg crate (found in hardware stores in the drop ceiling area) on the bottom of the inside of the tank to spread the weight of the rocks out evenly. If using one, fit the sump, prepare some power strips, mount your skimmer and uv sterilizer if you choose to use them, and mount your powerheads.
Step 7. Mix salt water in buckets and bring at least one up to temp. Get a hygrometer or refractometer and go for 1.022-1.025 specific gravity.
Step 8. Buy LR and place it in the tank either on glass or egg crate, and fill the area around it with aragonite substrate. Prefferably 1-2" thick for beginners. Then, fill the tank with water and get the heater going.
Step 9. Allow the tank to cycle
Step 10. Add cleanup crew and fish.
Step 11. Stay on top of regular maintenance.
Parts list (by no means comprehensive)
Tank/Stand
Lights
Hood
Heater
Powerheads (20 times turnover in gph)
Substrate
LR
Hygrometer/refractometer
Test kits for saltwater, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH required. kH, gH, calcium, phosphate highly reccomended
Marine Sea Salt (get a bucket, you'll need it eventually)
Sump (optional, as described above)
Skimmer (optional for nano, reccomended for larger)
UV sterilizer (optional for all, but reccomended for keeping parasites at bay)
Chiller (if your house gets hot in the summer and you use metal halides, you'll need one eventually
)
That'll get your mind stirring
. Remember, ALWAYS check Ebay and online stores for hardware prices as they are usually cheaper that way. I found most of my hardware for 30-50% less than what my LFS sells it for online. Ebay rocks for lights
Tanks, livestock, and food however are usually cheaper at your LFS.
