Beginning Research Phase, any advice?

[hammerhead 69]

I'm in the research phase of planning my tank. Money isn't really a problem. I'm either taking a 75 or 100 gallon acrylic, stand will be homemade.
My biggest (loaded) question: Not sure how much and what type of live rock to begin with, or how many little starting critters and types (crabs, cleaners, shrimp, ETC.) Eventually I'll have corals, inverts, anemonies, etc. Just not sure about what species will go with what and how many I should have. Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[jackri]

Read, start slowly, theres a rule of thumb of live rock of 1 - 1.5lbs per gallon but its really what you think is enough in your tank with the look your going for.
Research what's compatible with what you want to keep. You have time to read and come up with new questions some do's and don'ts.
Definately look for the big list of DON"Ts thread on here for trying to avoid new mistakes.
Other things to look at are filtration/lighting requirements for corals/fish etc.
The more you learn the more you just might alter your orginal ideas.

 

[kaingers]

Welcome to the boards! Have you purchased your tank yet? Most people will tell you the bigger the better. Water quality is easier to maintain in a larger system, and you can keep a wider range of fish.
There are a bunch of DIY threads on building a stand. Browse through them and learn from others peoples mistakes and successes.
Anemone's and corals require a good amount of light to be successful. Have you researched which lighting you are interested in?
You should match or even exceed your pounds of live rock to tank volume. A 100 gallon tank should have 100+ pounds of LR. Live sand is another choice you will make. I would recommend staying away from crushed coral and doing either a bare bottom (no sand, easy to clean and service) or a 2-4 inch aragonite sand bed. Research both and figure out which you prefer. The live rock you choose should be taken from an already existing tank, or have been kept in a wet environment. This will insure that it is still "live" and has critters and other beneficial things living in it. Choose the size, shape, and porosity of your LR to your liking. I would recommend staying away from LFS (local fish stores) for your LR. You can typically find good cheap LR on craigs list for half the price.
The number and types of snails and hermits you want will be based on the size and type tank you go with. ie. if you have a bare bottom tank you wouldn't need nassarius snails. ie. if you want to have a breeding pair of clowns you don't want hermits in your tank. A lot of people will tell you hermits are more trouble than help, but they are fun to watch and will clean house if a snail or fish dies.
Keep the Questions coming, there are a lot of people on this forum that are ready to answer them.

 

[monalisa]

Also, I know you said that money is not an issue (lucky!!!), but going with larger pieces of base rock on the bottom of your aquascaping (and base sand too, for that matter) and placing live rock on the top, will seed down as the tank progresses. Be sure to cycle with a raw shrimp from the grocery store, and not a live fish. Cycling with live fish only causes trouble down the road (many threads regarding that!). Good luck with your project. And as has been said, read, ask questions, and take your time. Very fun hobby!!
Lisa