Well, in regards to equipment, I'd say you'd need:
- A tank (aren't I good =P)
- A heater
- Powerheads
- Some sort of mechanical filtration
- Lighting system
- Hood (could also house the lighting system)
- Power strip with that special shock protection/automatic reboot in case of a power outage (can't remember what it's called for the life of me)
Optional and often recommended:
- Protein skimmer
- RO/DI water filtration/purifying unit
- Timer for the lights (it's a wonderful thing...I love mine)
As for what goes in the tank, you'd need:
- Sand (crushed coral is no good; live sand is preferrable, but all sand will become live over time. Make sure to buy the sand specially made for aquariums; most play sands, with the exception of Southdown, are not suitable nor nice to look at)
- Live rock isn't required, although many will say so. I am tempted to say it should be required, as it is nothing but beneficial. I'd say if you can spare the money, it will be a very worthy investment
- Livestock
- Thermometer
Accessory items:
- Test kits (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, and pH are the basic ones you can start off with)
- Nets (I think having two is nice)
- New, 5 gallon plastic buckets for mixing saltwater (I have two and it works well for me)
- Salt (I recommend Instant Ocean)
- Measuring devices (these come in handy in various ways for me all the time; i.e. a half a cup of Instant Ocean salt for every gallon, one teaspoon of Stress Coat for every ten gallons, etc.)
- Refractometer: I will say this is necessary because plastic hydrometers are so inaccurate that they shouldn't even be sold. Refractometers are the way to go; fast, easy, and accurate
- Siphon
- Some sort of airline tubing or surgical tubing for drip acclimation of new livestock
- Turkey baster (for blowing detritus off of rocks, spot feeding fish, etc.)
- Food for the livestock! Lots of info around here on that; could be anything from pellet food to nori to mysis shrimp
- You may end up needing medications like copper, Maracyn-Two, Formalin, etc. for ill fish, but it's not something you need right away
And then there's a quarantine tank. Beth has a nice article on that in the second thread from the top in the Disease and Treatment board.
I'm sure I forgot a lot of stuff...and I'm not entirely sure if this answers your question at all, but there you have it.
-lefty
