the lr 1 to 1 1/2 lbs/gall is reccomended. since your funds are limited you might want to check into a cheaper base rock. then seed it with lr it will take longer to become live but can save you a lot of $$$. lace rock is one that can be used in salt and pretty cheap. maby do half lr half lace. a lot of landscaping places sell it.
your sand sounds fine. there are better skimmers but the seaclone should work fine for now. not every tank needs a skimmer but they are a big help especially for a beginner. in our 75 we have 4 pwr heads. hagens and maxi jets seem to work real well and havent had any problems yet. tryed some other brands but they quit working or not as good. with enough ls and lr you shouldnt need any external filtration but can be added if you want.
the vho is very good lighting and a lot of corals can be kept with this. but it is better to start off with fish only. pick some good beginner fish and learn the main things to take care of a tank before getting into harder to care for creatures. as far as adding fish there is no set time but your tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle before anything is added.
the reefkeeping 101 is an excellent site. one thing in this hobby is to read read and read. here are some other good sites also
<a href="http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman/Starting%20with%20Marines.htm" target="_blank">starting with marines</a>
<a href="http://faq.thekrib.com/sbegin.html" target="_blank">beginning salt water</a>
<a href="http://sps.reefkeepers.org/LiveRockFAQ.htm" target="_blank">lr faq</a>
<a href="http://www.reefkeepers.org/faq/cache/33.html" target="_blank">ls faq</a>
HTH
