Build live rock about
halfway up the tank. 2, or even 1 pound per gallon would have the tank so full of rock, the fish have no place to even swim. I use fake resin décor, plus live rock, because I like the look...IMO solid rock all over is just ugly, unless you have pretty coral to put on the ledges. Fish only systems need a little help. I used columns in my 56g, and a ships wheel and an anchor in the 90g. I am a believer in having live rock, but it doesn't need to be so over abundant.
Another big plus to keep the water pristine is using macroalgae, it feeds on the phosphates, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates...all the bad stuff that kills your fish and inverts. I really love the caulerpa prolifera, it looks like sea-grass. When the macros grow, it absorbs all the afore mentioned out of the water, and when you remove the overgrowth (called harvesting) you export it out completely. It takes time, it isn't an instant fix, but it's the best thing I have ever found for keeping a tank in tip top shape. Check out Golf coast eco systems. Decorative macros are not the cheato type, that folks put in their refugiums, it's pretty stuff, as colorful and cool looking as any coral.
API test kits give false high readings on nitrates. I use the Seachem brand myself, the Salifert brand has good reviews from folks here who use it. I really liked the Instant Ocean brand as well, but Seachem comes with a regent for each test, to be able to double check the results.
Without enough surfaces to allow the good bacteria to grow on, you must rely on the filter media, and if you swap out that media in a canister, the ammonia will climb each time you clean it. Some people only swap out 1/2 of the media at a time to prevent that. I NEVER removed the fish while I did water changes, the only time my fish saw a bucket was when they were being moved from one place to another.
I have seahorses, so I use bubblers (no stone) it won't hurt your fish if you use air lines, but salt-creep is a nightmare. It really isn't a good way to move the water. The wave is the life of the ocean, and creating the wave will mimic nature, and keep your tank with good oxygen exchange. A couple of power heads. Koralia type brands with a magnet, to have it stay put...maxijets just shoot a jet stream, and what you need is a wave not a jet stream. Make that surface boil as fattytwobyfour explained.
You must have the tank ready before you add any fish or inverts... the water without any ammonia, or nitrites. Fish don't care about nitrates, even in the 100s, but over 40 will kill inverts. As for what fish to select...get this book.
A page so you can see the info it offers
Also this book:
