florida is really cheap.
heres my cheap build. adjust accordingly. seed with a bit of live rock and live sand.
10 gallon kit at pet store $40. hydrometer $10. adjustable heater $20. aragonite sand 1-2" $20. 10 lbs washed bowl/lace rock $20. food $10. sea salt $20. thermometer $2. coral frags $10 each. crabs are trouble, even hermits, scarlet hermit $3 being the most friendly. shrimps are wimpy, some eat corals such as peppermint shrimps. snails are good, nassarius vibex $2 are fast and fun. 1 large mexican turbo snail $3 per 10 gallons will keep algae in check but only get it if you have an algae problem. you could get 2 for a 10g. bristle worms are good, free if you ask your store. you could have small serpent/brittle stars $10 each. maybe 1 tiny emerald crab $6. some other starfish are reef safe $20. for fish i would only put one fish in there as more would introduce disease, fighting. bicolor blenny is an awesome fish $15. green chromis $4. freshwater master kit from walmart $15. you will need the saltwater test cards for it. they are online somewhere or you could email the company. chaeto for nitrate export $10 shipped from many reef forums.
set everything up. have everything running. put in a table spoon of fish flake food to start up the nitrogen cycle. every day add a small pinch of food. after a month test ammonia. if zero then test nitrite. if zero then test nitrate. if less than 40 you are ok. remove all detrius, flake food from the tank with a small white brine shrimp net $5. do not remove sand. do not use anything in your filter including the carbon/cotton insert they give you. you can float the biological filter in the tank so bacteria can build on it.
do not add anything living to your tank until the cycle is complete = ammonia and nitrite = zero. float whatever you put in your tank for 20 mins to temperature match. first add a snail to test the water. if it lives for a week you are good. then you can add more snails, crabs, corals, fish, etc.
it is recommended to do a 10% water change every week. water evaporates every day so remember to add non-salted water to make up for it. specific gravity 1.022-1.024 temperature of 76-78
things you can upgrade: lights, ro/di unit or distilled water
easy corals: mushrooms, zoos, green star polyps, gorgonia, soft corals.
