Well your going to have to resign yourself that it ain't going to be cheap but I love these threads where I get to fantasize a bit so here is how I am thinking of going about things when I set up my next tank. Some of these ideas may be a little off base but I am sure someone will chime in and make some corrections if necessary.
First place the tank in its location make sure its level
Next cut a piece of egg crate that will fit snugly into the back half of your tank. Next cut a piece of plexi glass about five inches high and use aquarium silicone to glue it at a right angle to the egg crate in the middle of the tank. This is going to create a no substrate zone in the back half of your tank.
Next the power heads. Cha Ching$$ I would go with at least 4 maxijet 900s. Assemble the suction cups into the mounting plates and dab a bit of silicone on each gluing them to the sides of your tank on the back splitting the tank in thirds and the other two about where your egg crate ends on the sides. Keep them low in the tank, about six or seven inches off the bottom. The silicone will secure the power head brackets and you will have no problem there after with falling power heads and sand storms. Take the power heads and slide them on to the brackets. You now have two power heads that will blow water from the back to front and two that will blow water from the sides.
Now add the sand to the front half of your tank. You can cheap out here and use play sand but LFS argonite is much nicer but then cha ching$$ Add it until it reaches almost to the top of the plexi you glued to the egg crate in the back half of the tank. You now have a fairly deep sand bed in the front half of the tank and bare bottom in the back.
Now some base rock. Your going to need a lot. I would go with about 50 pounds. Arrange it across the middle of the tank length wise so that it basically cuts the view to the back where you have bare bottom. Try not to put much of it on top of your sand but do leave a few inches across the back of your tank open for circulation.
Now purchase some water jugs and make your trips to the RO water machine to start filling your tank. You can pour it into the back half of your tank over the egg crate and not stir up the sand in the front half of your tank. Leave some room for water displacement for when you add your live rock. Fire up your power heads and add your salt mix until you reach desired SG.
Now just let the water circulate for a week or so.
Next is where some people may disagree with me if they have not already. Get some amquel+ and dose the tank per instructions. This is going to keep any ammonia and nitrites neutralized when you add your live rock and keep any die off to a minimum. Ok add your live rock. Cha ching$$$$$ at least forty pounds. Arrange it over top of your base rock. Top off the water level in your tank.
Now add some type of filter. I would go with an emperor 400 hang on back. Good filter and will also provide some surface agitation which is mandatory. cha ching$
You are now cycling. Some people will say add a raw shrimp at this point but I feel thats a bit overkill. A pinch of flake food for the first couple days should suffice and not smell as bad either.
Now get a test kit and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels. When they reach zero your cycle is somewhat complete. Should take about a month. During that time save your penny's for a nice light fixture. Cha ching$$
When all that is complete you can start slowly and I mean sloooooowly adding some live stock. Making sure to monitor those levels as you do so.
Your looking at close to a grand easy
Good luck
