Originally Posted by sgould

Hey, Redvelvetsword, come over to the salty side! Other opinions aside, there are lots of knowledgeable people here than can help you out. In looking at equipment, you need to know first what kind of tank you want to keep (fish only, fish only with live rock, or reef). From your post, it sounds like you are going FOWLR to start, which is a great first tank option. Equipment I would recommend...A protein skimmer. There are many good ones out there, but keep in mind the old adage about getting what you pay for. I have Coralife Super Skimmers on my tanks. They are not the best skimmers in the world, but they do a good job and are reasonably priced. I would get a couple of powerheads to get a good waterflow going inside the tank. Waterflow will help fight nuisance algae/cyanobacteria growth, help oxygenate the water, and ensure water is moving through your rockwork which is acting as your biological filter. You'll want a good heater. Visitherm stealths are good and inexpensive, but there are others as well. You will need a hydrometer or refractometer to keep tabs on your water's salinity. Refractometers would be preferred as they are more accurate, but more expensive on the front end. Invest in a salt water master test kit to keep track of your water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate being of prime initial concern). RO water is definately advisable as it will remove a lot of stuff from tap water that would otherwise help fuel nuisance algae growth.

Here is a link to some additional info...
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterAquariumSetup.htm