You will get lots of opinions and most will be different. Fortunately there are very few completely wrong answers or completely bad pieces of equipment.
When asking for information or opinions, take a look at RC members profiles to get an idea of how long they have been in the hobby, what kind of system they have, what they keep in their system etc. You will get old timers who answer from years of experience and you will get youngsters with little to no experience. Consider the source before you call it gospel.
With equipment, there is no single right answer. They way I run my system is different from they way my neighbor runs his. Neither is right or wrong and both work successfully. Like said before you need to do a lot of research before buying. One thing you can do to help people answer your questions is to determine how large of a system you intend to buy, what do you plan to keep in it, fish only, fish with live rock, soft coral, hard corals, a mixture???? Each is set up differently both in filtration and in lighting requirements. Do you want a bare bottom system, decorative sand bottom or a functioning deep sand bed? You need to read about each method since they are very different.
Don't get in a hurry and don't let a local fish store sell you a package deal with tons of equipment, inhabitants and additives you will not want or need . Study each purchase beforehand and buy wisely. Often buying used is a good way to start out to see if you even like the hobby. It can be very rewarding but it can also be very frustrating if you do not take your time and plan things out.
Remember this piece of advice: Only bad things happen quickly, good things always take time. This is especially true with the reef hobby and I can tell you its definitely worth the time and effort.
And WELCOME TO REEF CENTRAL !!!
