What's need to have a beautiful reef?!??!?!?!?!

[Elbrandon]

I need a list of stuff I need to have a great reef tank I only have $1200 for the build including saltwater,rock,sand. fish and coral will be separate and I don't know what i need.my tank is 40-55 gallons
Also If you have a similar sized build you thinks worth sharing post it in comments will be appreciated!

[discocarp]

RODI, Tank, Sump, Skimmer, Return Pump, Powerhead(s), Lights, Rock, Sand

Those are the basics, if I didn't forget anything.

[Darth Polymnus]

Check Craig's List, Amazon, Ebay for things like skimmer, lighting, sump, reactor. $1200 can go a long way if you find good deals. If you want corals, invest in good lighting. That will probably be your most expensive item, next to a good skimmer. Go +1 on your skimmer if you can. I bought 2 50lbs boxes of dry rock from Bulk Reef Supply, but you may be able to do better. Just be a smart shopper and look for deals. When I set mine up about 2 years ago, I spent over $2000. Now I see I could have probably spent half of that and gotten the same result.

[IgnatiusRath]

Patience and reading. Start out with old articles here: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/past2.php and keep going. The basics will depend on what your goals for livestock are. There are so many ways to approach this hobby, and it can totally be done well on a budget. But you'll need to decide what will work best for your situation and goals.

Good luck and have fun with it!