Stock list or equipment list first? And advice?

[wbwhale]

I've seen projects that go both ways. I know I'm getting a 40B tank and expect to have a 20 gallon sump, but beyond that all equipment is up in the air. I've been making lists but I think I might do better to figure out a stocking plan and design lighting and other things around it. Yes/no/maybe?

I would ultimately very much like to keep anemones because I've loved them since 7th grade but understand they can be difficult customers. They wouldn't go in for at least a year, I think.

I also would like clownfish so I can listen to the kid yell "NEMO!" all day.

My initial thought is to get a clownfish pair and a coral they can host in. I am having a heck of a time narrowing the list of marine life beyond that though!

[nuxx]

I'd say equipment first.

Just need to decide if you're going to do a reef of fish only tank.

[CStrickland]

As long as your kid doesn't insist on Dory, standard equipment should be fine ;)

When I was trying to figure out what I liked, I browsed through the "tank of the month" winners. This forum is related to reefkeeping magazine, so you can easily scope out all the winners and see what they have going on. Some even post in the forum. It's also abbreviated TOTM. Just remember that they usually polish things up for the photos, it's aspirational :)

Welcome, and good luck!

PS you'll see people divide tanks by FOWLR (fish only with live rock, no coral) and then further by coral type: mushroom / soft, lps, sps. Usually that's thought of as a progression from easy to difficult, but also the more you mix things with diff needs the trickier it gets. Sps are picky about water quality so a lot of beginners hold off on them for a while. That's all explained in the stickies, but its good to know the diff early so stuff you read makes sense.

[gone fishin]

I think equipment and livestock planning go hand in hand. For example if you wanted a FOWLR tank then some stock lighting would be fine but for SPS or clams more intense lighting would be required.