am i on the right track for marine setup?

[gagaliya]

hello experts, i am at my initial stage of planning right now, here is what i have so far all based my experience with freshwater and online research. Anything that's incorrect in my understanding?

tank: fish only with live rock

1) Filtration:
- Mechanial - crabs, shrimps, snails etc bottom scavangers
- Chemical - not needed in saltware aquarium
- Biological - live rock

2) proterin skimmer: never heard of this in freshwater setup, but understand it's an optional item to clean the water with good results

3) powerheads - for water movement

4) live sand - for crabs etc to live on

5) heater / thermometer etc - same as freshwater

6) Tank: all i need is a tank such as seaclear with built in skimmer (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_aquariums_tanks_built-in_skimmer_box__subindex.asp?ast=&key=) . The more expensive seaclear system2 with built in wet/dry filtration (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_aquariums_tanks_system_2__subindex.asp?Ca rtId=) is a waste of money, because i do not need the artificial manmade filtration, my live rock and crabs will serve as my filtration.

note: i am aware of the difference between glass vs acrylic, so using the type of tank such as seaclear acrylic is a not my discussion

am i on the right track so far?

thanks

[OrionGirl]

Sounds like it. Do some more research on the skimmers--they are a very good addition to most tanks, and FO tanks especially.

For tanks, you can use pretty well any tank you want, but reef-ready tanks that are drilled with built in overflows are great if you choose to add a sump or refugium.

[sharkguy]

i have a 400 gallon saltwater tank that if i dont run my skimmer, the water is absolutly horrible id highly recommend one in my opinion even tho they say they are an option