"Ballin' on A Budget"...saltwater style!

I think some members told me once that the live rock would eventually spread to the base rock. If you don't mind waiting (which is what I'll be doing, most likely), you can wait for it to spread to the rest of the rocks. I assume this would also cause you to wait longer before you are able to stock it fully. That's the only suggestion I have for you.

I'll go ahead and say... Although I have learned more than I would have imagined already from people here, I would be the last person to listen to for advice.

*Oh yeah, I think the sand is the same way. It will spread through the plain sand after time.

Adding live sand to a bed made of playsand will work very well. You can also use non-live base rock to supplement real live rock. Live rock is definitely one of the most expensive and important parts of the tank. Online suppliers will almost always give you better deals and selection.

Depending on the type of setup you want, and your talents, there are a number of things you can DIY. There are lots of plans out there for skimmers, lighting, etc.

In most areas, there are active reef clubs, where you can potentially trade for stuff and get ideas and advice for DIY. WAMAS here has saved me hundreds on corals alone.