Upshot of doing it on a budget is that I'll only be able to add a few things at a time. Monitoring water quality as I go should help me optimize bioload.
My folks are handing down their old "monster" tank. I'm not clear on what size it is. My mom says 80 gallons; I remember it looking more like a 120. I won't have measurements for a while but want to start planning.
I want to go low tech as possible with this. What's the optimum water depth...