Planning on starting my 1st saltwater tank

[fishRmylife]

I have a 55 gallon tank, never had a drop of water in it, and I am planning on starting my very first saltwater tank. I had a few questions though. My biggest concern is equipment. Will any power filter work in saltwater? I know I'll need to change my lighting. I'm planning on using live sand for substrate, but I'm not sure if I'm going to have any live corals or live rocks for a while untill I get the hang of keeping the salinity at a constant level. So what would be a good starter fish for me? A fish that could live with normal rocks for a while, untill i get a hang of this. Is the cycling period the same as freshwater? Ive been keeping tanks for about 5 years now, with no big accidients, only lost a few fish to ich, thats about it. Any help would be appreciated

 

[otrovago]

from newbie to newbie

check out this site, its been very helpful.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

 

[shanek]

Damels are what I used for cycling...be ready for casualties though...as far as the salinity it really is a big fluctuator...it holds pretty easy. I am in the last stages of cycling and I TOTALLY recommend fishless cycling (see articles section of this site) After going through 4 damsels and a lot of pulled out hair, I would have MUCH rather gone this route instead. Happy Fishin'!