One Opinion
I would use the local fish shops instead of online. It let's you start to build a relationship and decide what store you like. If your store's are like mine you also will end up buying really nice show rocks that have soft coral and other stuff you are interested in already established. This is hard to do online from my experience. After all, someone at the online outlet is choosing for you.
Also, I tend to like more solid rocks for the base and just a few coral looking items. This makes it easier to keep your tank clean and easier to work with when the algae bloom comes along.
