What you want to keep animal-wise pretty much dictates the answer to your question. Have you figured that out yet?
Eh, not really. There are many things that every tank needs, no matter what your stocking is. Stocking will influence your tank size but that's not a basic concept or element to saltwater tank. Things like Cylcing, Rock, Nutrient Export, and trace elements are basics.
I agree insofar as cycling and nutrient export is concerned, but what I need to keep a yasha goby in a FOWLR is going to be different from keeping a naso tang in a reef.
I mean like what brand of sand, live rock, what type of filter should i get ? What brands work the best since im new to saltwater im gonna start out with something small like a 55 or 60 gallon tank till i get accustomed to it