I want to stay under $300 ...
live rock , live sand , tank
just ate up the $300
filter and power heads another $150
salt another $60
r/o water
fish $$$$$$
test kit
shall I go on
not a cheap hobby
only way I got it to work was buy a little each month till I had the basics and went from there
learn all your basic maintenance duty's involved with salt water and do your homework first on fish compatibility (remember research is your friend) if you plan to keep a fowlr tank or if you want a reef down the line not all fish do well with coral
just a few thoughts for you to think about
it's a full time job hobby in a matter of speaking both to maintain it and to support it
best advice I have is take it slow , 1 step at a time allow plenty of time to cycle your tank and don't add live stock till your tank is ready , adding 1 fish at a time every few weeks not all at once
now is the best time to ask questions not after you sink all your hard earned money into something and start having tons of issues this is the biggest thing everyone fails to understand
do lots of research learn as much as you can first than start can save you lots of money headaches in the near future
trust me if I can do it you can too...
your tank will thank you and you'll enjoy a a happier tank and most of all your fish will thank you
good luck with your tank
and welcome to AA