Another +1 for keeping it simple.
Here are some reef sayings:
"Nothing good, every happens fast with a reef aquarium (bad things on the other hand)".
"He who buys cheap, buys twice".
My tips for a rock solid reef:
- Use RO-DI water, and do not use any RO-DI water that you haven't tested with a TDS meter.
- Test your tank water often at first, and then on a regular schedule after that.
- Buy enough, high quality live rock
- Never overstock, or overfeed
- Set up an auto-topoff system, you want your salinity to be stable.
- Be diligent with any Alk/Ca additives, you want them to be stable (I have used Kalk and 2-part in the past, and now use a Ca reactor).
- Use a sump (more water, more space = bigger equipment)
- Use a lighted refugium that grows some type of macro algae
- Get the biggest and best skimmer you can afford
- Too much water flow is always better than not enough
- Buy good lights (ballasts, reflectors, bulbs) as it makes a difference
- Quarantine everything, corals and fish can carry disease and pests, put it in a holding tank for 4-6 weeks (or dip corals if you question it has bad stuff on it).
And #1 is "take it slow". Don't change things often, don't ever change water chemistry fast, etc...