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BlackGhost, I had my 4x2x2 setup customised by Geo Aquatic. But because of my particular large frame and my personal belief that I do not like to work in a tight space, I went for a longer cabinet, a 6ft cabinet. It took me a long time to consider getting such a setup but after having the tank for a year, my only regret was that I did not get the same size sump as the tank.
Truthfully, a 4ft marine tank with bells and whistle would set you back from $10,000 and above but on average $15,000. These are just the cost of a setup with 1st hand equipment. I've personally tried to keep the cost down but end of the day, 2nd hand marine equipment might/will bite you back in the future due to wear and tear or even cases whereby you will not have product support because you've bought from a parallel importer of a particular brand of equipment.
The setup that I have cost under $3k with all the pipings installed. I would suggest you'll take out a piece of paper and draw out your tank setup. 1st, you'll need to know what tank size you'll want then your sump tank size as well as the cabinet. A taller cabinet will accomodate most skimmer. You'll also need to know where to place the overflow compartment whether it's internal or external. Also the sump design need to be thought out as well too. The tank should have euro bracing and the thicker glass are preferred.
Equipment- Try to look for a lower wattage equipment for your setup. Prioritise the equipment purchase if you don't have the funds to get all at once. Most important equipment is the skimmer. Don't skimp on this particular equipment as branded stuff really work. This is also the case for return pump. Chiller are your next target and also not forgetting the wavemaker. Kalkwasser and calcium reactor are the next equipment to get. A phosphate removing media reactor as well as a reactor for carbon is also needed too. Then there's the lightset to consider.
All in all, do take your time to plan your setup. Once established, it is a chore to remove or change a particular setting or equipment in the tank while it is running. Compare to a freshwater setup, the cost of a fully equipped 4ft marine tank could be used to set up 2 6ft planted tank. And a marine set up will not survive a 24hr power outage compared to a planted tank. On a personal note, I've lost some livestock when my 2nd hand chiller broke down. So take your time to browse around with the links I've provided in the Marine link sticky thread .
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