looking forward to it. I have a 29gal petco aqueon. Love it and for the price $29 on the $1/gal sales.
If you plan on drilling a tank, you need to absolutely confirm is is NOT tempered glass. I prefer the drilled look, plus it's quiet, but since I didn't drill, I made a DIY overflow with PVC and acrylic along with a CPR weir (the inside part of the overflow.)
Cubes and All-In-Ones (AIO) are very popular. The AIO have the sump pre-made on the back. As for depth, don't get anything deeper than how far your arms will reach. I prefer 18".
Lights may very well be your be your biggest expense. Check out and post in the lighting forum for help selecting the right lights for you. Don't rule out the Chinese black box. They have a lot of reefers using them now with success.
Check out the aquascaping forum. The stickies have a thread with awesome ideas on how to aquascape different shaped tanks.
As for stocking. There are nice options for a 30 gal. Unfortunately, the algae picking workhorses like Tangs are too big for 30gal, but drop in the Nano forum, they will be very helpful. Personally, it's hard for me not to do a tank without clowns. The "nemo", Ocellaris , are available everywhere, tank bred, inexpensive and hardy. They are all males at birth, so when you put two in a tank, they will pair and the dominant one will morph into a female. Once paired they will flash their bright orange all day long and do their wavy dance. Great starter fish, IMO. I am also a fan of the tail spot blenny and the purple dottyback for nanos. They are small and slender and will make a nest at the base of the rock. They will do housekeeping, and then go visiting the rest of the rocks. The tail spot may even perch atop a coral
