Sean, I will be doing a similiar project later on this year. My thoughts on equipment:
1. I'm going with a glass tank with a starfire front. It's ultra clear and does not easily scratch like acrylic.
2. I've used deltec and euroreef since the get go, and they are two of the better brands on the market. Although I've been looking into a local company called
Austin Oceans Home Page .
3. Deltec, koralin, & the aforementioned austin oceans. The more I read up on austin oceans, the more I'm intrigued with their products.
4. I believe leds are the future, but not quite yet. It depends on what corals your keeping (softies, lps, sps). I'm leaning towards a t-5 or t-5/metal halide combo. Checkout
Scotslights.com for slightly blemished models and save some money.
5. Checkout ultimate marine aquariums by mike palleta for some detailed large tank setups. I would also checkout other sites in the large tank forums for more ideas. You didn't mention pumps, but iwaki, pan world, & sequence-reeflo are good names. As for water motion in the tank, I could'nt recommend ecotech marine vortech pumps any higher. In my opinion, the best pumps in the market.
Keep me posted on your project !