Overwhelmed Need help with everything!!

Ok, this is my first post, but I have been reading through a TON of the posts on here and some are pretty helpful, they'd be more helpful if I knew more...I also apologize now for the lengthyness of this post...

So I have a 35 gallon hexagon tank that I desperately want to use as a saltwater tank (obviously my first), I have a ton of experience with fresh but non whatsoever with salt...and yes I know I really should start larger but until I get out of college I don't have much room at all and I currently already have a 55 freshwater in my room, but I REALLY want salt too!!

Main Question first (will determine if all other questions need to be answered):
~This tank has been sitting in my boyfriends garage for almost two years, we got it for free and had no idea how many gallons it was so today we filled it up and found it was 35, however, we also found that there is a puncture in the silicon on one of the sides about halfway up. He said that I could remove the current silicone from that whole joint (side) and replace it, then test it to make sure it will hold water. This sounds logical to me but I just wanted to make sure it was. IF this will work, will any aquarium approved silicone work or would I need something special?

IF that would work then the rest of my questions are as follows...

~What are ALL the fixtures and "essentials" required to start a reef tank? This is what I've gathered I'd probably need: protein skimmer (one for 35 gallon or different since its a hex and its more tall than wide?) , metal halide light (see below), thermometer (any specific watt etc?), some sort of filter (NO IDEA on this one)...

(would this work for halide?, $200)
#150 Watt 14K Metal Halide Lamp
# Six Blue Lunar Lights and six White Lunar Lights (for night-time illumination)
# Dimensions: 24.0" X 8.25" X 4.5" without using the legs
# Internal electronic ballast
# Cooling fan
# Docking mounts (legs)

~Would I need on overflow box, sump, and other crazy plumbed things??

~I searched on Blue Zoo Aquatics and found some things I like, could you help me to choose what would work with each other best? I tried to make sure I picked beginner fish and able to live in 35 gallons, but I might have missed a few because I was looking more it than at its description.
#Carpet Anemone
#Giant Sea Anemone
#Live Rock
#Dwarf Feather Duster
#Electric Eye Scallop
#Pacific Lettuce Slug
#Bumble Bee Shrimp
#Harlequin Shrimp
#Tonga Fighting Conch
#Orange Lace Sponge
#Open Brain Coral
#Bubble Coral-Wall
#Candy Cane Coral-Green Center
#Snowflake Eel
#Orange Spotted Filefish
#Green Clown Goby
#Tiger Jawfish
#Dwarf Lionfish
#Diadem Dottyback
#Ocellaris Clown Fish (want one or two)
#Chocolate Chip Starfish, or sand sifting, or marble

~Last Question (for now)...Why would someone BUY algae???

If you have any other advice or suggestions please let me know. I basically am looking at it as if you had a 35gallon hexagon tank that you wanted to make into a reef tank and could only choose from the species I listed (feel free to suggest others, but try to stay with ones I've chosen), how would you set it up and with what. Thanks!!;D;D;D;D

 

Thank you, especially for responding so fast!! Yeh I think I would be upset with trying to turn it into a salt, I'd probably want to upgrade FAST! lol. Thanks though, I'll just use this information for planning a bigger tank probably 75, and use this tank for freshwater....Thanks again!!

 

you could save to get a bigger tank and use the 35g as a sump! Sounds like you have done a lot of research already but continue to research while you are saving.

I was like you...started out with a 29g went to 75g to 135g in a matter of a year or so. I now have 2 12g, a 135g, 29g, and 75g all in salt

 

Pretty much covered.....Just chiming in to have you consider the 75 or 90 with a sump. I started with a 75 and moved to a 90 (same footprint--just a little taller). I wouldn't use the 35 as a sump....I prefer the 20g long or the 30g (which is 36 inches long). The hex won't give you the surface area for gas exchange that the other two will. Additional water volume is an extra, but it's that added SA that really helps. The 35g would be a good extra tank to fiddle with, but for all you want to do, the large tanks are the way to go IMO. Just beware of cost. A typical 90g will eat up $3000 really quick.