one thing about the cycle part is you may or may not see a cycle depending on how much and what kind of live rock you use. If you use 1.5 lb/gal or more live rock that is fully cured then you will probably have an instant cycle. I have seen this is 2 of my tanks now, and even adding a bunch of shrimp to rot never produced any amonia.
As for the sand bed part, I think it would be better to let them decide befor anything else weather they want one or not. list the benifits (which realy isn't much but visual apearance,) then list the problems that surface down the road. DSB don't work in our tanks as it is impossable to get the bio diversity in captivity to make them work on there own, other wise you have to replace it and than means tank teardown.
I was caught up in DSB when it was all the crazy after the good Dr S posted his write up on them, 2 years later I tried it again, and now I will never have one again. the short tearm benifits don't come close to justifying the long term problems.
you could maybe offer some substitutes to sand, like that marble like rock that is very pourous (can't spell it LOL)
also befor you even get to putting water in the tank you need to think about a lot of other things, what you are going to put in the tank, lighting, water flow, sump or no sump, ect.. putting togeather a guide for some one isn't a simple task and a major undertaking, which is going to bring heat from anyone who does something that you didn't mention, thats why when a good guide is made it is usaly a substatual book listing all the option and then discussing the pros and cons to each.
Steve
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 *everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*
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