Edd1967,
I'd go with a glass tank for what you are planning. It's a bit easier to care for.
As for lion fish, I'd forget that. They could be kept in a reef, but they produce a lot of waste, and you always have to worry about getting stung by one. You have a 2 yr old that just might sick his had in, and a lion fish doesn't know the kid just wants to be friends.
For the filter system, I'd use a berlin sump, large powerful skimmer, and an external pump.
For lighting I'd use three 175w or 250w MHs on electronic ballasts, depending on where you wanted to go with the corals in the tank. You could use VHO, PC or T5 lighting, but you'd need a lot of bulbs to light a tank that size.
Optionally, you could consider a refugium.
As always buy quality equipment.
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