I would look for Neodesha cages - they had their flaws, but the slant front made for great access with a hook (+ they are easily secured/locked and double screened).
-A couple of decent hooks - for that size range, species selection, I prefer something with a narrower V style opening (vs the wider C style) - one in the 30-36" range, and one around 42". There are a number of options to choose from - comfort and ease of use are huge factors (some just don't feel right to me, I don't care how much anybody else loves them). Personally, I don't like tongs...never have; therefore, they were never part of my equipment list. Regardless, they are a good option for animals in that size range. 18 inch hemostats for feeding, restraining tubes, and specula. These items can all be obtained through Midwest Tongs. (note - the use of restraining tubes and oral specula involves hands on, and accordingly increases the risk to the inexperienced. As a rule, I would say if you don't know what you are doing, don't...but if the care of the animals requires hands on, do it correctly and safely).
-Environmental controls - the options are numerous, and the choices dependent on a variety of issues (cage choice, setup - especially if multiple cages are involved, room temp, temp stability, etc).
IMO, the project does not necessarily require lots of money...obviously, the acquisition of suitable caging will likely be the biggest expenditure (especially if you are talking about keeping multiple animals).
