Very good suggestions. I would say just start with a 55gl. Get it started with with some cheap blue damsel fish. Also if possible get some good living coral or even some gravel from a friend's tank so you can start growing the good bacteria needed to sustain more fish.
My friend has a reverse osmosis purifier so he can just put the water directly in the tank when doing changes and doesnt have to worry about chemicals. (plus they also use it to fill up their water cooler in the kitchen)
There is a lot of good info online of course. Or just go to B&N and get a book. I used to have a good one but I forgot the name. Its small, has a white cover, and lots of good pictures.
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Originally Posted by Carbon Schwarz
I'll help. I have 18 years in the biz. Start at a reputable retailer, a store that exclusively deals in aquatics is preferred. Determine the type of fish you like before selecting final tank size. You can really only go a few ways:
1. Coral reef tank with lesser agressive fish, more focus on inverts, corals and algaes);
2. Saltwater community with smaller, lesser agressive fish some and fewer inverts;
3. Larger, more agressive species (triggers, large angels, groupers) no inverts.
As for tank, no matter what the size, don't CHEAP on equipment. By quality parts and ensure you have excessive filtration and a protein skimmer.
Expenses will be dictated by size. A good quality set-up in the 50+ gallon range would push $1.5K easily.
Ease on maintenance is influenced by many variables. Namely, size of aquarium and if you have over stocked and over fed.
If you buy quality from the start, the system will last your lifetime and make for a well run, easily maintained aquarium. You'll love it. No harder to run than fresh, saltwater just has slightly more upfront costs, but well worth it.
Feel free to PM me anytime for follow-up questions.
Cheers,
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