Hey Reefmagic,
Welcome! I started back in 2007 but took a bit of a hiatus. I'm diving back into the hobby with a 5 gallon pico tank based on some of the things I learned the first time around.
Tank size definitely matters. You need to consider how much time you're willing to invest. I had a 33 gallon before and IMO it was still too much work when it came to water changes. That said, larger tanks can be more stable and having a nano/pico tank doesn't necessarily mean I spend less maintenance on it.
Saltwater is a whole different ball game. From your responses, I can tell that you need to spend alot more time reading about the foundations of a reef tank. Saltwater tanks are alot more complex due to additional filtration and maintenance mechanics vis-a-vis live rock/clean up crews/other various nutrient exporting methods.
If you don't take the time to understand what fish and corals need, it will be a huge money sink because stuff will definitely die on you. With freshwater tanks, you could have gone weeks without changing water or even topping up but if you do that in a reef tank (especially a smaller one), you'll risk losing your entire tank livestock.
Fortunately, there are technologies in this hobby that will make maintenance a bit easier. I'm now learning more about auto topoff systems as well as RODI/distilled water.
|