Zach the only thing I'll criticize on at all is that you need to understand that a reef tank DOES require time. It's not a lot once you're setup (I spend about 2 hours a week on my tank at this point) - but getting rolling you should understand that you're going to be spending multiple hours working on things, getting them just right.
Not trying to discourage you - quite the contrary - but understand that, at least initially, PWCs are not the only time you're going to be devoting to this. To do it right, you should be testing your trace elements (At the LEAST calcium and alkalinity, trates, trites, phates) several times a week, you're going to need to tweak things like skimming, lighting times, and you need to be prepared for the unexpected. When you have an algae bloom (and you will, it happens to all new tanks that I've ever seen) you need to understand that you're going to need to have time to devote to scraping stuff out of the tank. It's not going to be weekly, it's going to be daily. That won't last forever - don't let what I'm saying deter you - but after a few years of keeping a fowlr I can tell you I didn't get to the point where it only required a couple hours a week for a good long while.
Best bet is to think of the hobby differently than you would from playing hockey, or scuba diving, or golfing. You need to remember that there are living creatures at the butt-end of this particular hobby. Corals, fishes etc are just as much alive pets as cats or dogs. No, you don't cuddle with them, but I get almost as upset at the loss of a prized fish as I do at the loss of a bird (definitely) or a cat (maybe not quite). I don't agree with the attitude you're catching necessarily, but you should make sure that you are prepared to devote the hours you'll need to keeping these living creatures happy and healthy. If your goal is simply to keep them alive....well...thats not the right attitude at all.
Reef keeping, by its very nature, is trying to establish a small ecosystem of creatures. Your own small slice of the ocean is the goal. That goal does not come without considerable investment of cash, time, and energy. If you don't have the time to commit (and many don't, not a judgement), then perhaps considering something like a hamster would be more appropriate.
If you decide you're in this for the long haul, then I look forward to your updates and (hopefully) photos as you come along...I admit I move slower than most, but understand that you don't go from buckets of water to a reef tank overnight. I've been running a fowlr for 4 years and am just now really reefing it out, as I've gained confidence in the hobby.
Not trying to discourage you - quite the contrary - but understand that, at least initially, PWCs are not the only time you're going to be devoting to this. To do it right, you should be testing your trace elements (At the LEAST calcium and alkalinity, trates, trites, phates) several times a week, you're going to need to tweak things like skimming, lighting times, and you need to be prepared for the unexpected. When you have an algae bloom (and you will, it happens to all new tanks that I've ever seen) you need to understand that you're going to need to have time to devote to scraping stuff out of the tank. It's not going to be weekly, it's going to be daily. That won't last forever - don't let what I'm saying deter you - but after a few years of keeping a fowlr I can tell you I didn't get to the point where it only required a couple hours a week for a good long while.
Best bet is to think of the hobby differently than you would from playing hockey, or scuba diving, or golfing. You need to remember that there are living creatures at the butt-end of this particular hobby. Corals, fishes etc are just as much alive pets as cats or dogs. No, you don't cuddle with them, but I get almost as upset at the loss of a prized fish as I do at the loss of a bird (definitely) or a cat (maybe not quite). I don't agree with the attitude you're catching necessarily, but you should make sure that you are prepared to devote the hours you'll need to keeping these living creatures happy and healthy. If your goal is simply to keep them alive....well...thats not the right attitude at all.
Reef keeping, by its very nature, is trying to establish a small ecosystem of creatures. Your own small slice of the ocean is the goal. That goal does not come without considerable investment of cash, time, and energy. If you don't have the time to commit (and many don't, not a judgement), then perhaps considering something like a hamster would be more appropriate.
If you decide you're in this for the long haul, then I look forward to your updates and (hopefully) photos as you come along...I admit I move slower than most, but understand that you don't go from buckets of water to a reef tank overnight. I've been running a fowlr for 4 years and am just now really reefing it out, as I've gained confidence in the hobby.
