HELP me if you can

[Got Water?]

HELP! I need somebody
HELP! Not just anybody
H...E...L...P

I'm totaly new to this hobby and afraid of screwing up or getting screwed.
I'm sure you all know, it's not cheep to make mistakes. What are some of the pittfalls to watch out for?
Good fish, Bad fish
Have fish, Had fish
And what's about that coral?

 

[lance]

The biggest pit fall would be lack of planning and research. Many problems take time like months or yrs after you have spent lots of money not to mention your time.

There is a basic setup that will give great results but you might find that this varys alot also. Finding that medium that will work for you takes knowledge of what your tank needs and any cause and affect from your water readings.

I would buy a startup book ( i can give link to anything you need ) and ask questions and preplan your complete setup before you buy anything.

 

[MCluett]

read, read , read. you cant spend to much time researching, i am new to the SW hobby and i have pretty much lived on this site, there are tons of articles and answers to almost any questions you could ever have.