Having a reef tank can get costly. BUT if you had a 10-20 gallon tank and did almost everything DIY (LED lights, stand, plumbing,etc.) and found great deals on a local forum/craigslist for livestock deals you'd spend hundreds of dollars instead of thousands. I found that smaller tanks on CG are priced high, but larger ones with equipment included go cheap, but if you can find a tank that you like and is priced great then get it on craigslist! My 70 gallon reef has gotten really pricey. I added up the cost of equipment and stopped b/c there was just too much to add. Livestock has been prob. $500+ in a few months.