this absolutely is a big investment. And i can't believe people are really recommending these large >100 gallon tanks to a 14yo. The advice about a car, social life, and college are spot on. However you don't have to wait until after college to start. Get yourself a small 29g all in one tank. They're cheap, especially used. Small footprint, small investment. You can get a few fish and try your hand at corals. Easy to move when the time comes, not a huge loss if the hobby doesn't work out. Easy on the utilities. Just my opinion....check out some of the build threads in the nano section. There are some very impressive setups.