good site for your cost question:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=97733&hl=cost&st=20
I have a 20L now but I started out with a 10gallon. I did extensive research and just by that I figured out my cost to be around $300-400 on bargain hunting - this estimate included the tank, rock amount, corals I wanted, fish I was interested in, clean-up crew, lighting to suit the corals and test kits costs. I also had to worry about the kind of water I would use, tap or RO and if I went with RO, would I buy from the store or would I get my own unit?
However, you don't just spend all your hundreds at once. You look for a tank, then for rock and sand and you have to decide between cured and uncred rock, live sand or "dead". These will affect your costs. A good place to buy things for relatively cheap is in the classifieds either at reefkeeping websites or at your local craigslist.com. RESEARCH IS KEY!!!!
It is not impossible to start with a 10gallon and one suitable fish (e.g., clownfish or goby). Once you get the hang of things like water top offs, equipment usage, water changes, testing, current, learning how to "read" the health of your tank, algea blooms and the such, you can easily switch tank sizes. The problem with starting out with a 10 is you have to be very careful and ever vigilant about the upkeeping. I now have a 20L, no sump, 1 onyx percula, 1 chromis, 1 6-line wrasse, cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, and green bubble tip anemone 1 AC 70 with carbon, sponge, phosban, 175W metal halide, 1 maxi-jet 900 and another no-name powerhead at about 100gph. AGAIN, RESEARCH RESEARCH! Here is my best blurry pic because I like it so much (it is 5 months old):
site to my reefkeeping journey:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=88439&hl=college+kid's
Good luck and welcome to the reefkeeping world!
