This is of course a matter of personal choice, but consider that tanks have their limits, and quarantine is a relatively brief necessity---once you have your tank population set and stable (and they're not eating each other or your corals: research!!!!) you can fold away that extra pair of tanks and settle down to a whole new phase of the hobby.
Yes, there is life beyond fish-shopping and qt. Make your choices sensible, know your adult sizes, and then, yes, you have a tank which, given a) good water quality b)appropriate fish c) decent lighting d) compatible inverts, hey---you can now just farm your tank, feed it and watch it grow for years with no exposure to parasites and noxious bacterial infections.
Is there going to be the Grand New Tank someday? Yes, but don't buy fish for it yet. Just do this one well. You may fold this tank into the GNT eventually---wall space isn't infinite, but meanwhile enjoy the 30 gallon reef or the 100 gallon fish-only for what it is, and measure your success by how long you can have your tank running well with healthy inhabitants. The hobby IS mostly about that, and you will learn a great deal from your 'running' tank---the solution to little problems, better growth, nicer arrangement. There's lots to do and experience. Every time you buy a new fish or coral, you DO put all the others you have at risk, minor or greater depending on your practices, but even with the best practices, things can go amiss. So get set up, get through the 'qt's always running' phase, and just experience the 'it's running well!' phase. It DOES exist.
Yes, there is life beyond fish-shopping and qt. Make your choices sensible, know your adult sizes, and then, yes, you have a tank which, given a) good water quality b)appropriate fish c) decent lighting d) compatible inverts, hey---you can now just farm your tank, feed it and watch it grow for years with no exposure to parasites and noxious bacterial infections.
Is there going to be the Grand New Tank someday? Yes, but don't buy fish for it yet. Just do this one well. You may fold this tank into the GNT eventually---wall space isn't infinite, but meanwhile enjoy the 30 gallon reef or the 100 gallon fish-only for what it is, and measure your success by how long you can have your tank running well with healthy inhabitants. The hobby IS mostly about that, and you will learn a great deal from your 'running' tank---the solution to little problems, better growth, nicer arrangement. There's lots to do and experience. Every time you buy a new fish or coral, you DO put all the others you have at risk, minor or greater depending on your practices, but even with the best practices, things can go amiss. So get set up, get through the 'qt's always running' phase, and just experience the 'it's running well!' phase. It DOES exist.
