If you staryt off with a trop tank stick to things that could be rehomed easily. You dont want to end up with a giant than no one wants! and they can be very difficult to rehome. Check out in the blogs there is a great blog of some one who did the changeover..might help you see what would be involved.

I disagree with most of what's been said so far. IMO fresh water fish are a bit dull and if your heart's not set on keeping them then why bother. At the end of the day you'll never be able to put your heart and soul into something you don't really love.

It seems to me that your more than willing to learn all there is to know about marine fish and your never gonna be short on info to increase your knowledge with. I don't know how old your son is but i guarantee he'll be more interested in marine life than tropical, especially with all the small creature you get to see.

I say follow your dreams and take the comments with a pinch of salt. If you want marines than go get em and i bet you'll still be doing well with it in years to come. A bit of self belive is needed i think.

True enough, you should never own an animal that you don't want to keep.

However, although a child wants to run he still has to learn to sit, then stand, then walk. Now don't get me wrong I'm not comparing anyone to a child but the principles of animal husbandry are the same. When your dealing with lives you have to put the human desire to have everything you've dreamed of aside for a little while. Marine keeping is all about patience.

Don't forget that Marine fish keeping is a relatively new domestic hobby in comparison to freshwater fish keeping, the vast majority of fish are wild caught and some at particular risk of environmental destruction and over fishing. Not a good idea to start your journey on some of the more difficult and at risk species in the world, species which unfortunately are not particularly forgiving of beginners mistakes.

Not only that but there are principles and considerations which you can't learn from a book, principles you have to see in action one step at a time, that's generally why it's best to cut your teeth on freshwater, taking less principles in one go before adding more complications such as specific gravity, Ca, Mg etc.

Of course this is just my opinion, but hopefully it should enable the op to make an informed decision on how they wish to proceed.

Freshwater fish, DULL??? Some are more colourful than marines!

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/myalbum0/photo.php?lid=3031

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/myalbum0/photo.php?lid=3032

I'm a marine keeper and I love it, but I still turn to my trop tank as what started it all off and the tank I still get the most from.

As motivational as Boo's words are, im not sure "taking the comments with a pinch of salt " and going out to get a tank is the best way forward. Look at some of the Marine posts here, from experienced fishkeepers of many years.
They are all still learning and if the people with the experience are asking you not to just jump right in, its probably better to give their advice some serious thought.

p.s I would never hae thought my wee male betta could be called dull lol, although i do hind myself envying some of the corals the marine keepers get to have. lol

Sorry guys, maybe dull was the wrong word. Boring is more like it! ha ha. (joke). I've got freshwater fish and i'm sad to say they do nothing for me. IMO marines are far far far more interesting. My 4 year old girl looks after the trop's as there her fish and she never has a problem. Not exactly the most expensive or hard to keep but none the less she still does it. She gonna help with the marines soon.

I still disagree tho. I didn't get a cat to practice on before i had kids and their far more important to look after than fish. I say get marines if thats what you want, otherwise you'll regret it ever time you look into that tank. I do love a good debate! Lol

So you started with freshwater before moving on to marines?

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, having the foundation knowledge you have in freshwater makes it particularly easy for you to state that the transition was easy. Your not quite ever going to be able to see it from a blank canvas perspective.

Debate is good, we thrive on that but debate and opinion should be backed where possible by facts especially on a subject such as this where facts and evidence can be provided, and in this case, have been. Debate solely based on opinion with no evidence turns into fallacy.

I think we may have to just agree to disagree on this one and stop hi-jacking the op's thread, I fear, both of us could go on for hours...

actually i had a 4ft marine tank first, The trop tank was an add on for my Little girls room so i can use that blank canvas.

I think that if you just want to keep fish and you aren't too bothered what sort they are than yes get freshwater fish, however if you don't want them than you'll never love them and that will be neglect and all you'll get is a very expensive ornament in the corner of the room. Also, every time you go into your LFS and look at the marines you'll be gutted that you didn't get them when you had the chance.

At the end of the day everyone had to start somewhere and as long as you don't go mad with the marines and start off small you'll soon get to grips with everything and have something you'll love.

Goldnugget does put up a good arguement tho!!!

What ever happened to cob20 anyway? He's wound us all up and let us go.

Cob20 where are you?

You didn't lose a fish through ignorance ever ?

You disagree with the statement that marine fish are a lot more exacting and demanding of perfect parameters than freshwater fish ?

That marine diseases are harder to treat ?

If you want to take my comments with a pinch of salt , then please do so , we'll be here to mop up when you have a tank wipe out because you don't understand the basics ...

Not trying to discourage anyone , but lets remember , there are little lives at stake here. We choose to take these creatures from their natural homes and keep them in our tanks , we owe it to the fish to have a good understanding of their needs before you embark on your fishkeeping journey.

Howard believe me i know loads about losing fish...I used to serve on a sub!

I just feel that your never gonna care for something that your whole heart isn't into.

Tropical fish are great if you just want fish but if your just not into them then your just gonna neglect them in the end. That's no life for a fish.

there's probably loads of people on here that started straight out with marines. I've personally never lost a fish because i had a big tank and never got out of my depth. Plus my heart was in it so i took extra good care of them.