i'll tell you what i did to help me figure out what i really wanted and if it was possible: i checked out those threads that natclanwy was speaking of, and i took some time to browse the fish, coral, and inverts available through SWF.com to see what was compatible with what, and to see what the needs of certain livestock was. once i had an idea of what i wanted, i started asking questions to anyone who would answer them, and once i got an answer, i asked the ppl on this forum if that sounded right. i still second guess the advice i get on here from time to time, just to make sure i'm headed in the right direction. to be honest: this website has made it much easier for me to understand things. i always found someone else's thread asking ppl the same questions that i had, and im sure you will too. if not, just ask and you'll get an answer.