Thank you, fellas. I appreciate all of the honest feedback. I don't think anyone is trying to scare me away. I think everyone is just trying to give it to me straight, which I appreciate.
Well, I just downloaded a trial version of a nifty aquarium screensaver called
Dream Aquarium. It's freshwater, but it's more realistic than the saltwater ones I found. If it works like it should, I'll download the full version, and that'll have to be it, for the time being anyway.
I haven't given up on the aquarium idea, but it's a lot to consider. We're not away from home much at all, but the wife is concerned that if we get a tank we won't be able to vacation as we otherwise might. It's a realistic concern, I suppose. I mean, we don't have any week-long vacations penciled in on the calendar, but I don't want to be shortsighted. We probably will want to go somewhere someday. We currently have a cat. It's easy enough to have someone come in, water and feed the cat, scoop the litter box, done. I don't know anyone in the fishkeeping hobby, so going away for more than a couple days would be a problem, as Brad and Ray have pointed out. I gotta say though, I have a tough time believing that aquarium people never take a vacation. Really? Never?
For me, I'm mainly concerned about two things. First thing is, we're currently renting an apartment. So we'd have to move the tank in the not-so-distant future. Second thing is, my biggest concern, would be how to safeguard my tank against power outages. Last October I lost just about everything I own to Hurricane Sandy (I saved the cigars). I was without power for weeks. It could happen again. I don't know how I'd power my aquarium during an extended power outage. I'd need a dedicated generator, like Blueface. I'll be honest, I don't know the first thing about that kind of stuff. Is that something you can even have in an apartment in Brooklyn? I don't even know.
Add to these concerns, that my wife doesn't really care one way or the other about aquarium fish, so while she's not opposed, there's no real interest on her part. Which means, should I choose to do it, it'll be my project and my project only. And she won't want to be bothered or inconvenienced by it.
What do you guys say now?
OK, I gotta run. This might make you fellas laugh, but I'm actually on my way out the door to visit ... a couple of highly regarded aquarium supply shops in Manhattan.
I know. I know. I just want to poke around. Maybe ask some questions. I get an idea in my head, I get obsessed sometimes. Takes awhile for me to let go.