The more people in saltwater the better. I also started with a 30 not that long ago and still remember the big wait... I think the biggest thing is to make sure your water perameters are actually good. I had 30lbs of live rock and let it cycle for 4 weeks... needless to say when my tank finally did cycle(and it will) everything in my tank paid for it. I had to do continous water changes and I still lost my first fish.(two clowns). It really upset me to lose them. I spent so many hours with that tank. One thing I learned is that a saltwater tank becomes a long term relationship and if you can hold off longer it's better for everything. It's hard to wait but if you consider the fact that you will probabally have this tank a long time, an extra couple weeks is really nothing in the whole equation(I'm sure that most will agree). With that being said if the live rock you purchased was well cured(been in a tank for a couple years) you will probablly have very little 'die off' and you may be able to start sooner. With a smaller tank you will find it is tougher to keep water conditions pristine and there will be more fluctuation which can sometimes mean more stress on its inhabitants. It's not impossible just more work to start with a small tank. One of the hardest things I had to, and you may have to deal with is just leaving it alone and let it do its thing. That aside...If you have any questions there's always canreef, with loads of knowledge from so many people. I've learned so much from the people on this site. Good luck and I hope you get as much out of this whole saltwater thing as I have.
