hello from city fishing

Hello everyone, well I recieved my first tank for making all A's on my first grade report card. It was a ten gallon tank the ones with the silver trim all the way around the tank. My first fish were guppies and a couple of cory cats, I know just plain fish but I could have not been any happier if I was given a million dollars. As I sat and watched those fish swimming around I was hooked for life. Now 45 years later I am still into fish. I can rember my dad bringing me a fish every other Friday night. When I was young the fish did not come in a plastic bag, they were sent home in a wax coated cup. The cup would have a nice design on the outside but was bright white on the inside. The contrast of the white and the beautiful colors was outstanding. I can still remember the feeling of having to wait for my father to take the top off of the container and being able to view the prize that was waiting for me to put into my tank. Great memories.
I grew up on a small farm in Alabama and things got pretty tought some times after my father left us.I can remember my mother would allow me to sell the eggs that were not used during the week. This was her way of giving me a little spending money. I would have to pay for my chicken feed and what was left over was mine to buy fish with. I can remember my grandfather calling me a city fishingman. He would always laugh and say that he caught his fish from a lake and I would get mine from a glass tank in town, he would always get a chuckle when he would tell me this but I didnot care I could not wait to go to the little pet shop in town where I would spend hours looking for the perfect fish to add to my collection. I was always at first trying to find a big heavy female so I could have babies. Man those were very exciting times for me.
Well I am a little older now and I hope a little wiser also. The love of my life was traded a few years later for my wife of 30 plus years now, but the joy of rasing tropical fish is still at the top for me. I still like guppies but for me the cichlids are my fish of choice. The patterns and color choices are as beautiful as the saltwater fish I think. My favorites are the parrot cichlids. I know that they are just man made fish but I love them. I have a school of 10 fish different ages and differnt colors that entertain me all the time. I think that they are like little puppies, they each have their own personalities. There is one thing that they all have in common and that is that they love to eat.
Well that is enough time thinking of the past lets focus on the here and now shall we? I am wanting to try my luck with a saltwater tank. I have purchased a 180 gallon used tank and I am looking for some help getting thing started. I am sure that there are some old hats on here at starting up a new salt water tank. I would be very grateful for any and all advive that I can get from yall. I dont want to get to fancy just a few damsel, shrimp, maybe a couple of small anglefish just something to get me started. Yall have a great day and may God bless each and everyone. Thanks Larry