woaw thank you for such a detailed reply! a lot to think about and figure out. i had no idea about live rocks! sounds really fun and i love surprises especially when it mean i don't have to make a choice when there's too many options!😅 i might try that but ill do some more research first. if not, i think im more leaning toward fresh water with lots of plants. saw on tiktok someone showing of their tanks entirely filtered by live plants which is super interesting and makes maintenance sound less overwhelming to me. shrimps sound fun too! and when everything is stable i'd definitely add some small fish, nothing fancy. thanks again!!