Don't be scared and let the ballers make you think you cant afford this hobby research and start small make sure you wanna commit to the hobby then buy used equipment from a baller who jumped in thinking good equipment without knowledge would make a awesome reef only to find out he could barely get algae to grow six months later he sells all his stuff for a third of the price. Buy a few nice corals once your system is stable and trade other reefers for corals there are plenty of cool reefers who will help you out that way you don't have to spend the 8000 dollars or take out a loan. If you take it slow you can have a awesome reef and not have to spend all the money. The reality is read and learn what works in nature, ask others if you got questions don't be shy, thats whats gonna give you the ability to create a truly successfully reef. Remember its about having fun and enjoyment not going into debt or keeping up with the joneses.