Here are pictures of various people's home reef tanks. This should give you an idea of what to strive for!

Click on each picture to see the full sized image.

Homemade skimmer by Kevin Carpenter
Keith Rogers' entire tank, showing the plumbing underneath as well
Closeup of the left side of Keith Rogers' tank.
Closeup of the right side of Keith Rogers' tank.
A closeup of part of Patti Beadles' 300 gallon tank.
This is a photo of a left section of Steve Tyree's reef. The PVC elevated matrix is visible. The interesting visual in this photo is that all three Centropyge loriculus or Flame Angelfish were captured within the frame. The larger fish is the male and he spawns every nite with both smaller females. This results in the release of hundreds of eggs which the Anthias ventralis ventralis eat very quickly.
From Steve Tyree's tank This photo is a closeup of the fuzzy green metallic mushroom which has released at least 2 bundles of pink planulae (coral larvae). This planulae were able to with cilia a few minutes after the bundle fell apart.
The left side of Steve Tyree's tank, showing the extensive growth of coraline algae on the glass.
The left side of Steve Tyree's tank, with a pseudochromis.
The right side of Steve Tyree's tank.
The right side of Steve Tyree's tank.
One more picture of Steve Tyree's reef.
The left side of Anthony Tse's reef.
The right side of Anthony Tse's reef.
Two ocellaris clowns living in an anemone in Anthony Tse's reef.
The left side of Carl Hillsman's reef.
The right side of Carl Hillsman's reef.
33 Pictures of Paul Stoner's reef tank
Alberto Giurelli's reef tank An experiment gone right, and the result of six months effort using mostly Seachem products and Coralife salt, with 20% weekly water changes and the only fish where seahorses. It is a 80 litre tank with a Skilter protein skimmer and Fluval 303 cannister with an Ehiem surface extracter.