Cost of everything....

[tsquad]

ok...i have been looking around this website, to learn about basically every aspect of my probable new tank. i have learned a lot, but one thing that concerns me the most is the cost. if i aspire to have a nice tank like most of u reefers do, i dont understand how it is possible without spending $1000+. remember, im only 15 and my dad can only pay for so much. can anyone suggest any cheaper methods, or alternatives? any responses would be great. thanks.

[Reefland]

Nano reef tanks can be set up that are just as extravagant as larger reef systems at a fraction of the cost. The diffirence is that they do require more diligent husbandry to keep stable and obviously choices of fish and coral are for limited. Set up a nice 20 gallon tank with some VHO lighting, a small 10gal sump and a decent protein skimmer for about $500.

[tsquad]

that sounds alot more reasonable....however, i do want to keep some fish, say a pair of clowns and maybe a yellow or hippo tang...would a 30 gallon be acceptable for them, or not? a 30 gallon would still be in that price range ($500) too right?
tsquad

ps - i could do without the tang if the tank is too small, i just need it to be semi-cheap

[Reefland]

No you could not put a tang in a tank that small. For a yellow tang or hippo tang, I would say the minimum to be a 75 gallon. A pair of clowns and maybe another small fish with a small adult size (like a Royal Gramma, Black Cap Basslett, etc.) would be fine.

[tsquad]

maybe a dwarf angel? anyway this will still be in the cost range (?) so this probably is my new plan.

[cesar]

Tsquad a set up like that can be very cheap. I have a 20 gallon tank that I have slowly stocked with coral but I think that the begining process was ver cheap. Example.

20 Gallon tank= $20
Filter= $17
Heater= $12
Lights= $160 or so.
LiveSand= $29
Liverock= $80/ 20 lbs.

And that was it at the begining. Then slowly you start to add on things as they get better for you. Not very bad.

[Samper]

tsquad. If I were you I wouldn't even figure in the cost of livestock yet. If you're gonna keep corals eventually you are gonna want to have this setup as firmly established as you can get with a nano. You are going to want to practice on keeping your water parameters right, learn how to use your test kits. Be very diligent about water changes and learn how to correct any problems that come up a long the way. Some experienced reefers wouldn't advise anyone but the old salts to set up a nano but I look at it like this. If you're learning to play a guitar it's better in the long run for you to learn to play an acoustic. It's easy to learn to use an electric guitar or a huge aquarium but that doesn't make you a jimi hendrix either. I've started with a nano and I know a few guys near me who started with atleast a 75g. When we start talking water parameters, test kits etc they don't know jack and it's very obvious to me that the nano helped me learn. You are messing with living animals here and I know it's going to be hard to not stock it immediately but at a minimun if you're going to set up a nano spend 4 months making sure you know what you're doing before torchering a few cute fish.

[tsquad]

thanks for the replies everyone theyre very helpful. and samper, that was what i was planning ondoing i guess i just think ahead too far lol. i do have a reffing job in the fall and spring, so if i can get the initial setup done now, i will be making money for my livestock. but to start off i should be ok in money i think. thanks!

[tsquad]

http://www.garf.org/bullet.html

can i do this? it seems like it worked beautifully, and im not planning on having as many corals as them, and the equipment isnt that expensive..do u guys think this is a good thing to do?

edit: and yes, i know they are missing things such as heaters, etc., i just kinda figured that

[Holyreefer]

If you take your time things should be a lot less expensive for you.
Eventually you end up spending the same amount just the same $ for a a lot longer time.

[orlandito]

PRICELESSSSSSSSSS

man i've spend already around 5 or 6000 dollars that i remember (without counting on electricity )


funny thing is , i don't regret it

[NoSump]

I'm also a "rookie" to this hobby, so the experienced reefers may disagree with my advice. Also, apologies up front to this site sponsor and any site contributors who are retail aquarium vendors.

I have been surprised by the number of fully established set-ups (including reef tanks w/lifestock) that turn up on Ebay. There have been a number of excellent deals that I have seen in recent weeks, which has led me to kick myself for not going that route (although I did purchase a Remora Pro skimmer on Ebay/thanks to a tip from Reefland - and it is working fine).

The reasons for the great deals to be found are numerous. This is a hobby that requires a high degree of on-going attention to maintenance, I'm sure that many people over time lose interest in that continued commitment. Another likely reason for a great deal on a tank is when a major move occurs. I have never (yet) had to move a tank, but I'll bet it's a bear.

Of the caveats to consider, to me the most significant is that a tank set-up is not shipable. You are limited to listings within your general geographic region, since you will be hauling the new set-up yourself (if you are in the Northeastern coridor, or California there are more options). Another downside is that you don't know if disease or other problems had occured within the system, although I consider the fact that many of the set-ups that I saw were fully operational to be a mitigating factor (you can see the condition of the lifestock). Obviously, the best deals are listings from private individuals rather than acquarium vendors.

When you total up the cost of a tank, stand, cap, substrate, skimmer, filtration and media, live rocks, lights, heaters, powerheads, wavemakers, and all the associted chemicals and other contraptions (reverse osmosis, UV sterilizers, etc.), even if you purchase a $500 complete set-up in which you have to replace a leaky tank, or a few other items, you are still way ahead of the game.

Good luck and have fun!

Chuck