Not too far off from how much mine was to build...mine was about a grand total to build with the premade heatsink. I had the same thought that anything I buy will not compete with what I can build for the price. I measured the current draw at full power and found that my system is 300 watts of actual operating power and I have to have it turned down to about 100 watts to prevent bleaching of my zoas and brain corals. My tank is only 18" deep so I wont have to do any upgrading when I upgrade tanks...just turn up the power! Another plus is DIY setups are infinitly upgradeable and easily repairable
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