Jumping In! My tank diary begins.

[TheReefGeek]

There are some DIY projects that might cost more than retail, but IMO that would mean you ended up with something mucher higher quality and customized than retail.

And for a lot of projects, DIY is actually cheaper, even if you do go over budget by a bit. For example, I have done 2 lighting hoods that were much cheaper going with a retrofit kit and DIY hood compared to buying a complete unit. My Auto-top of system is cheaper than retail by far. My sump is DIY with an old tank and baffles, FAR cheaper than buying a retail sump.