Slightly Discouraged!

[phillybean]

I planned to get a 75 gallon for 1500 dollars. I decided to slow it down a bit and start doing things right, I would say do the same. I bought my take 6 months ago and only have the stand, canopy the tank for the sump and refuguim and the lights (2 175 Watt M.H.). Do what IM doing, it's better to build a tank over a year or more, and spend a few grand, as opposed too rush into it with a cheap or incomplete set up. Save up, do it right and plan on something each month. This month my tank gets drilled and I build my overflow. Next month I build my sump and plumb everything. Janurary comes the skimmer. Feb comes the closed loop. March comes the odds and ends (salt mix, tubs for mixing salt, pumps for water changes/mixing salt etc. and in April I get the Live Rock and start cycling. Everything will be done right, slowly, step by step and with the best I can afford. Whenever I think I need to look at some fish, I go to my LFS and chill out for a hour.

[Reefer Rob]

Wow! Thats patience! My 180 comes home this week, I've already got the skimmer (H&S), lights (T5s of course) I'll have before the end of the month. A couple of months to piece it all together, and I hope to have water in it in January.

All bought with my wifes blessing- she knows how much I love this hobby!

PS: You really have to work on your hang-dog look.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

lol...thanks for all the advice. yeah, I recently sold some shares to fund this...growing obsession *nervous laughter*

I don't have a wife, so I only have to convince myself that it's a good idea...which I'm able to do quite easily

[Dave C]

Originally Posted by Der_Iron_Chef

lol...thanks for all the advice. yeah, I recently sold some shares to fund this...growing obsession *nervous laughter*

I don't have a wife, so I only have to convince myself that it's a good idea...which I'm able to do quite easily

Thank God I'm married. That's the only thing limiting my spending. I sold some books to pay for my two tanks. Should have enough left to stock them both if all goes well.

[Tarolisol]

It really doesnt have to cost that much.
You dont need a sump but they can be handy.
you dont need a skimmer but they can be helpful.
I just set up a 75g cube tank, and I did it for cheap.
100 bucks for power heads
90lbs live rock 200
T5 lights 380 (ok this wasnt to cheap but you need lights for corals.

so $680 for a 75g tank. If you do lots of water changes you dont need a skimmer. But i could still add a skimmer to the tank and the price will still be reasonable.

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by Tarolisol

It really doesnt have to cost that much.
You dont need a sump but they can be handy.
you dont need a skimmer but they can be helpful.
I just set up a 75g cube tank, and I did it for cheap.
100 bucks for power heads
90lbs live rock 200
T5 lights 380 (ok this wasnt to cheap but you need lights for corals.

so $680 for a 75g tank. If you do lots of water changes you dont need a skimmer. But i could still add a skimmer to the tank and the price will still be reasonable.

That's really reasonable...

I think to have a system so reasonably priced, you needed to do a lot of DIY stuff though, correct?

[Pan]

where'd you get everything from?

[ron101]

If I had to set up a 50 gal (assuming 36" width) lps reef on the cheap (without being ghetto) this is what I would start with:

- 50 gal tank with no center brace and stand
- single 150-250 watt MH pendant, fluorescents ok but dont look as good IMO
- heater
- 2 MJ 600's or 900's
- 25-50 lbs live rock
- thermometer
- timer
- hydrometer (personally, I would get a refractometer)
- salt
- calcium and carbonate test kits
- calcium and carbonate additives (turbo calcium, reef builder, kalkwasser or bulk equivalents)

Go bare bottom tank. Save up or tell friends/family that you want aquarium gift certificates for BDay/Xmas and get a good hang on skimmer down the road. I might be missing some incidentals but that's about what I would consider minimum.

[Tarolisol]

Originally Posted by OCDP

That's really reasonable...

I think to have a system so reasonably priced, you needed to do a lot of DIY stuff though, correct?

Well, i didnt include the price of the tank, which was a little costly since i had to have the glass cut. But tanks of normal sizes are quite easy to find cheap.

Its basicly a glass box with live rock in it. Thats all you need really.
But i guess if you start adding other things like salt, refractometer and the various other little thing, it would add up a bit more.

For a more expensive but still rather cheap my 235g tank cost about $3000, thats, a 200g starfire front tank
3x400mh set ups with bulbs
reeflo dart
ocean motions 4way
2 vortechs
marinetech calc reactor
33g refugium
coralife skimmer(but i do want a new more expensive one)
plumbing parts

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by Tarolisol

90lbs live rock 200

! Now that is a steal of a deal!