New to hobby, seeking advice

[BackPackHunter]

Call concept again ask for Denny
Tell him what your looking for, and the plan for the tank he'll help you
I ordered 2 tanks today from him, didn't take 15min

This will be my 3rd tank from him and 1 sump couldn't be happier
Great customer service

[Babalouie]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

Call concept again ask for Denny
Tell him what your looking for, and the plan for the tank he'll help you
I ordered 2 tanks today from him, didn't take 15min

This will be my 3rd tank from him and 1 sump couldn't be happier
Great customer service

Well, I did try again and the only thing I can conclude is that I was calling the wrong number originally. I did get Denny and he has been extremely helpful with getting me started. Thanks for suggesting I try again.

[mattr]

run. run for your life

[Snappy]

Welcome to CanReef! I would get started on a tank right away and when it's time to upgrade then do the upgrade. Get your "feet wet" ASAP and gain invaluable experience that will help you become successful moving forward.

[Babalouie]

Well, the price tags have been kind of shocking so far. I thought $2000 was an adequate budget to get a ricordea tank cycling, but it doesn't seem to be the case.
Without opening a can of worms, I didn't think I would need a sump for a ricordea tank. The setups that I have been quoted all seem to be pretty elaborate. The quotes I've been getting for tanks in the 55-90 gallon range from $2200-$7000.
So, is there a simpler way to do this? Should I just pinch my pennies? It's just ricordea with some sexy shrimp. It was my impression they did quite well in nano tanks and the requirements were quite modest.

[Madreefer]

Those wouldn't be quotes from Concept would they? Cuz my 233G with 100G sump was around $2300. Delivered. Don't seem right to me.

[Babalouie]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

Those wouldn't be quotes from Concept would they? Cuz my 233G with 100G sump was around $2300. Delivered. Don't seem right to me.

The $7k quote was from concept for a full plug and play package. Just the stand, tank, and sump was $1400 without delivery. The additional fee was everything else.
The lower quote was from big als for a 55 gallon. A 65 gallon would be a $100 more. But still, I thought a ricordea tank that small would be fine with a skimmer, power heads, live rock, and a quality light. I thought $2000 was a reasonable figure to be cycling a 55 gallon- no livestock, just cycling.

Or the 93g cube cycling with live sand and dead rock for 2300. Live and learn I guess

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Babalouie

Well, the price tags have been kind of shocking so far. I thought $2000 was an adequate budget to get a ricordea tank cycling, but it doesn't seem to be the case. [...] So, is there a simpler way to do this? Should I just pinch my pennies? It's just ricordea with some sexy shrimp. It was my impression they did quite well in nano tanks and the requirements were quite modest.

You can certainly have a suitable setup for $2000 all inclusive, but it is not likely to be A 93-gallon custom cube.

Are you the DIY type? You can buy a standard aquarium and drill it yourself. Practice drilling a couple $9.99 10-gallon aquariums first. If you can drill one of those cheapo paper-thin-glass tanks without breaking it then you can EASILY drill a bigger tank without breaking it. I've drilled around 40 holes in aquariums and I've only ever broke one 5-gallon with paper-thin glass and one 20-gallon that I was testing to see how fast I could drill it. Some aquariums (Hagen comes to mind) sometimes have tempered glass (usually just the bottom of the tank) and you cannot drill tempered as it will shatter. Email the manufacturer before buying.

After you drill the tank you can silicone a glass overflow box into the corner, then put acrylic over the glass so you can't see into it. Add some plumbing pieces and you're golden.

Ricordea are certainly simple to keep, but I would strongly suggest a sump if you want seahorses. Seahorses eat a lot of food and are VERY messy eaters (they waste a lot). If you have a sump then you open a lot of better and cheaper opportunities for filtration and skimmers.

Another option is to buy a used setup on Kijiji or even the buy & sell forums here. If you go with a standard size (not a cube) then you will have more options and the price will be lower.

[Myka]

90-gallon complete in Calgary $589.
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=105725

50-gallon tank, stand, sump in Calgary $180
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=105711

90-gallon tank, stand, sump in Olds. $300
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=105528