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realistic budget


Dan197

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Can I get some input on a realistic start up budget? From what I have added up today, it looks like a solid grand will be a minimum. I would need to buy eveything from an rodi unit to the live rock. I'm either going to go with a nuvo fusion 20 or 30. (Or equivalent)

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They type of livestock you wish to keep will play a part in determining your end setup, and could cause the total to vary by quite a bit.

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I've been wanting to do this for over two years now and I can safely say that failure is not an option. With that being said, I'm looking buy better or best equipment from the start. I want my initial purchase to have the room for my experience growth. I certainly am not going to start off with the hardest things to keep but I want the room to be able to grow. For example, I don't think it would be worth buying a fusion start up kit when I know that I'm going to want better lights, pumps, flow, etc. Maybe I should put it this way, I'm not buying anything tomorrow, next week or even next month... I am heeding the advice that I commonly read on this forum to go slow, come up with a plan, then pull the trigger. So back to the the reality thing... it all starts with how many $1 bills I have in my pocket, no matter what I want to do.

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natalia_la_loca

IMO/IME, it's less about having the best equipment than about patience, persistence and problem solving. That said, it would not be difficult to go through $1K on a system that size, especially if buying all new equipment of decent quality.

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If you keep your eye out you can find really good used tanks that will off set it some, even though that's not the bulk of the cost but every bit helps. Also if your not in a hurry you can buy a few thugs at a time and it seems to make it easier instead of dropping a chunk of change all at once. It works better if you have a plan before hand though.

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Well I saved up for a while for my new build, a fusion 20. When I hit $800 I bought my starting setup. Tank, stand, sand, Sicce 1.5 pump upgrade, IM custom caddy media basket upgrade(2), and Tunze Nano ATO. That purchase was around $720. A few weeks later they got the IM Ghost skimmer back in stock, and that was another $150. After I set it up I spent less than $100 on Real Reef rock (shipped to me), but I already had a few pieces of gulf live rock that I was transferring from my old tank so that may run higher for you. The last purchase I made was the light since i was cycling without it. I went cheap on this since I'm only keeping lps and softies in this tank. Current USA Orbit Marine for $120 (by this time I had some aqua points built up at aquacave for a discount). A light that will support sps, and the gadgets to go with could easily be $500 or more.

So,yeah, I'd say $1000 to $1700 is realistic for this build just to get running. Then you start adding the livestock. Lots of variables there, but that part goes slowly so you don't realize how much you're spending in all. ;)

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IMO/IME, it's less about having the best equipment than about patience, persistence and problem solving. That said, it would not be difficult to go through $1K on a system that size, especially if buying all new equipment of decent quality.

I agree, I just want to avoid buying things twice.

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I'm not here to burst any bubbles but 1k probably isn't going to happen, not when you mention wanting higher end equipment. The tank and and a good light is already over half your budget. You still have to factor in, a stand, heaters, rocks, a skimmer, pumps, misc things. Now, is 1k possible for a nice setup, more than likely. Put it this way, I've got a 34g cube that I've got at least $600 in and its not even running. I still have to finish the light, buy a skimmers, heaters, return pump, an ato and countless misc things. Not sure on your location but you may want to consider used equipment or find someone selling a whole setup.

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NorthGaHillbilly

Not considering used equiptment would be a huge mistake IMO. This hobby is a revolving door for many, on my current tank I have

 

MP40- $150

ATI 6 bulb 24"- $200 with 15 bulbs

RO 150- $100

BRS 5 stage RO- $75

 

Total- $525

 

MSRP- $1422

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Not considering used equiptment would be a huge mistake IMO. This hobby is a revolving door for many, on my current tank I have

 

MP40- $150

ATI 6 bulb 24"- $200 with 15 bulbs

RO 150- $100

BRS 5 stage RO- $75

 

Total- $525

 

MSRP- $1422

Absolutely agree, but I also think it depends on what you want, where you live (no reef clubs in my area), and how long you want to wait to get started. My first tank I peiced together second hand. Everything except the light. For my current build I decided I wanted to go all new, all at once, with manuals and warranties for everything, good return policies, and be able to make my own modifications my own way. I got burned at least once going second hand, and was unsatisfied with a deal after the fact at least once too. I just didn't want to go through that "haunt the for sale forums, hope the item you've been waiting for is as advertised, has plenty life left, AND that it turns out to be what you wanted" thing again.
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NorthGaHillbilly

Absolutely agree, but I also think it depends on what you want, where you live (no reef clubs in my area), and how long you want to wait to get started. My first tank I peiced together second hand. Everything except the light. For my current build I decided I wanted to go all new, all at once, with manuals and warranties for everything, good return policies, and be able to make my own modifications my own way. I got burned at least once going second hand, and was unsatisfied with a deal after the fact at least once too. I just didn't want to go through that "haunt the for sale forums, hope the item you've been waiting for is as advertised, has plenty life left, AND that it turns out to be what you wanted" thing again.

Very good points. I feel both of our experiences were similar, but like most hobbies, we dont know what we want from the get go. I have changed from MH, to MH+T5, to all T5, if I had gone with all that retail each step id be out a mint. On the other hand I wouldnt hesitate to buy a new ATI if I needed to after messing with the alternatives. I did, on the other hand, buy my apex new, as its something I see keeping for the indefinite future.

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Thanks for all the input. after loading up a cart on a reef supply website I see 2k can be dropped in the blink of an eye. I think it's worth waiting for. It will be worth it in the long haul.

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In my opinion, it depends on what type of tank you like, what type of fish or coral you want to keep,and you can plan ahead from there. I started the salt hobby a year ago, and I bought tank and equipments with the cheapest prices I could get individually. However, the math was still a big number.

If you just want to keep mushrooms and 1 small fish only (I don't think so), then it will be very cheap to have a tank like that. I could say the budget for that is around $500 if you know what is needed to buy for that tank.

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porkchop-rob

A decent tank with all the support equipment and good quality (new) equipment, I would say you need a couple grand.

 

I have 500 in my little desktop 4 gallon, and I refuse to total up the money I have spent on the 40B. LOL

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1k will not go far. If you want the better equipment you should prepare yourself for much much more than that. I have a Fusion 40 and I would be embarrassed to tell you what I have spent. Several grand..

 

Well over a grand on the Apex setup alone. Nanobox $300-$500, wavemaker $200-$300, DOS few hundred, skimmer a few hundred, test kits a few hundred, RODI 6 stage a few hundred. The list goes on and on. Then you realize that you have coral to buy - hah - its like a drug addiction then.

 

Had to change my lifestyle in order to afford what I vastly underestimated as the initial startup cost. I dont regret it at all. Love this hobby more and more each time I look at my tank and how happy everything is. So much so that I started a 2nd tank.

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I definitely applaud you deciding to do it right the first time. As you've noticed that 1k doesn't last very long, not when you want new higher end equipment. You could definitely setup that size tank with lower end equipment / used equipment for 1k. But yeah, just take your time and save up for what you really want, it'll be worth it.

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I was reading this thread again today, and realized I had forgotten to add in a few things, and mention other things I already had. Funny how cost sneaks past you. I also had a spinstream in my initial purchase, and already had the other I'm using to make two. So there's another $30 for your total if you want them. I don't want a powerhead in my display so I needed them along with the pump upgrade. I made a separate purchase on Amazon for my ATO resivior. Only $15 for what I wanted, but could be much higher. I already had a good supply of salt mix, which you'll need. That's $60 if you get the right one first, and don't waste money on something you won't use. Your RODI I didn't factor in my post is going to be another $200 or so.

I'm going to amend my first response to say $1500 to $2000 is more realistic to get started. The good news is you know what you want, and the approach you're going to take. With my 20 fusion, which is my second reef build, I am with you. I wanted quality items, and I didn't want to patch it together. The only compromise I made was the light, but only because I know my needs fall within its limitations.

Having said all that,....this time around I did have a little more practical experience to base my purchase decisions on. Everyone probably ends up wasting a little money the first time around on things they wouldn't do again, and that's all down to individual preference or need, so it's not something you can avoid through online research. Soooo I guess all I'm saying is, if you're getting into the hobby for the long haul maybe don't focus on trying to budget so much.

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imgres_zps87b9f000.jpg

$350 to $1000 is a good place to start. Join a local club or forum keep an eye on the craigslist some great deals are posted daily.

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nanolutionary

.. I am heeding the advice that I commonly read on this forum to go slow, come up with a plan...

 

That's the spirit.

 

If I could give myself three tips...

 

1. Read more and read critically (The Reef Aquarium Volume 3 by Sprung and Delbeek is a good starting point).

2. Focus on getting all elements of your initial setup as correct as possible from the outset.

3. Use every opportunity to troubleshoot your thinking on this forum and others (ultimate reef.net, thenanoreef.co.uk).

 

By really loosing yourself in the research process, you'll find that this part can be just as captivating as getting wet. Plus if I would have spent more time on 3. and less time perusing online marine stores I'd have halved what I spent/wasted getting things wrong towards the beginning.

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Steensj2004

IMHO, you really need to set a budget. It's is a wide open qquestion to ask,"How much" when equipment brand, type, etc is pretty subjective to each person. For example, if you set a budget of 1500.00, from that point you can start factoring(and people on here can help you) what all you can buy brand new for that price. From there, like NGHB said, you can go to the classifieds, look for the equipment you put on your list, and try to score some cheap items( easy to do on here). Be flexable, maybe you want a Radion but find a Nanobox light used for cheaper. Leaves you more money to play with. Frankly, besides the tank( and I wouldn't even rule that out) you can buy everything on here used in good condition and spend a FRACTION of what you will new.

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