I'm a beginner at saltwater...How much did it cost you at first?

[coralcor]

well i diddnt read the whole thread but my tank cost

tank and rock-450(bought from a guy selling whole set up)

coral-0(came with tank.)

test kits-60

water-alot.

salt-30/bucket when threw 2 buckets so 60$

new coral-10(rely 90 but my mom payed for it so.)

thats all i can remember.

 

I'm sure I missed some stuff but not much more than $5. If anyone sees where I got ripped off / got a good deal let me know. And no I am not OCD.

yea sure. whys there a cup in your tank?

[IShot811]

I'm sorry, but in my opinion, this is where some of you are possibly losing future reefers. She's looking to get into SW and you tell her it's gonna cost $2k to START.

 

See my signature for the link to my 20gal build that I'm working on. After my buddy set up a 90gal (over $900 just for tank and stand) I got curious. I've been reading this site for almost a solid two months. I decided on a 20gal, kept my eyes open on CraigsList and did find a 20gal (with stand) for display tank ($35)and a 10gal ($7) for sump. Some patience and I've gotten it all together in about two weekends. I've bought a 300gph pump ($35 LPS) and my Home Depot materials for building the sump and drain/overflow plumming ($75). I drilled the tank and bought my overflow box and return (including drilling bit) from Glass-Holes.com ($68). I bought a light from FishNeedIt.com ($96). Now all I have to do is seal the PVC and move it out of the garage to it's display location. ($316 so far)

 

It will cost me for LR and LS (if I use it) and then for inhabitants (after it's done it's 4-6 week cycle). Budget? Yes, but over time. You can add a frag here, an SPS there, a fish each month...everybody always preaches PATIENCE about this, and I believe that with patience the cost is manageable...and NOT $2,000.00.

[jacks22]

I'm sorry, but in my opinion, this is where some of you are possibly losing future reefers. She's looking to get into SW and you tell her it's gonna cost $2k to START.

 

See my signature for the link to my 20gal build that I'm working on. After my buddy set up a 90gal (over $900 just for tank and stand) I got curious. I've been reading this site for almost a solid two months. I decided on a 20gal, kept my eyes open on CraigsList and did find a 20gal (with stand) for display tank ($35)and a 10gal ($7) for sump. Some patience and I've gotten it all together in about two weekends. I've bought a 300gph pump ($35 LPS) and my Home Depot materials for building the sump and drain/overflow plumming ($75). I drilled the tank and bought my overflow box and return (including drilling bit) from Glass-Holes.com ($68). I bought a light from FishNeedIt.com ($96). Now all I have to do is seal the PVC and move it out of the garage to it's display location. ($316 so far)

 

It will cost me for LR and LS (if I use it) and then for inhabitants (after it's done it's 4-6 week cycle). Budget? Yes, but over time. You can add a frag here, an SPS there, a fish each month...everybody always preaches PATIENCE about this, and I believe that with patience the cost is manageable...and NOT $2,000.00.

Who is some of you? 1 person said $2000

[Rocket]

$1300 for a 125 tank. DIY and ebay was my friend.

[jamesnmandy]

my initial dive into reef tanks

 

existing 35 gallon hex tank....maybe $100 tops in that originally

 

i think i bought 20 lbs of live rock at 3 bucks a lb from a LFS, stuff had aiptasia and crap, peppermint shrimp cleaned it up nicely though, the rest of the rock ended up being dead lace rock, works great, cheap....maybe $120 in rock...maybe 150, been a long time ago

 

a coralife 65 super skimmer was used as a HOB skimmer, still in use on my 75 gallon tank in sump, gets the job done...$125

 

bought a Sunpod 150 light for it.....i think $250 shipped is what i paid for that

 

thats about it really....not much at all

 

things are very different now, probably a couple thousand dollars later i have a 75 gallon system with lots of coral and some fish, new lights, new tank, new stand/canopy, new sump, pump, plumbing, heater, etc......

[thecowkid]

You will never get me to say how much I have spent on my tanks. My wife may be a on here and find out. JK

 

Just keep this in mind. Its true that the rock is # 1 then the lights. But also remember that this is a hobby. I have as well as many others on this site got tangled up in all the newest coolest gadgets that this hobby has to offer. We quickly had some of the most techno tanks to be had. Then we also found that we had gotten so far away from the basics of the hobby that it wasnt as much fun as it use to be. So Its safe to say keep it simple and fun.

 

I see no reason why you couldnt set up a 10 gallon for under 500 bucks. Keep in mind that this is with pc lighting, aquaclear filter, and some really good rock.

[starbucks10v3r]

Thanks for everyones information and help!!

 

Sorry i had to leave i had to do some homework cause i have been out of school for a while because of sickness...

[K-MAN]

I didnt want to do this but:

 

Aquapod 24 -- $210

Sunpod 150 -- $100 (from a buddy)

Tunze Osmolator -- $185

Tunze nano skimmer -- $140

Vortech MP20 -- $245

D-D H2Ocean salt -- $90

25lbs primo rock -- $220 shipped

water tests -- $32

Radium Bulb -- $89

Live sand 20lbs -- $26

RO/DI with TDS meter -- $168

Reefkeeper Lite 1 -- $157

misc -- $100

-------------------------

Total = $1,762

 

Don't get me wrong, you could definitely do it for a bit/much cheaper, I went high end on everything and added some automation but if your going to do it, do it right...right?!?

 

DAMN I WISH I NEVER PUT IT ALL DOWN IN INK.....

PLEASE DONT TELL ANYONE OK...LOL

[K-MAN]

I didnt want to do this but:

 

Aquapod 24 -- $210

Sunpod 150 -- $100 (from a buddy)

Tunze Osmolator -- $185

Tunze nano skimmer -- $140

Vortech MP20 -- $245

D-D H2Ocean salt -- $90

25lbs primo rock -- $220 shipped

water tests -- $32

Radium Bulb -- $89

Live sand 20lbs -- $26

RO/DI with TDS meter -- $168

Reefkeeper Lite 1 -- $157

misc -- $100

-------------------------

Total = $1,762

 

Don't get me wrong, you could definitely do it for a bit/much cheaper, I went high end on everything and added some automation but if your going to do it, do it right...right?!?

 

DAMN I WISH I NEVER PUT IT ALL DOWN IN INK.....

PLEASE DONT TELL ANYONE OK...LOL

 

 

I knew I was forgetting something,

refractometer $41

 

Total = $1,803

[jm82792]

I spent $600 on my (now sold)ap24(tank,LR,lighting,salt,testing equipment eveyrthing but fish and coral),

I used half dead dry LR and half live LR.

Perfect way to start,since in a year you won't know.

[Eole00]

there are a couple of ways to get around some of the original expenses, it all depends how long you are willing to wait on your cycle.

it's possible to buy dead rock and seed it with small rubble from the bottom of live rock tanks (the bottom tends to have more critters imo) then you can wait a few months.

as far as lighting goes, you can look up DIY metal halide lighting and make one for around 100$ that should work fairly well for most corals. live sand isn’t a necessity, and all that you're missing after those expenses are test kits, saltwater and flow which can all be had fairly cheaply off ebay or local reef clubs.

[deepdvnarq]

hi Julia,

 

To save some money, you don't need to buy live rock and sand. it will eventually all become "live" You could set up your tank and just seed it with a little live to get the bacteria going. You tank cycle will be a lot longer, but it is alot cheaper and you won't need to worry about bad hitch hikers. During this stage, you can just get you tank, stand, sand, dry/base rock, circulation, salt, test kits and hydrometer or refractometer to adjust salinity. get that up and running. at this point, lights are not needed and you have time to figure out what live stock you want and the additional lighting and filtration you'll need. I know some will jump on me for this, but to get your bacteria going, you can throw in a raw cocktail shrimp and leave it in for about three weeks then pull it out. read and research this site just as your doing now. there are endless ways to setup your tank. buy used if you can.

i got my 37 gal with the hood for $50 bucks (marineland eclipse).

I turned a wood table that someone gave me into a stand ( i reinforced it with 2x4's). $15

large cpr aquafuge ps $150 (ebay has built in protein skimmer)

light for fuge (diy project $20)

retrofit powercompacts ($75)

marineland power head $30

rio knockoff power head $20

hydro flo $15

accent LED lighting to simulate dusk and dawn $75 (also moon lights)

timers from home depot 3 at $5 bucks each.

sand $10

salt $30

rock most free

seeding live rock $7 (one pound)

hydrometer $10

heater $30

(after i'm done with the two other setups i have, i'm going to retrofit the lighting again to LEDs. eventually all my tanks will have this lighting no more changeing light bulbs yeeeaaaaah )

i hope this gives you an idea

i didn't get into other things like chems for dosing or carbon, because that will be specific to your setup and should be budgeted as maintenance items or reoccuring bills.

you can also make your own chems cost effective do it yourself additives

 

i hope this helps! no on with the critiques!

[seanyb]

I started my NC 12 on dec 26. since then ive spent at least 600 w/o tank

 

Tank and stand- free

euro-reef protien skimmer 110.00

live rock 70.00

20lbs live sand 25.00

test kits 40.00

xenia 10.00

green lobo 10.00

zoanthids 10.00

Mushrooms 10.00

Catalina ocean water. 100.00 at least since dec. 20 bucks every time i fill two 5 gallon buckets.

viper v2 150w 150.00

more zoanthids 75.00

 

610 not included any of my CUC.

You can easily make it with out spending that much though. The protien skimmer and upgraded light is 250. I could have gone with out for a while.

[caddyshack]

fish only tank?

Nope foegot it's a reef but yeah I guess around $250

[mr.gaboozlebag]

20g tank and stand: Free from friend

Drilling and overflow: $10 from neighbor

10g Sump: free from friend

96w t5: $120 Hellolights

AC 70: free from friend

red sea prizm skimmer: $20 from aquarium club guy

acrylic for diys: $20 Lowes

Koralia 1: $35 Drs FS

Koralia 2: $40 Drs FS

MJ 600: $20 LFS

Aragonite: $30 LFS

LS: $20 LFS

Fuge Light pc 40w: $50 Drs FS

Silicone: $10 LFS

Total fish food per 6 months: $20

30# Live Rock: $50 Aquarium club guy

Refractometer $20

Test Kits: free from Friend

Aquarium cleaning supplies: $25

Buckets: Free from teacher

Corals: Free from friend and aquarium club

QO return pump: $15 LFS

Bicolor Blenny: $30 LFS

Snails: $20 LFS

Loc line: $10 Marine depot

Tubing: $40 Home Depot

Other Plumbing stuff: $30 Marine and Home Depots

Supplements: $30

Random stuff that you keep buying every time you go to an LFS: $50 in a year

 

Total: $715 A bit lower than average as I got a lot of free stuff

 

Always overestimate the cost.

 

Also remember Electricity

[StevieT]

upwards of $3000 now

 

inTank Fuge/Media Rack/Filter Floss/FishGaurd/Submersible light

$120

 

 

Down to $2880

[Militant Jurist]

I did my first tank MUCH more cheaply. These are estimates (it's been a while) of my start up, but here goes:

 

10 gallon AGA - Free (lying around the house)

4 under-cabinet T8 fixtures from Wal-mart - $28

Upgraded T8 bulbs - $50 (added fixtures one at a time to ease the hit to the budget) [in retrospect, I should have just bought the T5HO fixture that sells on ebay for $50, shipped.]

LR - 10lbs @ $6/lb = $60

LS - $30

Circulating pumps - $30

HOB Filter - $20

 

TOTAL = Less than $250

[ubigbobby]

I started with a 10G, and then moved up to a 30G, so in the end, my 30G was cheaper than the 10G, because I already had a lot of the equipment.

 

That being said, the biggest cost should be live rock.

 

I'd say that a 30G setup cost me about $350. Live Rock alone was nearly $250 for me. The other $100 was for the tank, sand, water, and a Koralia. I already had a heater, but that could be anywhere from $15 to $40 depending on the model. Personally i could never get the auto temperature ones to work for me reliably. I use the old cheap ones with the knob at the top and no tempurate setting.

 

All in all, from scratch, depending on a few different factors...for a 30G...probably between $300-$400 IMO. That's before fish (but you need to get it up and running and cycled before fish anyway).

 

There are ways you can cut corners on some things to save a buck, but overall don't go in with the idea that you'd going to do it on the cheap. There's no reason to overspend and splurge, but spend money where it needs to be spent and quality items. IMO the most important being the Live Rock. Get your live rock from an online source that people here trust, or get it cured from a local fish shop with a good reputation. Some places sell poor quality rock that isn't cured well, or they overcharge. Do your homework and you can set up a beautiful tank for a very managable amount.

[Militant Jurist]

+1

 

Also, I wouldn't buy LR from a LFS that has aiptasia running rampant on their LR. With the really good stuff (and it shouldn't be any more expensive than the el'crapo stuff), you won't see anything like that. I would say the general rule is that any chain store (petsmart, etc) should be avoided if you have alternatives. I'm lucky enough to have 3 saltwater stores in the area, but I'd only buy LR from one of them. Oddly enough, the store with the best LR also is the least expensive!

[Clavius85]

I'm just getting started. Here's what I've paid so far, approximately:

 

$75 - Used 12-gallon Aquapod

$17 - MJ900 Pump from Bonsai

$15 - Buckets & tubing from Lowe’s

$85 - F&S Order 1: Mag-Float, Instant Ocean Salt, Hydrometer, Koralia Nano, Test Kit

$30 - Power strips & timers

$34 - F&S Order 2: 50W Stealth heater, Hydor FLO, Thermometer

$18 - Carib-Sea Aragamax Select aragonite substrate

$25 - Approximate cost to build stand

$ 7 - 2nd Mag-Float

$31 - Refractometer off eBay

$30 - about 10lbs of Live Rock

=$367

[Lebowski_]

$1500+ Canadian on my 65g.

[iamborg]

This is my breakdown, and it is not even close to finish yet.

 

12G Cadlights AIO $240

13lb LR $103

100W heater $20

test-kit $20

LS $30

mag-float $10

mesh filter $5

carbon $5

salt (25G box) $12

CUC $15

clowns $100

fish food $20

quarrel with wife $$$$

Misc $

 

Seeing my daughter's eye light up when she sees "Nemo" --- priceless.

[glennr1978]

I just bought a a 92 landcruiser for $3800. My tank has cost me more than that....

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for the freakin' reminder!!

[Kraylen]

150$ minus fish and corals from past setup

[kgehrke]

My first tank was super expensive, I made a lot of noob buying mistakes.

 

BC14 w/ stand $350

 

Hydor flo $15

 

Koralia nano $25

 

Led fuge light $40

 

Nanotuners upgrade $140

 

Then there was the salt, water, rock, foods, stupid supplements, and actual livestock.

 

Probably around a grand before I was done.