Tips: setting up a nano on a budget

[gobies]

So, you've decided you just *have* to have a reef, but your budget is small. You might wonder if you can get into this hobby without draining your bank account or maxing your credit cards. Well, you can, if you are careful. Don't get me wrong: you WILL spend significant amounts of money on a nano tank over time. However, you can minimize the impact on your wallet with a bit of work. Here's what I've learned so far....

 

 

The keys to doing a nano reef on a smallish budget:

 

1. Research and planning.

Figure out what you want before you get anything. One of the best ways to keep expenditures down is to avoid getting the wrong stuff. As you develop a plan, ask questions on the boards. Be willing to revise the plan and do more research. And be willing to accept the fact that your research will never be truly "done".

 

2. Use what you already have.

If you have a 10g tank, don't go out and buy a 12g Eclipse. The exception here: if what you have is not appropriate for use in saltwater, don't use it. (Example: I have a 20g long tank that has a piece of wood glued to the bottom -- it was a reptile tank at one point. I wouldn't use this tank for sw, but it's okay for fw or brackish.)

 

3. Create a "wish list" for people who give you gifts.

Be very, very specific. Include the brand name, model name and number, and any other relevant details that would differentiate the item you want from others like it. Include alternates when possible. Try to make sure your list includes some inexpensive items as well as the more expensive items. A tank thermometer that your six-year-old neice bought with her allowance savings can be as treasured a gift as the lighting kit from your parents.

 

4. If you feel capable and have the construction tools, build some of the equipment yourself.

This goes for things like hoods, stands, refugiums, sumps, and the like -- possibly even the tank itself. And you can create base rock out of Portland cement and aragonite sand.

 

5. If you have to buy it, try to buy it used.

Start with the classified forums here, and check ReefCentral, Reefs.org, and other places. Sometimes you can even get stuff for free. Also check eBay, which has around 3400 fish-related items at the moment. Just be careful, and watch out for shipping costs. If the ad doesn't say "user pays actual shipping costs", find out what they're going to charge you before you bid. If you decide to get something through eBay, start watching auctions and keeping an eye on how much the item or similar items usually sell for. For example, I wouldn't pay more than $80 for a used CPR BakPak II. They usually go for $50-70, depending on the condition of the skimmer.

 

6. If you have to buy it new, shop around.

Hit the major online fish and marine retailers. Some of them have price-matching, so if you find an item cheaper somewhere else, they'll give you the same price. This is helpful when one place has an item you need that another one doesn't, and the other place has cheaper prices on some other stuff. Again, watch out for shipping costs.

 

Any reef tank can to be expensive, no matter what you do. But you can keep your costs down if you're willing to do the work it requires.

[kovu]

Awesome post gobies, and thanks for all of the great ideas on how to save money. Being 16 and having such an expensive hobby (such as this) isn't easy.

 

[NaNO ReeFiN]

Awesome tips gobies! I just wished they were around when I first started setting up my tank...

[Crakeur]

a nano reef on a nano-budget. job well done.

[lizbeth]

Very good post gobies!

 

I'd like to add........

 

I know decent lights are expensive BUT you can't have a reef tank without them. You don't want to have to buy them twice because the first time you didn't get something that would work for what you want to keep in your tank. One way to do this on a budget is to get a system you can add to as you go, such as a retro kits from AH Supply, Hellolights or one of the other DYI suppliers.

 

The biggest challenge in this hobby is leaning to have patience. Wait, save money, get what will work is one of your first lessons!

[tinyreef]

great advice and perfect progression of steps!

 

ditto lizbeth!

[gobies]

Thanks, everyone. Y'know, I'm reading this and telling myself, "Hey, you forgot this...and this...and this...."

 

 

Join your local marine or reef club.

These people have lots of experience -- not just with reefkeeping, but with the local fish stores. They can direct you to the best ones. That way, when you spend your money locally, you are more likely to get the best value. Also, some marine clubs get discounts at some of the local stores. Additionally, you may find someone who's willing to give you some live sand to seed your sand bed, a couple of mushroom corals to get started, materials to build something, or even some of their old equipment.

 

Get involved in internet discussion boards.

Sort of like an online reef club, these are more people who are interested in (and obsessed with!) the same things you are. Especially if there is no reef club in your area, the people on discussion boards can be invaluable sources of information and support. Since they are usually not out to make money by giving you information, they tend to be a less-biased source of information than commercial web sites. You may even find people in the hobby who live close to you. (I got many pounds of well-established live sand for free by helping two people tear down their tanks before they moved. And both times, I heard about the opportunity on a discussion board.)

 

 

These are all *general* tips; I'm working on a list of detailed tips.

 

Please PM me if you have suggestions.... (and yes, if I work this up into an article, you will be given credit...as will the nano-reef discussion board crew in general.)

[printerdown01]

I would like to add, that gobie has a VERY valid suggestion!! Not only will you save $$ in the matter that he described, but the knowlege you gain from groups will save you $$ in the long run.. It will keep you from buying something that will die in your tank, and it will also keep you from buying supplies that you don't need!! I'm sure that many of you noticed that the items that sell for MAJOR $$ in your fish store are in the DYI section of this site, and will cost you very little! These groups will also point you to the best deals around (it is like having the ability to look through 1,000 of websites and catalogs!) -if it wasn't for this place I would have never have found HelloLights and ordered my 13W PC for under $25!!!!

 

Another DYI job that will save $$ when setting up the tank: Make your own LS!! Either seed dry sand with sand from someone elses tank, as gobie mentioned, or just ask your LFS if you could suck up some of the gunk in thier LR tank, then mix it with your dry sand... -I know that I really push this one, but I swear that it is the best trick for saving $ I have leared yet (not to mention that it has GREAT results)!