Reefing on a Budget, Why Expensive Equipment Isnt Needed

[itsyahboydanny]

any updates? how are all the corals doing? great looking tank btw!

[Andreww]

I wouldn't consider the 160we a downgrade from the Radion in any way you wanna put it. The shimmer and color blend is much better on the Kessil, looks nicer but lacks the prog. which most don't care about.

 

If you wanted to go cheap, ambient light and stir water with a wooden spoon will do just fine .

 

And you spent all that money on expensive stuff in the first place, selling them would merely cover for the new "cheaper" stuff you got.

 

Anyway, not trying to insult you in any way, but I think people have done reef tanks in the past with even half of that.

[Mojado]

"Why expensive equipment isn't needed . . .EcoTech Marine Vortech MP10 QD". I guess everything is relative.

[BRN]

The tank is looking SHARP, Nicely done

[Jsp]

Did you get the jebao dc2000 return pump? How does it fit and what level are u running?

[Rural]

"Why expensive equipment isn't needed . . .EcoTech Marine Vortech MP10 QD". I guess everything is relative.

 

 

i heard mother nature does it for free?

 

i value the programing, monitoring and ability to be worry free and spend time watching critters and coral, not dosing and doing...

 

to each their own, one size fits none.

[Bruno Campos Gouveia]

Lindo tanque!!! Vejo que você não usa tela nem travas...seus peixeis nunca pularam?

[Tamberav]

I wouldn't call this budget. This is pretty high end compared to a lot of builds. I think most people buy expensive equipment because they like gadgets.

 

When I think budget, I think of those $10 amazon pumps and the $100 evergrow type chinese Led's (or even cheaper with a DIY light).

 

Beautiful tank though.

[Nstocks]

 

Hey thanks for the link! I think I'm going to replace my sand with this... I have the super super fine stuff and while it's nice for certain wrasses and gobies I really want something that won't blow around and let me turn my RW-8 above level 2 (40br)!

 

Sucks about the flame - I really want one of those but they're pretty costly around where I live!

 

Special grade is a very nice sand. Not too small, or big or light or dark. Just perfectly natural and won't blow all over the tank .

 

I have 200lbs of it!

[esimmons22us]

Here's an update with the tank so far. Since I switched lights all my corals seem to be responding very well. My anemone is actually begging to split which is exciting and also fragged some of my soft corals and those are doing good as well. I also got a small frag of sps to see how it will do with the light as long as I can keep my alkalinity up. I also havnt bought the Jebao return pump yet but I removed the spin streams and put the original nozzles on and I have to say the tank seems to be doing better water movement wise without them.

[esimmons22us]

Now for the people who are up in arms that this tank isn't really budget. I wanted an affordable build with decent quality products that don't look terrible. Yeah I could have gotten the Chinese light that is loud and ugly and the power head that isn't controllable but I opted to go midrange. The point of this experiment is to find equipment that is affordable, looks nice, and is easy to use. Having all the controllability over complicates things and I like simplicity. KISS (keep it simple stupid)

[tautog83]

its funny when people go omg get an mp10 when in all honest for a little more clunk and a tiny bit of wire a r4 is 1/5 of the price and in reality does the same thing . People forget 5 years ago there was only koralias and people still had great success.. I wouldnt have upgraded the return pump if you have r4..like really whats the purpose . the spin streams are useless when you can create random flow with powerheads . so you could saved by not buying buying a new pump 2 plastic spin stream attachments ,

[ABC]

The tank looks good,what do you set your Kessil at

[East1]

When I had my 2 gallon SPS pico, all the equipment except the dosing pump was second hand and quite broken that I repaired, I built most of it back up and customised it, and hand built the LED system for quite a while before rebuilding the system. I think that people are attracted to the 'shiny new equipment' idea and forget that 10 years ago, thriving well kept reef tanks existed despite not being wirelessly controlled, having a controllable DC pump on your skimmer or being able to dim your lights seventeen times an hour.

 

It's actually very easy to put together a cheap reef tank especially with the rate at which upgrades and second hand equipment gets thrown around. I dislike the mindset that seems prevalent in the consumerist side of the hobby where a more expensive piece of equipment will result in a better kept reef.

[HarryPotter]

Black box light: $70

RW4: $50 (30 if used)

10g long: $10

Aquaclear 30: $35

 

This can always work for $145. Of course other supplies such as test kits, salt, dry rock, etc need to be added on as well.

[esimmons22us]

I actually like the rw-4 better than the mp10 and wish I would have got the rw-4 right out of the gate. Also the kessil lights are amazing and the a160we has more than enough power for a tank that only has 10" of water. I have mine set to about 75% power and about 65% color and all corals seem to be doing well.

[Jsp]

I like my rw-4's but a new mp-10 quiet drive does look sleek. Money wise though

[HarryPotter]

I actually like the rw-4 better than the mp10 and wish I would have got the rw-4 right out of the gate. Also the kessil lights are amazing and the a160we has more than enough power for a tank that only has 10" of water. I have mine set to about 75% power and about 65% color and all corals seem to be doing well.

 

Yeah I get that. I have a MP40 but its sort of annoying that it only shoots water straight out; no angles or anything. Also honestly I wish I could mount it on the back on the AIO wall but I can't because theres water there that would kill the dry side.

[GrandLotus]

MP10, Skimmer, GFO/Carbon and lights.

 

Don't need all those bells and whistles.

[tautog83]

ya people always knock the r4's as cheap chinese knockoffs but then buy a gyre... which is made in.....china!! the cost of 2mp40's is more than what i paid for all my corals in 2 years

[esimmons22us]

Being able to mount the power head on the back wall of the tank is nice and that's one of the reasons I switched to the rw-4 from the mp10. Also the build quality of these pumps really isn't cheap. They just don't over price their pumps and charge everyone extra because their name is ecotech or tunze.

[pewpewkittah]

Love the dimensions of this tank and you've done a good job on the scape! It looks killer.

 

However... as other people have said, this isn't really a budget build. Maybe if you purchased some of the equipment from other person second hand it would have been. For example, I got 2 Kessil 150W (6 months old), 35 deep blue cube with all equipment (good quality) and livestock from someone locally for 250$. Livestock alone was worth 200$.

 

I don't think "budget" is the word I would use for this build .

 

Being able to mount the power head on the back wall of the tank is nice and that's one of the reasons I switched to the rw-4 from the mp10. Also the build quality of these pumps really isn't cheap. They just don't over price their pumps and charge everyone extra because their name is ecotech or tunze.

 

But isn't VorTech an EcoTech brand? I do think they are overpriced for what you get, just because they have the "VorTech" name. The Jebao RW4 is almost comparable for a fraction of the cost. The RW4 may not last as long as the mp10, but you'd probably still be saving money long term even after buying a second or third RW4. The mp10 does have some "cool" features, but if you are really doing a budget build, do you really need it?

 

Just my two cents.

[esimmons22us]

Purchased a Jebao DC 2000 return pump and should be receiving it soon. I will be doing a closed loop setup without the rw-4. I am hopping the corals will respond well because I would love to have a setup without a pump in the display section for a nice clean look. Its also nice bacuse my battery backup will work with that pump as well.

[Tamberav]

its funny when people go omg get an mp10 when in all honest for a little more clunk and a tiny bit of wire a r4 is 1/5 of the price and in reality does the same thing . People forget 5 years ago there was only koralias and people still had great success.. I wouldnt have upgraded the return pump if you have r4..like really whats the purpose . the spin streams are useless when you can create random flow with powerheads . so you could saved by not buying buying a new pump 2 plastic spin stream attachments ,

I have mp10's, rw4, and wp10's. I have had no luck with longevity of the the jaebo's staying quiet... husband is making me swap one for a mp10 because he can't stand the noise of the jaebo. Mp10's can be noisy too but mine are silent at lower settings and slightly audible at max.

 

Everyone's mileage may vary.

[DrPete]

Tank looks great but as I understand it, you removed all of your expensive gear to purchase cheaper gear to make a point???