ChickenJo Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 Hello everyone! I'm a college student (so that presents some challenges) and I've been interested in marine aquariums for a very long time, and am thinking about taking the plunge! I've been reading everything I could find, including El Fab's wonderful guide to pico tanks, and I'm still a bit lost. I'd like to do this as responsibly as possible. So I'm looking at doing an ~5gal pico reef only (maybe some inverts in a while, maybe a goby in a longer while) tank, however I am currently on a college budget and a bit confused about what exactly I need, and which specific things I should go with to keep costs down. I believe this is what I need, but if I can trim it a bit that would be nice. Please tell me what I'm missing as well and what I'm wrong about! Heater [Need assistance/recommendation] Thermometer [Need assistance/recommendation] Refractometer [Need assistance/recommendation] Reliable test kit [Need assistance/recommendation] Automatic timer [Need assistance/recommendation] Maintenance supplies and tools (I've got these already) 2 ½ quart Mixing Containers 5-Gallon Mixing Bucket Turkey Baster Aquatic Forceps Airline Tubing Magnet Glass Cleaner Tank Just a basic 5.5g or similar, though if an All in one would be cheaper I'm also down for that light [Need assistance/recommendation] filter [Need assistance/recommendation] Saltwater [Need assistance/recommendation] 5 lb Live rock [Need assistance/recommendation] Live sand Probably gonna grab some Arag-Alive! Reef Sand - CaribSea Heater [Need assistance/recommendation] Powerhead [Need assistance/recommendation] Aquaclear refugium that extra volume sounds nice Skimmer I know it's useful but not necessary, what am I looking at on the low end of prices on this one and how useful is it? ATO Gravity fed like this one probably Coral as hardy and easy as possible, so like Zoas and mushrooms right? Quote Link to comment
aclman88 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 3 hours ago, ChickenJo said: Hello everyone! I'm a college student (so that presents some challenges) and I've been interested in marine aquariums for a very long time, and am thinking about taking the plunge! I've been reading everything I could find, including El Fab's wonderful guide to pico tanks, and I'm still a bit lost. I'd like to do this as responsibly as possible. So I'm looking at doing an ~5gal pico reef only (maybe some inverts in a while, maybe a goby in a longer while) tank, however I am currently on a college budget and a bit confused about what exactly I need, and which specific things I should go with to keep costs down. I believe this is what I need, but if I can trim it a bit that would be nice. Please tell me what I'm missing as well and what I'm wrong about! Heater [Need assistance/recommendation] Thermometer [Need assistance/recommendation] Refractometer [Need assistance/recommendation] Reliable test kit [Need assistance/recommendation] Automatic timer [Need assistance/recommendation] Maintenance supplies and tools (I've got these already) 2 ½ quart Mixing Containers 5-Gallon Mixing Bucket Turkey Baster Aquatic Forceps Airline Tubing Magnet Glass Cleaner Tank Just a basic 5.5g or similar, though if an All in one would be cheaper I'm also down for that light [Need assistance/recommendation] filter [Need assistance/recommendation] Saltwater [Need assistance/recommendation] 5 lb Live rock [Need assistance/recommendation] Live sand Probably gonna grab some Arag-Alive! Reef Sand - CaribSea Heater [Need assistance/recommendation] Powerhead [Need assistance/recommendation] Aquaclear refugium that extra volume sounds nice Skimmer I know it's useful but not necessary, what am I looking at on the low end of prices on this one and how useful is it? ATO Gravity fed like this one probably Coral as hardy and easy as possible, so like Zoas and mushrooms right? It will be tough to give recommendations unless we know what you mean by "college budget". For some people this is $100 and for others it's $1000. Do you have the ability to do water changes at college (are you in an apartment, dorm, suite? Do you have access to RODI/distilled water? How are you planning on caring for it over breaks, do you have someone to keep an eye on things/refill top off container? 1 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 Heater - definitely needed. Get a good brand. Eheim jagger or aqueon Pro Thermometer Yes Refractometer Absolutely needed. Brand wise, there are many, best to check out reviews. You will need calibration fluid as well Reliable test kit For cycling ammonia, nitrite, nitrate After cycling nitrate, alk, and phos. Stick with hanna or salifert Automatic Not sure what this timer is for but i would recommend a heater controller like inkbird Maintenance supplies and tools (I've got these already) 2 ½ quart Mixing Containers 5-Gallon Mixing Bucket Turkey Baster Aquatic Forceps Airline Tubing Magnet Glass Cleaner Tank Just a basic 5.5g or similar, though if an All in one would be cheaper I'm also down for that light Absolutely if you plan on coral. There are many out there and some decent budget lights. filter - some don't but its recommended flr running floss and carbon Saltwater Yes. Mixing your own is the best option 5 lb Live rock 4-5lbs is enough. Either established liverock or dry rock. This is personal preference but liverock is better. Live sand Probably gonna grab some Arag-Alive! Reef Sand - CaribSea Dry sand or live sand, most recommend rinsing it before use Powerhead Yes. Gph will depend on the filter you get and its gph Aquaclear refugium Not a necessity rather something some choose to have Skimmer I know it's useful but not necessary, what am I looking at on the low end of prices on this one and how useful is it? On a 5g, not necessary. Prices vary greatly on brand, size, quality ATO Gravity fed like this one probably I Diy'd a large hampster bottle for ato. Works well but i just manually topped up daily. Coral as hardy and easy as possible, so like Zoas and mushrooms right? Zoas aren't always easy, can be finicky. Mushrooms, leathers, blasto's, gsp, acans are all fairly easy. If you don't want to dose or have to test a lot, stick with soft corals but ensure you test nitrate and phos because they require those. 1 Quote Link to comment
ChickenJo Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 5 hours ago, aclman88 said: It will be tough to give recommendations unless we know what you mean by "college budget". For some people this is $100 and for others it's $1000. Do you have the ability to do water changes at college (are you in an apartment, dorm, suite? Do you have access to RODI/distilled water? How are you planning on caring for it over breaks, do you have someone to keep an eye on things/refill top off container? As far as my budget goes ideally I'd like to keep it under $300 for the whole tank set up. I can be a bit more flexible as far as corals go. I'll be able to do water changes (apartment). I'll be in town over breaks so I can take care of it, as well as my roommate who's more of a freshwater guy but he can still keep an eye out. As far as RODI I'm considering picking up a filter but until then I can hit up the walmart Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 19 minutes ago, ChickenJo said: As far as my budget goes ideally I'd like to keep it under $300 for the whole tank set up. I can be a bit more flexible as far as corals go. I'll be able to do water changes (apartment). I'll be in town over breaks so I can take care of it, as well as my roommate who's more of a freshwater guy but he can still keep an eye out. As far as RODI I'm considering picking up a filter but until then I can hit up the walmart You will need to make sure its RODI or distilled water. RO water is not good enough, still has a slew of stuff in it. You will want a tds meter to ensure that water quality is good The machines that dispense water aren't always taken care of properly and mostly designed for drinking. So distilled water might be a better option if you don't want to buy an rodi unit. $300 for set up is tight. The lighting alone can be $70 plus. The cheapest is an abi par 38 plus you'll need a fixture for the bulb because i don't think a gooseneck will work on a standard tank with the black frame. Quote Link to comment
jservedio Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 For that budget, I'd suggest joining your local reefing Facebook group or checking Craigslist for used equipment from people getting out of the hobby or upgrading and buying new when you can't find exactly what you need. There are always tons of small AIO tanks with lights going for dirt cheap around me as people upgrade. If you aren't absolutely set on a 5g tank, consider a 2-3g AIO tank since you are in college. With a tank that small, you can literally toss the entire tank into a small rubbermaid and just take it with you between semesters since it'll only weigh 20-30 pounds full. I brought my 2g pico cross-country twice like this and even kept it plugged in and running the entire time using a power inverter in the car. You also won't need a powerhead for a tank this small if it's an AIO since the return pump will be plenty of flow. As long as you aren't leaving the tank for long periods of time, you can save a bunch of money with a tiny tank like this by using a fixed-thermostat heater - I used a Tetra HT10 (a $10 heater) on my 2g pico for more than 2 years without any issues. They tend to be more reliable than adjustable-thermostat heaters since there are less moving parts. At least until you have the money to get an InkBird or other temperature controller. Also, with a smaller 2-3 gallon pico, you only need a single piece of rock, so you shouldn't have a problem picking up a nice piece of rock from local reefers probably for free. Same with sand - you only need a few cups. You can also pick up the API saltwater master test kit for free or a few dollars used locally since people stop using them when they get better test kits and it's good enough to get started with. Reefing on a budget can be hard, especially for a first tank where you don't just have a bunch of equipment laying around your house. Quote Link to comment
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