Superdave Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 It can be cheap, but most people don't want to go that route. I started with a 5.5 gallon, an old biowheel 110 (minus the wheel and filter pad) and a $30 compact fluorescent light kit upgrade I retro-fitted into an ancient metal aquarium hood. Add some sand (that became live sand eventually) a couple of pieces of live rock and a fish. That was it--it was cheap for sure! Since then, I have chosen to upgrade the tank twice and added hundreds of dollars of equipment along the way. Craigslist, Facebook market place, garage sales, etc. can be great sources of free/cheaper stuff. 3 1 Quote Link to comment
jservedio Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 My pico cost me under $150 buying all new. Picked up an Aqueon 2g acrylic with the "recalled" pump (for being too strong, perfect for a reef) for $25 at petco along with a 25w Tetra fixed temp heater (that's still running 10 years later) for $12, and a 3-strip Ecoxotic Eco Pico for $99 shipped (this was before cheap Amazon lights). Grabbed a single rock from my LFS for $10 and they gave me a couple cups of sand for free. I don't think I spent more than $100 on frags over the few years it was running buying all single-polyp stuff for $5-10 or grabbing dying stuff for free. Went through 1g of RODI every 2 weeks and 1g of ASW every month. I never bothered testing anything except salinity: It was alright, but keep in mind this was almost 10 years ago. Still have most of the corals too, so it definitely wasn't killing stuff: 6 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 See people splurge on Apex's and Hydros when REALLY you don't need that crap. Just be more hands on and take care of the tank. You can get a Pinpoint PH & salinity monitor for less than a Hydros. Test kits for the rest. And its not hanging on by a thread if you are even close to a decent tank keeper. So that statement is just whatever. Budget tank: 5.5-$20 AquaKnight 3 puck led- $100 ($50-$60 used) AquaClear 50- $45 ($20-$30 used) Autotopoff.com ATO- $55 shipped Pad of poly filter- $9 Tub of carbon- $10-$15 Media bags- $.99 @ Petsmart 10lb of sand-$ 15 Base rock- $20 Live rock- $10 Test kits-$100-$120 Pack of frozen brine to cycle tank and eventually feed fish- $9 Eheim Jager 50w heater- $25-$30 $450 for a whole ass reef tank setup. It does not need to be over complicated and have all this extra stuff. One of my best pico's was a 12"x6"x6",AquaClear 20,15w heater and a Nanobox Tide and old school JBJ ato with a AquaLifter pump. All of which was used an under $250. Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 I once bought a car for a case of beer. It was cheap, but it doesnt mean its a good idea. The car lasted 3 months. And i had to buy more beer. Just cause you CAN built it for super cheap.. ...should you? Quote Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 1 hour ago, geekreef_05 said: So what im hearing is that you can put together a reef that hangs by a thread with like $200. what the.... this just sounds elitist and conceited tbh. The 10G i had was great, made me fall in love with the hobby so I could justify taking the next steps towards a bigger tank without fear of hating the hobby. that is priceless. this thread is a joke lol 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 7 minutes ago, TheKleinReef said: what the.... this just sounds elitist and conceited tbh. The 10G i had was great, made me fall in love with the hobby so I could justify taking the next steps towards a bigger tank without fear of hating the hobby. that is priceless. this thread is a joke lol Yeah,I am pretty much with you. There is a TON of crap here that makes me question things nowadays. With this dudes attitude they would be better off on R2R with those people. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 i like that this thread has brought out some opinions. Lol Everyone believes that budget reefing is totally great. Am i being elitist? Im just enciting some spicy discussion. But my point was that youtube videos that display $100 starter reefs are missing the big hidden cost. As folks pointed out a $1k annual budget is probably about average. I know that budget reefing has its place. Everyone has to start somewhere. Quote Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 lol that backtrack. Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Reefkeeping is so cheap no one has to hide things from their wife. Im so reef broke that my clownfish have their own Only Fans. 1 Quote Link to comment
pipsqueak Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 So what would you recommend as the ideal set up? I had a budget of $300 but i don't want it to hang on by a thread 😞 Quote Link to comment
Superdave Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 14 minutes ago, geekreef_05 said: i like that this thread has brought out some opinions. Lol Everyone believes that budget reefing is totally great. Am i being elitist? Im just enciting some spicy discussion. But my point was that youtube videos that display $100 starter reefs are missing the big hidden cost. As folks pointed out a $1k annual budget is probably about average. I know that budget reefing has its place. Everyone has to start somewhere. I do not think most people spend $1000 on their nano tank each year. 4 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 What would you say you spend? Quote Link to comment
jservedio Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 22 minutes ago, geekreef_05 said: What would you say you spend? So I actually calculated this to cover consumables (RODI filters, testing reagents, salt, refracto calibration fluid, food, etc.), wear and tear on equipment, electricity, and water bills a while back and for my 50g it's just over $400/year with ~$90/year of that is on 2-part. My pico was a tiny fraction of that and my 20g was about $275/year. 2 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Thats pretty good reefing value. Well done dude. 1 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 48 minutes ago, geekreef_05 said: What would you say you spend? Mmmm.. -$8 on 5g of NeoMarine water from WWC every month. -Roughly $6-$8 a month of distilled for my ato. -Frozen food $9 every few months Yearly,times all that by 12 about $250 a year. If you add electric for everything then close to $300 or a little more a YEAR. Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Also pretty good hobby value. Nice. Quote Link to comment
mitten_reef Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 28 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said: Mmmm.. -$8 on 5g of NeoMarine water from WWC every month. -Roughly $6-$8 a month of distilled for my ato. -Frozen food $9 every few months Yearly,times all that by 12 about $250 a year. If you add electric for everything then close to $300 or a little more a YEAR. Don’t forget the monthly new frags, those get up there quick if you don’t bargain shop. Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, mitten_reef said: Don’t forget the monthly new frags, those get up there quick if you don’t bargain shop. Shit you should know me by now lol. But I didn't honestly add that in,because it varies GREATLY. Now of you want to spend money like you live in a 6k square foot mansion,drive a lambo and have a wife out of your league then by all means its SUPER EASY to do. Just buy EcoTech,Neptune products. Shoot a Neptune system can be one months rent depending on where you live. 2 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 1 minute ago, mitten_reef said: Don’t forget the monthly new frags, those get up there quick if you don’t bargain I think people are still mostly looking at the cost through Rosey coloured reef glasses. Your the first to mention corals cost money. Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 1 minute ago, geekreef_05 said: I think people are still mostly looking at the cost through Rosey coloured reef glasses. Your the first to mention corals cost money. Man oh man,that Candian air just eating those brains cells up isn't it lol ? 1 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Ya, totally. i booked an HVAC guy for an estimate tomorrow. Time to get an air exchanger in here. Then i can finally think straight, i mean raise tank pH. 1 Quote Link to comment
Reefkid88 Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 That'll do it 👍. Just crack a window you might need some fresh air. Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 Ive been monitoring c02 levels lately. Cracking a window does very little. To vent the house i open my front door and rear patio door the house. In 10 mins the C02 drops to about 450ppm. But then close the doors and 10mins later im back upto 2800 to 3100 at times. There's no winning...im soaked in c02!!! Tomorrow a furnace tech comes to provide an estimate for an air exchanger on the furnace Plus i somehow got covid. So now im so bored that an NR.com discussion is entertaining. 1 Quote Link to comment
mitten_reef Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 23 minutes ago, geekreef_05 said: Ya, totally. i booked an HVAC guy for an estimate tomorrow. Time to get an air exchanger in here. Then i can finally think straight, i mean raise tank pH. You might be drunk on CO2 today....lol. I'm in building science, and that is about 4 times higher that it should be indoor. 1 Quote Link to comment
geekreef_05 Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 1 minute ago, mitten_reef said: You might be drunk on CO2 today....lol. I'm in building science, and that is about 4 times higher that it should be indoor. I definitely dont feel normal. C-oooh-2. Im super wrestless and cant hold a thought lol. I can't breathe through my nose and my face is tight. I assume its mostly the covid. Lol Quote Link to comment
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