How to build a reef tank on a limited budjet, how did you save money?

[mcbridepcm]

This might be a useful thread fir all of you who don't have bottomless pockets.
1st I saved alot buying a used aquarium, stand, and canopy only one year old tiny little scratch at sand line only blemish.

2nd I bought, or I should say won my 36" acrylic sump at a auction top bib mine $27.50 holds 25 gallon.

All plumbing, and electrical were DIY projects. ATO reservoir cost $7.00.
What have you saved on, and how tell us all.

 

[NanaReefer]

I saved and still save by buying off brand items.

 

[mcbridepcm]

Not knocking those high end, and high end aquarium products, but to move water from point A TO B just saying. I by some alternatives as well, have a great DC pump, and circulation pumps. Is the $300.00 and up price tag really important or do you think it might just be a status thing?

 

[tripdad]

You can save by NOT getting caught up in the "latest and greatest gotta have it" stuff. Learn to grow fish and coral first that are healthy, a simple coral can still be very beautiful, same with a tank filled with low cost fish versus one filled with high ender's. Just about any good quality pump(in tank) can move water, does it really have to be half in tank and half out? Also learn to TEST your water, that way you stay up on params and don't have to buy animals twice because you lost them due to negligence. It is really cool to spend your money adding to your collection not replacing it. We all get jacked as we start to accumulate a full tank. Happy reefing.

 

[beaslbob]

I set up my tank(s) (fw and salt) by adding plant life right from the start. Then doing the rest.
With salt them means macro algaes in some kind of refugium like a partition to separate the fish and crabs from the macros.
I then use cheapie dead rocks from landscape/building supply and even a local limestone quarry. (Quarry wanted $20/ton felt sorry for me and didn't charge)
And don't do water changes just top off with tap water.
For calcium/alk/magnesium I use the diy 2 part with chemicals found locally for $10 for 25 pound bags (well 50# for $20 also).
to test the system after a week I use FW male mollies. When they survive I know the tank is ready for more expensive fish/corals.
my .02

 

[Mike in CT]

Building own sump and canopy. Buying used higher end equipment.
($500 life reef skimmer for $250....will last forever)

 

[Bpb]

Set aside $10-20 a week and have patience and discipline in doing so. Make tank purchases annually. Emergencies happen, but on my budget I would have otherwise never been able to afford even 1/4 what I have without just careful budgeting. Friends that make more money than me constantly say "I'll never afford one of those apex units or nicer lights". They don't budget with a goal. Don't see something as an expensive price tag. Look at the cost, decide how to break that cost up over time. Works for me

Also stocking heavily on montipora and pest softies for my first year in the hobby ensured frequent easy sales that grew back quickly. I afforded my skimmer and powerheads on a few months of coral sales alone. When I wanted to upgrade tanks, I painfully chopped up a few of my favorite Acro colonies. 10 Acro packs later and I've got myself a new tank without touching the bank account. Of course now I have less corals now but rebuilding and restocking is part of the fun

 

[Simply__J]

I'll make it short and sweet. Craigslist.

 

[PaulKreider]

DIY LEDs, Honestly although a lot of you may disagree, I saved a lot of money buy buying "higher end" corals when they were still the bees-knees, cut frags and recouped my money pretty fast, which allowed me to buy more.

Another advantage now is I work at a pet store, I can order everything at wholesale.

You guys would be in shock if you saw stock lists straight from suppliers in Philippines, they charge 50c for fish that run $130 here.

 

[jgalen0025]

Don't see something as an expensive price tag. Look at the cost, decide how to break that cost up over time.

Plus 1
Most people don't know how to manage money at all. If you want a reef tank in a short amount of time and you buy the cheapest materials, you will most likely be out of the hobby withing a year or two, which is most likely the person who the OP got his tank from.

 

[Bad Company]

I uh, made my own sump. It is not fancy green acrylic, but it holds the water, algae scrubber, skimmer, heater and return pump, and eliminates micro bubbles. I bought a top off container at wallmart. It doesn't leak either. some people pay $200 for a TOP OFF CONTAINER... Boggles the mind. I also built my own stand, which didn't save me much money, but got me exactly what I wanted:

 

[3dees]

I'm retired and can't afford high end equipment. my 120 gal. was a discus tank. I wanted to do a fowlr. the biggest expense was the live rock. I could have saved money on dry, but I wanted all live. I have severe back problems so I am sumpless. two Chinese dimmable units. Reef Octopus hob skimmer, and two Jeboa pumps. I'm running a small canister with only carbon. 13 smallish fish and softies and lps. 1.5 years in and so far everything is fine. I do not dose anything. fowlr got boring pretty quick. luckily I didn't have any fish that would bother the corals.

 

[reefndude]

Used tank, built stand, canopy, sump, and rocks.
Bought budget friendly equipment. After that it all went down hill.
Can't stop buying corals

 

[jzaso]

I saved and still save by buying off brand items.

Yes I do the same, I put together my 300g growout(rubbermaid) off e-bay for under $700.00 have the B.O.M need to post up.
The 90g in the house all life support /lighting e-bay no big name bling (or cost) but they get the job done-rather well!! my /8001600/3200gph "feel the power"
china wavemakers may not have the status of a MP-40 but I do not think my corals care about the brand name and the hundreds I saved on off brand equipment I was able to make livestock purchases with-btw the mentioned wavemakers have been running 24/7 for three yrs with no problems

 

[jzaso]

Some one needs to put together a "frugal reefers thread" for us-oh I think ripped off a garf forum- R.I.P. Leroy

 

[brandon429]

There is a real interest in the niche market of biotope tanks that are incredibly small and mostly noncirculated. removing that much hardware makes them unbeatable reefs for price and simplicity. it turns out, live rock that was formerly aged under current can be moved to still environs and not die, and most amazingly preserve and grow benthic complements over a long period of time. they select live rock with no sponges etc, but for the most part its regular stuff. some of the chilled micro biotopes run at 52 degrees constant

the cheapest reef you can get is in a mason jar on a shelf w no heat or motion only good light. im sure somewhere somebody is doing one with only sun or ducted sun and beating that cost projection further.

 

[v6shooter]

Here some of my budget reef build. price I paid. 60 gal acrylic tank free, polish tank supplies $20.00, aquaticlife 6 bulb unit with timer 1 month old $160, mp10es 4 months old $100, sca protein skimmer $50, those three items from Craigslist. Aqueon pumps a pair $40, hand built stand and canopy materials cost $150, mag 7 $25, cracked overflow box modified to work in tank free, Plumbing & etc$35. 29gal tank $29,glass for sump $20, silicone $15,water container$10, water float unit $14, tubing and plumbing parts ato $10, paint $10 here's some pics. If your not afraid of elbow greese you don't have to spend a lot of money. Use Craigslist,ebay,fellow reefers you can save.

 

[v6shooter]

Here's some more

 

[v6shooter]

Here's some more

 

[Big Larr]

Love doing this on a budget I'm a eBay junky and love getting the same results from an eBay light and pumps that the name brand guys get from a $750 light that they can't even run at full power I agree we need a thread for those who keep a tight budget