Help with customizing 125 tank build

LoganGG · May 31, 2022

I’m new to saltwater tanks. A few months back, my girlfriend and I wanted a fish tank so we bought a 37 gallon tank from pet smart. After I bought it, I immediately wanted to make it a saltwater tank. I upgraded to a fluval 307, and all the other goodies. A few weeks ago I went to the fish store and impulse bought a blue hippo tang that my girlfriend loved so much. The guy at the fish store said it should be fine since it was a baby for a while, but should definitely upgrade our tank within the year. That’s what i’m here for. I want to upgrade to a 100-150 gallon tank within the year. I would love to get an AIO, but they’re extremely expensive. Could anyone help me out in selecting all the equipment (excluding stand and aquarium) I would need for a 100-150 gallon tank? I would prefer the cheaper side if at all possible, but I would love it to look similar to an AIO (nothing showing outside of the stand).

JumboShrimp · May 31, 2022

Welcome to R2R… and congratulations on your first post!

I would point you to a very extensive video series that will take you step-by-step: the Bulk Reef Supply (BRS) ‘52 Weeks of Reefing’ series.

Enjoy your tank!

keatonmjenkins · May 31, 2022

So cheaper is never better in this hobby and upgrading to a larger tank, nothing is going to be cheap. Things I wouldn’t go cheap on are your return pump, lighting and skimmer. The rest you could buy used. When it comes to a larger tank I would also go larger than you really want because you’ll always want bigger and most equipment is in the range of 100-250 gallons.

Slocke · May 31, 2022

I started a "budget" 110 gallon and months later I'm several thousand down. This hobby isn't cheap but... if you can control yourself you can keep it somewhat cheaper. But first what do you want?

Do you want high end corals with high light requirements? Lights are super expensive so if you don't want SPS and are happy with softies and low light LPS you can save a lot. FOWLR is even cheaper.

Are you in a rush? Do you need a new tank? You can get a great deal on a used tank if you're patient and willing to put up with some scratches.

I'm sure other people have other money saving tips.