How much did your Tank Setup Cost??

[131696]

Saltwater tanks ,reef tanks are priceless no cost,if it puts a smile on your face, money no object with the satisfaction of keeping that water right..lol

 

[Roatan Reef]

I plead the fifth

FiF...

 

[Roatan Reef]

Well after looking over some of this. Yes you can start on a budget or you can spend stupid amounts of money. In my current 100 gallon display I went with quality stuff and have $5 grand not counting any livestock. No Apex but ato, dosing. My old 300 gallon cost about the same but had most stuff from 40 years of spending money.

Even on a Budget, it gets destroyed immediately....Fuget about It!!

 

[Roatan Reef]

I’m genuinely curious……how is this even possible?

I’m thinking about top of the line equipment that you may or may not need, and I cannot even get close!

Reply Please...is this a WWC Dream Tank Build? That's a lot of $$$$$$$$, even if you have the best Brand Name Everything..

 

[Roatan Reef]

I got my 90 gallon Oceanic reef ready tank, stand, sump, skimmer, return pump, 4x54w t5 fixture, and tunze 3155 ATO used for $400.

After a short time, I added 2 Jebao powerheads for $60 each.

After several years, I did upgrade the lights to Hydras (but am thinking of adding some T5s back).

Still using the same skimmer with the same pump. Replaced the ATO pump once.

Edit: forgot the heaters... Bought those new, Eheim Jager 150 watt, replaced every 2 years just because.
Also, included in my initial $400 purchase was a 4 stage RODI that I bought new filters for.

Thats a Steal!

 

[Roatan Reef]

I cant do this.

I just looked at Mobius, and the Radions, MP40s & MP10s i have currently running is over 6 grand. Whats worse, I have Kessils over most of my tanks, so I cant go down this rabbit hole.

 

[Roatan Reef]

I feel like this is a sting operation by the wifey. When people ask I usually throw out 15k.. but let’s find out together….
Cade 1800 S2: 5500
All Neptune Gear: 3500
Royal exclusiv skimmer: 1400
2 gyre 350’s : 450
2 MP 40’s: 700
4 Nero 5’s: 800
Vectra L2: 500
4 Radion XR15’s: 1700
Radion XR30: 800
Aquatic life T5 Hybrid fixture: 500
Automatic Water Change station: 900
50 watt UV sterilizer: 450
Grand Total:$17,200.00

**now let’s figure out Rock, Sand, fish, and corals…
Thinking…thinking…..
Omg I’m ashamed….

Never Be Ashamed!!

 

[Roatan Reef]

just finished my “dream tank!!” 235g. Before and after pics below. I’m embarrassed to say what it cost all-in…

That is Gorgeous! Love the design concept and continuation of the interior design....Outstanding!!

 

[nick0206]

Actually, perhaps this question is not too true, since a lot depends on the purpose of the tank, is it a marina, is it a reef with soft corals, mixed or dominating SPS. The amounts may vary depending on the purpose. Newbies also come to the forum, so you should not scare them with such prices and amounts. We all know perfectly well what and how much it costs in our hobby.
As a child, I always had an aquarium with freshwater fish. About 20 years ago I saw a new LFS, where they sold both corals and reef fish. I then asked how much the installation of such an aquarium could cost. The seller answered me that if I don’t have $15,000 free, then it’s better not to start this hobby. Therefore, I buried this idea until a couple of years later I came across an article on the Internet about a nano-reef.
Without special knowledge, without checking the quality of the water, I bought 5-7 kilograms of live rocks, live sand, a cheap Chinese pump for circulation, without a sump, I filled in the water, turned on the water circulation. Second hand, I bought 2 starters for T5 lamps, bought a pair of reflectors and a pair of T5 lamps, blue and white, inexpensively in a store. After switching on, after waiting a month, I added the first corals (xenia, mushrooms and parazoanthus). Then a green carpet anemone was purchased with a pair of clown fish. Everything was kept on weekly changes of 4 gallons of water a week. And for 1.5 years everything lived and grew there. All the guests groaned and gasped. But on my visits to the LFS, I have seen many beautiful LPS corals that I wanted to keep but didn't survive. and then I began to read relevant literature and visit different sites and forums.
So gradually I complicated my tank. Initially changing from a 17 gallon tank to a 25 gallon tank, I glued an acrylic sump placed over the tank myself (there was no space underneath) and finally bought a skimmer and switched to the vodka method for denitrification.
Today I have a tank cube of 75 gallons with SPS and LPS corals with quality equipment made in the USA or Germany and I still have a lot to change and add. Firstly, I have been dreaming of a bigger aquarium for a long time, and secondly, I still do not use controllers and computerized systems like GHL.

 

[Roatan Reef]

So....although this thread has been Comedy Gold....Love all the responses...From FBI sting Operation, Divorced, Sleeping on the Couch, Redacted, My Left Nut, My Wife is a lurker on this thread.....etc.. It's all been nothing short of amazing.

My original point was......Why is the question asked after Someone sees your tank? Why everyone asks how much it costs?....will continue after the Jump....

(So I've had Freshwater for over half my life, even my current 125....nobody, aside of family or friends in the hobby ever asked how much it cost...even though I got the tank and equipment at steal prices compared to Saltwater...but never asked how much it cost) ? Why?

(Started with a $1500 Budget, well over $2800...so far for 40B Saltwater...and adding)

My wife and I decided that because the Saltwater Tank is so Amazing and full of life, that people look at it and think...after the 10 Pleasantries they give you...they want one for themselves....


Sure...nobody aside of Hardcore Hobbyists want a 125 Freshwater, but a 40B Saltwater...they think they can have one......sure...How Much does it cost?

So maybe that's the real answer ?

I don't know...what are your thoughts?

 

[ReefRxSWFL]

One thing i have learned. Its more cost effective to go no less than a 4 foot tank. You will spend less time and money “upgrading”.

 

[TangGang17]

Somebody’s wife is making a reef2reef account.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Somebody’s wife is making a reef2reef account.

Why do people assume all reefers are men??

 

[Dave-T]

Reply Please...is this a WWC Dream Tank Build? That's a lot of $$$$$$$$, even if you have the best Brand Name Everything..

I don’t know what a WWC dream tank is, but it will be mine! I guess it is pretty much the best brand name everything, including some things I probably don’t need (UV sterilizer, algae scrubber along with a fuge, yada yada). Plus paying people to do all the work. It adds up!

 

[Roatan Reef]

I don’t know what a WWC dream tank is, but it will be mine! I guess it is pretty much the best brand name everything, including some things I probably don’t need (UV sterilizer, algae scrubber along with a fuge, yada yada). Plus paying people to do all the work. It adds up!

I can understand that.

 

[Roatan Reef]

Hell...even the MagFloat I bought today was $30.00....Holy hell...I thought they were like $15.00...

Plus Phosguard and a few others what I thought was a below $30.00 trip to LFS Was $70.00..

***!!

 

[polyppal]

I'm in Hawaii right now! Snorkeling is fantastic.

So this will make many of you feel better - I've bought most of the equipment for my upcoming 240 gallon tank. Tank isn't even set up yet, and it's looking like I'll be close to $70K by the time I have water in the system.

Did you get that new Rolex protein skimmer?
Maserati turbos for return pumps?!?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Hell...even the MagFloat I bought today was $30.00....Holy hell...I thought they were like $15.00...

Plus Phosguard and a few others what I thought was a below $30.00 trip to LFS Was $70.00..

***!!

Price of consumables are going up, that's for sure. Talked to the owner @ my local LFS this morning, they are saying look for 15-25% price hike on tanks. Freight from overseas is killing them.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Lets see 120g investment initially was just under 3g's including everything outside of stocking (had a 50g cube running). Im a cheap butt, so I kept cost relatively down.

Since initial investment, 300 bucks for a dc skimmer (everyone should go dc), 350 bucks to switch to t5/led hybrid from nicrew led's and now I'm considering a slightly upsized sump.

 

[Roatan Reef]

Lets see 120g investment initially was just under 3g's including everything outside of stocking (had a 50g cube running). Im a cheap butt, so I kept cost relatively down.

Since initial investment, 300 bucks for a dc skimmer (everyone should go dc), 350 bucks to switch to t5/led hybrid from nicrew led's and now I'm considering a slightly upsized sump.

Agreed with DC...it's so much easier to control and maintain