How to set up a 20G saltwater tank for under $200!

[TheMillennialReefer]

I was asked to share this here. I wanted to set up a saltwater tank on a budget. After shopping around and purchasing used supplies I got my total to under $200. Let me know if you have any questions I’d love to answer them.

 

[Jesterrace]

Interesting, I did one on a 20 Long but came out at around $362-$415. That said, I was pretty inclusive (ie cost of the marine test kit, drain buckets, jugs, drain hose, etc.) so I will be curious to see how this one compares. *EDIT* I think you did a pretty decent job, but admittedly your figure does cut some corners (ie no accessory items included in the cost, makes the assumption that they are going to be able to find a used powerhead for $10). I think the vid is good for people who already have tanks and want to setup another small one on the cheap, but for a newbie the list really should be more inclusive.

Among the other things newbies will need to purchase:

Refractometer ($22-$25)
Marine Care Test Kit (ie Red Sea $40-$50)
A couple of Home Depot Buckets (we all know we use them at some point or another) $6
Drain Hose $8-$13
Digital Thermometer $5-$8
3-4 5 gallon jugs to buy RODI pre-mix from your LFS $21-$28 or a cheap 4 stage RODI system for $60 plus the cost of salt