Low budget reefer

[j.speaks]

Hello!

I’m new to the hobby, but throughly enjoying my first tank! (65g) I’m about two months in and I was just wondering if there is any tips/tricks to save money. I’m in high school and unemployed… so it might not be the ideal situation to have a slice of ecosystem in my bedroom, but I’m committed, and so far really enjoying it!

The thing is, I see a lot of people saying you need all this super expensive equipment when answering a problem on here. That just worries me because if I have a problem I’m worried I won’t have enough money for the solution.

Now, I’m not talking about just basic bottles of medicine or things like that… but needing to setting up a whole separate hospital tank just seems impossible for me. This is just an example, there are tons of other parts of the hobby that scare me with the price as well.

Thanks!!!

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

Hello!

I’m new to the hobby, but throughly enjoying my first tank! (65g) I’m about two months in and I was just wondering if there is any tips/tricks to save money. I’m in high school and unemployed… so it might not be the ideal situation to have a slice of ecosystem in my bedroom, but I’m committed, and so far really enjoying it!

The thing is, I see a lot of people saying you need all this super expensive equipment when answering a problem on here. That just worries me because if I have a problem I’m worried I won’t have enough money for the solution.

Now, I’m not talking about just basic bottles of medicine or things like that… but needing to setting up a whole separate hospital tank just seems impossible for me. This is just an example, there are tons of other parts of the hobby that scare me with the price as well.

Thanks!!!

I actually started in this hobby where you are now. I'm 38 now, so I've been doing this a long time. The biggest money saver for this hobby is buy used.Facebook marketplace is your friend. Used biocubes are readily available and the stock leds will grow a lot of corals just fine. I bought my wife one for $150. You don't *need* a lot of expensive gear in this hobby but it's a trade off. A lot of the gear makes life easier. You can also upgrade and add stuff as you go. Most importantly do thourough research before you buy anything. Buying the right gear the 1st time as opposed to buying cheap junk that doesn't work like you want and you just end up replacing anyway. Buy once, cry once. Decide which tank you want and then be patient and look for the right deal on what you actually want not something that will work for now.

 

[lil sumpin]

“The thing is, I see a lot of people saying you need all this super expensive equipment when answering a problem on here. That just worries me because if I have a problem I’m worried I won’t have enough money for the solution.”

What specifically do you see or read about? May be a good idea to list these problems out and see what more experienced and budget minded reefers have done to solve them

 

[Reefer Matt]

Hello!

I’m new to the hobby, but throughly enjoying my first tank! (65g) I’m about two months in and I was just wondering if there is any tips/tricks to save money. I’m in high school and unemployed… so it might not be the ideal situation to have a slice of ecosystem in my bedroom, but I’m committed, and so far really enjoying it!

The thing is, I see a lot of people saying you need all this super expensive equipment when answering a problem on here. That just worries me because if I have a problem I’m worried I won’t have enough money for the solution.

Now, I’m not talking about just basic bottles of medicine or things like that… but needing to setting up a whole separate hospital tank just seems impossible for me. This is just an example, there are tons of other parts of the hobby that scare me with the price as well.

Thanks!!!

Buying used is a big money saver. Also some “off brand” equipment works great, like Jebao and Nicrew. As far as coral, look for social groups in your area to meet other Reefers at an lfs, etc. and get to know them.

 

[Idech]

There is a low budget reefer group on Facebook I believe. They might have tips and tricks.

But being unemployed, unless you already have some money set aside for the tank (or plan to get a job), I don’t see how this is doable. How are you going to buy salt, food for the fish, etc ?

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

The QT tank does not have to be cycled, you can do daily water changes if needed. If you are treating before adding to the main tank, follow directions on the treatment you are using. Be prepared to change water in the QT tank every 2 to 3 days. I'm talking complete change, with tank flush and drying. No need to cycle this tank and it can be a cheap 10 g from local fish store. Simple air pump and stone will cover aeration.

 

[FUNGI]

Like Rusty said, no need for expensive "Name Brand"s.......
i.e. your hospital is as easy as this:
10 G for tank : $12.50 on sale at Petco
50w heater - $16.00
Power Filter: $15.99 (or sponge filter, but then you need an air pump).....
Cheap amazon lights...$15.00

 

[willieboy240]

Join your local reef club. There’s lots of knowledgeable people there who can help you along your journey. Which is priceless. Plus usually free corals.

 

[DanyL]

A lot of the things that cost real money in this hobby are mostly for convenience, basically - replacing time with money.
Since you have time on your hand, a lot of these things can be either manually done or DIYed.

For example, you don’t actually need a dedicated hospital tank, but rather a large plastic storage box, which most of the time will be used for.. well - storage.
Simple cheap lighting will be enough, and an air stone can be used both for agitation and water movement.

In fact - I use this very same method to quarantine Acroporas for months.

And that’s just scratching the possibilities that a creative mind can come up with.

And if you feel like you’re in trouble - post here or on a local club and I’m sure other reefers will come along and help you, wether it’s a good advice or lending you equipment that you may temporarily need.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Shop around on amazon for lighting, I personally suggest Nicrew hyper reef lighting, 30w lights are useable, and also come with the mount.

 

[michealprater]

You can maintain a great tank with a regular water change schedule and if need be you can use kalkwasser for dosing. We all started somewhere. In a lot of ways, lack of funds is a blessing because it forces you to be patient. Nothing good happens fast in a reef aquarium.

 

[Digimes]

I am a minimalist and always have when it comes to reefing. Keep it simple and build it slowly. If you dump a ton of stuff in a tank all at once, it will get out of balance. Add what you need when you need it. I am attaching several of my old tanks as refence. ps, I also do very minimal water changes, mostly to balance out the salt in the water. (Post some pics) The most complex addition to any of my tanks was a skimmer and heater.

 

[saltnut]

Check out the minimal reefer thread.

 

[j.speaks]

Thanks to everyone who replied!

 

[Doctorgori]

When I started I was hand dosing pickling lime and lit my tank with $5 MH bulbs from Home Depot

some stuff don’t pay to get cheap: heaters, return pumps to name a few. Failure of these critical pieces equals losses

Lights? maybe skimp so you can experiment
Wave makers: Amazon is your friend
salt = IO does work
et et

 

[Ernie Mccracken]

I started out as a teenager, quite some years ago.

• Do everything manually. Controllers and automation are nice, but an absolute money pit. This will help you understand water chemistry better, anyway. Dosing, water changes, top-off, feeding, etc.
• Join a local club and/or make a few reef buddies (preferably a mentor). I promise you everyone in the hobby for any length of time has boxes of old gear for you to scrounge through.
• Worry about coral growing, not rare coral collecting. IMO, many of the best corals in the hobby are $20 or less.
• DIY stuff when it makes sense
• DO NOT DO NOT cut corners on pest control. I promise you, if you just start throwing fish and corals from the LFS in the tank, you're going to get aiptasia, vermitid snails, flat worms, ich, etc. They can overpower your tank in no time and make you want to quit the hobby completely. I've seen it so many times.

 

[michealprater]

When I started I was hand dosing pickling lime and lit my tank with $5 MH bulbs from Home Depot

some stuff don’t pay to get cheap: heaters, return pumps to name a few. Failure of these critical pieces equals losses

Lights? maybe skimp so you can experiment
Wave makers: Amazon is your friend
salt = IO does work
et et

This is great advice. Spending a little bit on a good heater and controller is a great piece of mind.

 

[Dom]

Hello!

I’m new to the hobby, but throughly enjoying my first tank! (65g) I’m about two months in and I was just wondering if there is any tips/tricks to save money. I’m in high school and unemployed… so it might not be the ideal situation to have a slice of ecosystem in my bedroom, but I’m committed, and so far really enjoying it!

The thing is, I see a lot of people saying you need all this super expensive equipment when answering a problem on here. That just worries me because if I have a problem I’m worried I won’t have enough money for the solution.

Now, I’m not talking about just basic bottles of medicine or things like that… but needing to setting up a whole separate hospital tank just seems impossible for me. This is just an example, there are tons of other parts of the hobby that scare me with the price as well.

Thanks!!!

I think that substituting DIY for expensive equipment is a wise idea.

It is in the construction of DIY projects in your tank that will help you to have a better understanding of what the fancy equipment does and how you can achieve those results for pennies via your own designs and deployment.

Case in point; roller mats. There are roller mat systems out there that polish water. They run about $500. You can achieve the same result with a piece of white felt for .25 cents.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

You definitely can keep a tank on a budget. There's plenty of livestock you can get without breaking the bank, and a lot of equipment you can get used that will save you a lot of money as well.

 

[DanyL]

I didn’t write this earlier on, but it’s worth mentioning - those simple, cheap corals you will likely start with? They usually grow quite fast too, these will very quickly become your currency in your LFS or when trading with other reefers for other things you don’t own yet.