Making things that other people buy in this hobby..

[Mickeyt1reef]

I’m going to say for multiple reasons. Saving money definitely, custom for sure and need it now.

 

[TLO45]

I have made sumps with baffles to accommodate my skimmer ect , light racks to hold the lighting options I want, tank stands to hold displays built into walls ect. After 20+ years in the hobby I enjoy coming up with ideas and finding the best way to implement them.

 

[jenniferreichardt]

 

[Mckreef]

DIY to me is part of most hobbies, but definitely part of this one. Its about spending time doing things that both relax and interest you. It really is therapy to me. I spent the past 35 years in design engineering, CNC, and digital manufacturing. Creating something, designing it, thinking it through and then fabricating it and testing it, gives me the feeling of accomplishment. I spent a little over a year planning my tank build and fabricating the overflow, the acclimation / fish trap combination, the roller fleece filter, the algae scrubber, the ATO and Skimmer overflow reservoirs, the control panels, and the sump (elected to get professional assistance with the large acrylic fabrication and bonding) from pro LUNA). Now its all together and has been running for 7 months. Check out my build thread to see some of the DIY. Even did a DIY CNC machine.

Did you build that Cobra in your avatar?

 

[mojoevb]

Magnetic Frag racks i have seen ran about $40. I reseached the correct material to use and made this in about a day. I have three of them in my tan now. Here is one of them. Held up with coated magnets embedded in the palstic both inside the tank and out. Worked out great.

 

[mojoevb]

Been wanting a frag rack for awhile but always thought they were too expensive. I researched the right material and magnets and made my own. This cost probably $3 to make. Been in tank for 6 months now and holds 8 frags. And i can customize it to hold as many as i want. And my coral banded made it his new home...

 

[mattdg]

I make most of my stands. I have a hard time trusting the 3/4" pre made plywood stands are strong enough to hold a half ton tank, long term. Just feel a lot more confident over building them, myself.

 

[ying yang]

Nothing special for me.
Just made a skimmer stand out off eggcrate so cost about £ 3 rather than some acrylic ones i seen for £ 30-£ 40.
Also bought copperband butterfly fish other day and bought some extra egg crate costing £ 6 and as i wasnt going to get one as hear there such finnicky eaters and alot starve to death so classed as expert only i thought as adding it as fish number 9 then other fish maybe bully it so thought if so i just make an acclimination box out off egg crate and zip ties if so and seen these for £ 30- £ 50 which is just absurd price but i think as the copperband a decent size the other fish left it alone.
Anyone who interested the copperband taking little bits off mysis but not much as other fish such fast voracious eaters but bought clams and oysters yesterday and copperband loving them,well all fish in tank lovjng them so will feed 3 x just over an inch big clams every day as part off one off there feeds as read there so nutricious and beneficial.

But regards to anything diy.if buying it costs alot off money and i dont think its worth it and i can buy the materials i will make anything if confident i can do decent job ^_^

Edit: also thinking to buy some caniater and linking it to my flwxible return pipe and tee off or buy little small pump if in futute i ever need to make any kind off reactor ratger than soending £ 80 as sure can diy cheaper i would like to think

 

[Krheigh]

I've made pretty much everything by my self...
Tank, sump, stand, canopy, roller filter reactors, aquarium computer (based on reefpi),
Designing everything from scratch using fusion 360 and have a 3d printer going more or less 24/7.
You can follow me on my newly created Instagram where i post all my new reefing related makes. And tank progress


@salt_shaker_reef

 

[flyfisher2]

It's all about the Benjamins, basically I save money where I can.
I like working with my hands and learning new hobby skills.

Years ago I learned how to work with acrylic just to make an inexpensive skimmer that I still have 25 years later.

I recently spent $30 to make an algae scrubber which folks spend hundreds of dollars on and the thing is a beast, a work horse.

I recently wanted to breed brineshrimp and I laughed at the prices for a breeding setup. After drinking my seltzer, I have a brineshrimp hatchery for pennies.

I'd rather spend money on livestock than gadgets. If I can make it, I will.

There are so many tutorials online to help the hobbyist to save money, I wish they were around 25yrs ago.

Once my tank has sufficient live stock, I will try my homemade calcium reactor, again it cost very little to make (I had spare parts) and if it works I'll have saved hundreds to invest in live stock.

I could easily go out and spend thousands on cool store bought shiney gizmos, I choose not to.

Let me know how you make out with the reactor. Following on that

 

[G Santana]

Let me know how you make out with the reactor. Following on that

It will be a little while as I started my tank bare bottom and with dry rock so, I'm going slow.

 

[flyfisher2]

I love a new project. Research, planning and finally the execution.
The saddest part is when it’s done
Lol

 

[saturn13]

Build to save money, stand, lighting set-up, alage scrubber.

 

[MONTANTK]

Details on the panels?

This was the only picture I could find which shows details. I found them on Lowe’s/Home Depots website but had to get them off Amazon. If you can, try to find a panel with a flat back. These are hollow and difficult to adhere

 

[flyfisher2]

Been wanting a frag rack for awhile but always thought they were too expensive. I researched the right material and magnets and made my own. This cost probably $3 to make. Been in tank for 6 months now and holds 8 frags. And i can customize it to hold as many as i want. And my coral banded made it his new home...

details?

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Not as much as I used to, but lots of reactors, stands, sumps, etc. Usually to save money.

 

[Reefsupreme]

Build this cabinet for a frag tank. Love being able to build it however you want.

 

[DracoKat]

My dad and I built my canopy, I wanted a floating design and something that isn't so close to the top of the tank with my LED lights. There wasn't anything on the market that I wanted that would match or look good, so I had to build

 

[Rmckoy]

I made my sump .
and lights were old trash find . I replaced the ballasts

 

[tjcmtnbiker]

Love DIY! I do it for everything around the house. It's fun, it's the way I want it and usually it's cheaper. However I run into not having enough time on occasion with two little ones and all the extra curricular activities .... I built my screen top for a bow front since you can't buy one, built my own sump with plumbing, modified a stand to fit my sump with added strength along with other odds and ends for the setup. Also, you learn more and know how to make it better for the next time!