Reefing on a Budget? Don't gatekeep!

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

It's no secret that this hobby can eat away at your wallet (and savings account... @Gumbies R Us), so stop gatekeeping!

What is your favorite reef inhabitant that is less than $150 (on average)! Fish, coral, fun inverts, doesn't matter. Share so we can all feel a little bit better about buying more! :face-with-tongue:

 

[Reefer Matt]

I don’t do high end. My comfort level is under $100. But they do add up collectively after a few years as a collector. :grinning-squinting-face:

 

[twentyleagues]

Most dartfish.

 

[Mmbra]

Creatures under $150 are what is considered budget reefing? LOL! This hobby is going to die with these crazy prices.

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

I don’t do high end. My comfort level is under $100. But they do add up collectively after a few years as a collector. :grinning-squinting-face:

So which is your over all favorite?

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

Creatures under $150 are what is considered budget reefing? LOL! This hobby is going to die with these crazy prices.

I may have expensive taste:upside-down-face:

 

[steveschuerger]

If you aren’t including anything given to you by a friend, these were probably the best deal I’ve gotten.
Spent a total of 43 (38+5)on them . Glued them onto a rock next to each other.
Jan 2023

June 2024

 

[ryanjohn1]

Honestly don’t think I’ve paid more than $100 for any one piece.

 

[Reefer Matt]

So which is your over all favorite?

I don’t have one that is my favorite over all. Maybe a top 50 list out of 300 coral or so. But definitely the ones I got from reefing buddies are my favorite. Especially since they all left the hobby. It got to the point where we didn’t even charge each other for coral. We just randomly brought stuff to each other.

 

[steveschuerger]

If we talk about ones gotten for free from reefing friends then this one is certainly the most dramatic. I happen to love favias and this one’s feeding response is wild

 

[kiwikoxo]

I get frags at my LFS for under 100USD. My love is in beginner corals so I don't really care for the high ends.

Red Carpet Anemone - 100USD
Black Widow/Rainbow Anemones - 150USD each
Mini Maxi Anemones/Rock Flowers - 15USD to 30USD
Goni Colony from LFS - 75USD
Mushrooms - 45USD and under
Frags - 50USD and under

Inverts:
Urchins are great algae eaters! - 20USD to 35USD
Sand Conchs - 10USD Sand shifters + eats my dinos on the sand + cute eyes
Torchus snails - 5USD each They eat algae to the rock!
Hermits - 2USD to 15USD depending on color!

I ask my LFS for any fish I want cause I don't wanna QT. Prices are how much I spent on local inverts.

I feel I would spend good money on bright anemones, and spend 35USD on Frags [AVG]

I say support local first but I had a wonderful experience at TSA Aquatics. More money but the frags are exactly what was advertised.

Don't pay more than 5 bucks for GSP, Xenia! Local reefers might even give out for free

 

[Nano_Man]

I think coral wise if you understand them and they thrive it’s an investment for now and the years to come. In the nineties if you bought a coral it was big and on a bigger piece of live rock . Things have changed and now you pay the same price for a 2 headed Zoa
I am around the £50 mark for corals but this doesn’t get you much these days

 

[Naekuh]

Well i dont think i have ever setup a salt water tank without clowns.
So i guess clowns?

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I started off basic.
Firefish- $10 at my LFS
standard orange clownfish- $10

zoas- $15-30 usually 1-4 heads.
Mushrooms - $20.

The list is endless. Buy small frags super cheap. Let em grow out. Trust yourself!

My biggest purchases was this litho plate at $100. (LFS moving so major deals)

Favorite: Disaseris plate- $100. (prob the most I spent on something real small lol). But I find these are hard to come by locally. Even online specific vendors only.

Zoas can't remember name. But paid $40

Favia again can't remember name lol. $30

 

[Alexraptor]

Technically two inhabitants, but...

I'd say you can't go wrong with a Tiger Pistol and YWG pair! Cheap and very entertaining to watch!!! The only downside is they are kleptomaniacs and will steal anything they can carry off to the burrow!

 

[fish farmer]

Pair of clownfish, $100...2007 prices.

Single pinky sized frammer frag, $35.....2017 prices.

 

[Reefering1]

Pair of clownfish, $100...2007 prices.

Single pinky sized frammer frag, $35.....2017 prices.

Getting to watch your clownfish cuddle your beautiful 50 head hammer to death... priceless

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Best $40 spent in a long time. Such an awesome fish. Wifey named him Mickey because his pelvic fins remind her of mickey mouse ears

 

[Naekuh]

Getting to watch your clownfish cuddle your beautiful 50 head hammer to death... priceless

For everything else, there's mastercard.... *sorry i had to recall that comercial from way back.*

 

[exnisstech]

This is my favorite budget coral. It was on a $20 rack and I couldn't pass it up. I have no idea what it is but it's alive and growing. If had paid $120 it would probably have died already lol.