Hello Everybody!
What a great time to start a new system! So at last, the time has come for me to move out of my 40-gallon reef and upgrade to a 90 gallon! I will show you guys how I am keeping this build extremely affordable as time goes on. As of now, I have purchased my tank, stand, sump, and canopy off of craigslist... (BEST FRIEND ON A BUDGET). Trust me guys, always check Craigslist and Facebook marketplace etc. there will be people who sell equipment for a bargain simply because they really don't want it anymore or they just don't know what the equipment does... Anyway here is my outlined budget:
Tank, Stand, Canopy, Lighting: $220
Wavemakers: $20
Sand, Rock: $50
Misc: $50
RO System: $70
So yes, I did get an extremely good deal on the tank itself... have a look:
Here is the sump that came with it:
I don't think it's too bad for 200 bucks. All it needs is a good cleaning.
Now for equipment, I have ordered some wavemakers from sunsun (amazon) rated 800 gph. They set me back about $20. I also have another one from my old system so 3 in total will be going into this tank.
This should do the trick!
Now.. remember guys, if you are on a budget, you too can set up an amazing system. Just find the right equipment from the right places.
Here is the ro system I purchased also on amazon for $70. I was fortunate to get this one with prime as it quickly sold out. But trust me, it will pop back up. I think it's a steal.
Now lighting. This topic can get a little controversial. Really, it depends on what you expect from your system. Are you looking for fish only? Will you be keeping corals... if so what type? Personally, for me, I am going to keep maybe a few softies which don't require too much maintenance so my lighting doesn't need to be as "fancy" if you know what I mean. So my lights are DIY with some leds and ballasts. Check them out!
A simple build, some leds, and connected with blue ballasts. However, I need to add some more lenses on the leds (this will go into my misc) This gets pretty bright when turned on!
If you're not too handy or interested in DIY, go for some black box leds! They are affordable and can be purchased everywhere online. Of course, they will not reach the quality or standards as some nicer flagship models and companies (radions etc.) but it gets the job done. Especially if you are fish only, don't invest too much.
For rocks, I am using my LR from my previous tank (about 60lbs) which should be enough. I am still deciding on sand, pool filter vs aragonite.
So that's it for today guys. The wavemaker should be arriving soon today! I am extremely excited to set this up and I am going to make sure that I stay patient. Patience is key to the success and development of your tank. I will update this thread as more and more equipment arrives.
Thanks for Reading!
Let me know if you guys have any tips or suggestions. Advice is always appreciated! Tank will be moved into my family room. It's in the garage temporarily.
What a great time to start a new system! So at last, the time has come for me to move out of my 40-gallon reef and upgrade to a 90 gallon! I will show you guys how I am keeping this build extremely affordable as time goes on. As of now, I have purchased my tank, stand, sump, and canopy off of craigslist... (BEST FRIEND ON A BUDGET). Trust me guys, always check Craigslist and Facebook marketplace etc. there will be people who sell equipment for a bargain simply because they really don't want it anymore or they just don't know what the equipment does... Anyway here is my outlined budget:
Tank, Stand, Canopy, Lighting: $220
Wavemakers: $20
Sand, Rock: $50
Misc: $50
RO System: $70
So yes, I did get an extremely good deal on the tank itself... have a look:
Here is the sump that came with it:
I don't think it's too bad for 200 bucks. All it needs is a good cleaning.
Now for equipment, I have ordered some wavemakers from sunsun (amazon) rated 800 gph. They set me back about $20. I also have another one from my old system so 3 in total will be going into this tank.
This should do the trick!
Now.. remember guys, if you are on a budget, you too can set up an amazing system. Just find the right equipment from the right places.
Here is the ro system I purchased also on amazon for $70. I was fortunate to get this one with prime as it quickly sold out. But trust me, it will pop back up. I think it's a steal.
Now lighting. This topic can get a little controversial. Really, it depends on what you expect from your system. Are you looking for fish only? Will you be keeping corals... if so what type? Personally, for me, I am going to keep maybe a few softies which don't require too much maintenance so my lighting doesn't need to be as "fancy" if you know what I mean. So my lights are DIY with some leds and ballasts. Check them out!
A simple build, some leds, and connected with blue ballasts. However, I need to add some more lenses on the leds (this will go into my misc) This gets pretty bright when turned on!
If you're not too handy or interested in DIY, go for some black box leds! They are affordable and can be purchased everywhere online. Of course, they will not reach the quality or standards as some nicer flagship models and companies (radions etc.) but it gets the job done. Especially if you are fish only, don't invest too much.
For rocks, I am using my LR from my previous tank (about 60lbs) which should be enough. I am still deciding on sand, pool filter vs aragonite.
So that's it for today guys. The wavemaker should be arriving soon today! I am extremely excited to set this up and I am going to make sure that I stay patient. Patience is key to the success and development of your tank. I will update this thread as more and more equipment arrives.
Thanks for Reading!
Let me know if you guys have any tips or suggestions. Advice is always appreciated! Tank will be moved into my family room. It's in the garage temporarily.
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