Why is $2500 just not enough :(

[Medic58]

https://www.reef2reef.com/posts/5677458/ Keep the change

 

[BestMomEver]

Glasscages.com
planetaquariums.com
craigslist.com
Amazon.com

 

[Schnizzle]

You don’t need the Red Sea.

Get a 40 gallon breeder or 75 gallon and drill it, reefbreeders LEDs, DIY sump, used skimmer, some Jebao pumps and that’ll be plenty for a year. Then you can drop real money on what your path is and appreciate higher level gear. But more importantly you’ll have a lot more real world experience and somewhat know what you’re doing a little bit.

I couldn't agree with this more. I researched and lurked for two years and it wasn't enough. There are so many things I'm doing different when I upgrade.

 

[NinnJinn]

Oh BTW I'd love to see a total list of things in your cart that made up $4,000 on a $1,450 tank that's some serious extras...

Also to add to what was mentioned above, BRS has a preferred reefer bonus points going on this month where you get 10x reefer points on almost every purchase. All you have to do is sign up for a BRS account. Easy way to get some good points back and use them for other purchases.

I would love to see the shopping cart as well... Even with the High end Apex controller system in there, its still under $2500 budget.




If you are going to buy this stuff before the end of the month I would definitely go with BRS and become a preferred member that way you accumulate points to go towards future purchases.

Also like others have said you can buy this stuff used or just buy it when you need it. Because cycling your tank is going to take at least 30 days if not more.

I understand you're looking at the Red Sea reefer, but when I got into the hobby took me about two months looking around on Craigslist but found several people getting out of the Hobby and offloading their stuff relatively cheap. Except for lights and new sand I was able to get a 125 gallon setup ready to go including a Rodi system, sump/refugium and extra pumps and wave makers... yes, I had to drive about 200 miles one way to get it but all of that for $500 plus fuel, toll bridge and my time on cleaning everything IMO couldn't beat it. Plus I didn't even haggle him on the price. he wanted 500 and thats what I gave him...

I left the homemade stand behind because I did not like it. He was six foot six so his stand was 42 in high.

So on my way home from picking all this up I stopped at Home Depot purchased the lumber and screws and glue to build my own stand.

Then over the course of about 2 months or so while the tank was cycling I slowly started upgrading things like new Plumbing, lights, skimmer, heaters, and return pump and kept the stuff that came with the tank as backups so all-in-all I have roughly $1,500 invested..

 

[JBKReef]

I just went through this exercise, I like the kind of challenge to "fit my budget" and made a decent set up with quality equipment that is at ~$2600. The only caveats which I did not meet was the white stand requirement also its a hair smaller at 40 gallons, I'll admit I forgot that.

That being said here is the build:
Nuvo EXT 40 w/ stand
2x IceCap 1K Gyre
AI Prime
AI Prime Hanging Kit
Aquatic Life T5 Hybrid
Somatic 60 Sump & Skimmer Combo
Somatic Return Basket
Somatic Return Basket Filtration
2 Eheim Jager 100W heaters
Sicce 3.0 Return Pump
Duetto ATO
AutoAqua Security System
50 pounds Marcos Rocks

That actually comes in at $2580 but I allowed 20 dollars worth of plumbing to get from the tank to the sump. Soft tubing on return line and hard PVC for overflow should get you there easy.

I did not inlcude the price of bulbs or salt due to I consider this maintenance cost and not start up equipment.

 

[SneakyTortuga]

I think you are looking at getting high end new equipment when you don’t need it. At first you aren’t going to know what tank really is going to work best for you and will most likely modify your equipment list over time especially if this is your first tank

Example this was my initial setup.

Offerup 80 gallon deep blue tank with stand $200
I bought a vertex 180i skimmer on Black Friday sale $350ish.
Ati 4 bulb t5 fiXture with bulbs $500ish
Jebao return pump $75
Gyre xf230s $450.
Rock $100ish

For less than $1500 it was a solid start to a tank. It’s all relative. If you want to get all brand new top of the line equipment. Good luck you will be spending thousands.

 

[W1ngz]

Like others have said, you're shopping top shelf on a beer budget. It's not gonna happen.
If you can't arrive at that conclusion on your own you need to re-evaluate your priorities, and convincing you to go used is going to be a step too far.

You need to get out to your local fish store, Petco or whatever you have nearby that sells tanks and stands. Research the available dimensions of whatever brand they sell (most stores don't keep every available size on their floor). You can keep the budget a little lower if you stick with a 36" tank, like a marineland 40 breeder with a 20 long as a sump. Marineland also has a 65 gallon in ~36" width. If the budget allows, then a 48" 75 gallon with a 40 breeder sump is also an option. You'll need a drill, a glass drill bit, and a hand saw with a mitre box so you can do the plumbing yourself.

'Has to have a white stand option' - ok, Home Depot sells paint. Drop 20$ on a half pint and a small roller, and you can paint or build your own stand. If you're not already equipped to do some decent woodworking, building your own will not be economical - you'll end up spending more considering materials and equipping yourself with proper saw and carpenter's clamps. The DIY advocates out there often forget to consider this.

If trying to DIY anything at all is is just all kinds of no for you, then post your cart, I'm sure people will tear it apart and figure something out, but it will have compromises.

 

[ShawnSaucier]

If this is your first tank, I can understand the ease of something like a Red Sea system being tempting. And no matter what, this hobby can be expensive. I’ve always told people to budget their tanks at around $100 a gallon. I would shop some of your local fish stores first. Many times you can strike a package deal for a system. I do not own one, but Red Sea does make it easy as it is an AIO package, but that comes at a premium. And in my opinion, may not necessarily be the best equipment but good enough to start.
Tank and stand I would buy new. From my experience your lfs will know a carpenter or two that might build custom stands and I’ve had better luck and products doing this in the past and being most times cheaper than buying online. To me these are the two components that need to be the strongest first and foremost. Lights, skimmers and rock are things I would shop for on Craigslist and forums. Most of these you will probably change or upgrade throughout the life of your tank as it evolves. You may also find a local acrylic artist that can make you a sump. And there are many options of things that can be used as sumps also.

 

[Ironworm]

I agree with talking to a LFS, on finding a local carpenter. That or finding used stands on craigslist, letgo, etc can be an easy way to save money. Color is a non issue as you can paint a stand any color you can imagine.

Not sure on the market in your area but I find used tanks quite often that could be a way to save a buck.

There are options, but buying everything brand new on a budget will not be possible.

Good luck to your journey.

 

[artieg1]

I strongly recommend against buying everything at once. First of all, it is your first tank, and you might find you don't like the hobby as much as you thought you would. Also, as others have said, you don't need lots of the high end stuff (lighting, skimmer) until you are at the stage to introduce corals, which will be several months after you get up and running, at the earliest. I would not skimp on the tank itself, you cannot "upgrade" that later without starting a whole new system. Get the tank you want, get the stand you need, sump and return pump, simple lighting. Lighting does not matter at first. Skimmer is pointless at first. Go very slowly, is my main recommendation. Add deliberately and slowly, just what you need. Heck, do fish only for the first 6 months (inexpensive ones), that will cut the cost in half. I guarantee you it will consume a mind-boggling amount of time just doing fish only, and you will learn so much that you need to learn, and better to do that before you start adding expensive fish and corals.

 

[jtl]

I would recommend a good used set up. One of these days I am going to sell my 100g rimless in perfect condition, with a 50g sump, Tunze powerheads, Reefbreeders lights, 100 pounds of coraline live rock and over 70 mini colonies of corals. I will be lucky to get $3K for an $8K set up. That is what you should be looking for.

 

[BeejReef]

I totally get your frustration. You want the best. You want it to look great. It's decorative. It's supposed to look great.

There are obviously places to save money. Rock can be had cheap with a little leg work. Lights are disgustingly expensive, but there are solutions at 40% of the major brands. I get it, I live it, DIY just doesn't look as good and if you're not good at it, or don't enjoy it, then it's not fun. Why spend $ on a hobby that isn't fun.

I suggest flipping a switch in your mind from "Top Shelf, Brand Name" to "One of a kind, custom build." Hire enthusiasts or a carpenter to build you a nice hardwood canopy with a beautiful finish (hint, you can hide economy lights in there). Have a stand built... a little taller and wider than standard.

Point being, you get to design it. You'll understand exactly how it functions. No one will have one just like it, and you get to say, "I had this piece custom made" when showing it off. Oh, yeah, you'll also save a fair bit of money, and will spend it more slowly.

 

[WVNed]

I could do a 75 from Petsmart for $2500. The stand would be white because I painted it and the sump would be a 20L I modded from the Petco dollar a gallon sale.
Black box lights. Jebao pumps.
In fact I did do that. Except I don't like white.

Then if you find this IS for you you upgrade over time.
and once you have it there are ongoing costs for food and salt and testing.

It's just like having a dog. There are always expenses over what you pay to get it. You get a nice friend that spends a large portion of your life with you.

It's a long term commitment.

I liked it so much I have a big pile of stuff waiting on the next tank to come.

In fact I bought this house with a basement to have a place to put it.
The stand is still going to be black though

 

[Water Dog]

Check out my build thread...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/deep-blue-57-edge-ati-acro-garden.566618/

I went in this direction because there were actually a few things that I didn’t like about the Reefer 250. For the essentials needed to get a tank up and running, it was a blend of new and used and came in nicely at a good bit under $2500

New-
Deep Blue 57 tank $325
Modular Marine ghost overflow $125
DIY stand $125
Trigger 26 sump $280
Sicce ADV 5.5 return pump $125
DIY screen top $35

Used-
2 x Vortech MP40s $350
6x39 ATI Sunpower $300
Spectrapure ULPC-ATO $150
Deltec SCA 1351 skimmer $100

Granted, I have a lot of other big ticket things like an Apex 2016 controller, JBJ 1/10 chiller, GEO612 calcium reactor setup and Turbo’s L2 algae turf scrubber that push me well beyond the $2500 threshold, but they are not essential to getting a tank up and running. Patience, a little diligence and some DIY know how and it can be done.

 

[TheLost]

I bought a used Red Sea Reefer 350 a few months ago for $750. It came with a return pump and Bubble Mangus Curve 7 skimmer.

I sold the old glass tank for $250 (it had a few chips in it), then bought a new glass tank directly from Red Sea for $500 ($300 tank + $200 shipping)

$750 + $500 (new tank) - $250 (sold old tank) = $1000

I sold the old return pump for $50.
The Curve 7 normally sells used for ~$150.

So in total, I paid $800 for a used Reefer 350 (with a new glass tank) vs. $1699 for a new Reefer 350.

Don't be afraid of used equipment.

 

[asting]

I have a 175 with a 40b sump, jebao gyre, wavemaker, return pump, simplicity skimmer, black box lights

Think I'm just under 1500 all in on equipment. Tank, stand, sump, and skimmer were used.

100 a gallon is crazy. My tank wont be 25% of that fully stocked.

 

[Jon Fishman]

My local shop had a 70-80g (It was an odd number, I can’t remember) That was drilled with a center overflow and it was 1/2” thick rimless...... crystal clear (not sure what type of glass) for $300


I guess it was supposed to be drilled for peninsula or something. either way, they said it was their screw-up. I almost bought it, but the cost of the tank is just the beginning

 

[MSB123]

@Rscott
What is in your cart?

 

[Rscott]

Thanks so much for the overwhelming amount of awesome ideas and suggestions

I will post the cart when I get home from work

Just stuck at work and can’t post much
Will do more later

Thanks so much guys and gals

 

[FlyPenFly]

I bought some Oregon Tort and Red Planet mini colonies from a local reefer recently, really nicely colored and fully encrusted. He just had a Petco 75g that he got at the dollar/gallon sale, a sturdy old dresser that he got at a garage sale for a stand, a $30 Eheim heater, 2 big hydor dumb circulation pumps, and 2 very well used and old Kessil A350s. He was manually dosing ESV. Impressively big SPS colonies with amazing growth and coloration. No skimmer, no sump, no dosing trace, etc. Just water changes and a ton of patience.

He spent about 10% on gear, 90% on quality pest free livestock that he grew out into some of the healthiest SPS Iv'e seen. He was able to do everything so cheaply and well because he was doing this a long time and wanted to keep it simple and cheap.