edc_aquarium
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What's the cheapest way to set up a 55 gallon reef tank?
55 gallon
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ihavecrabs
2500 Club Member
Hi Edc,
What are your goals for the tank? Fish only, easy coral, mixed reef, or SPS dominated?
Based on what you are looking to do with the tank, we can help with some guidance. #reefsquad
Welcome to the community!
What are your goals for the tank? Fish only, easy coral, mixed reef, or SPS dominated?
Based on what you are looking to do with the tank, we can help with some guidance. #reefsquad
Welcome to the community!
Brew12
Electrical Gru
Every reef tank only needs a small handful of items. You need the tank, light, heater, flow, and filtration. Everything else becomes optional or species specific.
The tank can be purchased the cheapest used (rarely) or during the $1/g sale at Petco. The larger tanks like this aren't $1/g anymore but are still very cheap. Typically less than I see them sold for used.
The heater size you need will be determined by the room you have the tank in. If you keep your place hot, a small heater will be fine. If you keep it cold you will need a bigger heater. You will also need at least 1 cheap power head but preferably 2 because of the tank length.
For filtration you can get away with just using the live rock and water changes. I don't recommend this but it can be done. I would at least use an HOB filter and my personal preference would be one from the Seachem Tidal Power line. These have build in surface skimming.
There are so many cheap options for lights you can go many different ways. How much you need to spend on them depends on the type of coral you want to keep.
The tank can be purchased the cheapest used (rarely) or during the $1/g sale at Petco. The larger tanks like this aren't $1/g anymore but are still very cheap. Typically less than I see them sold for used.
The heater size you need will be determined by the room you have the tank in. If you keep your place hot, a small heater will be fine. If you keep it cold you will need a bigger heater. You will also need at least 1 cheap power head but preferably 2 because of the tank length.
For filtration you can get away with just using the live rock and water changes. I don't recommend this but it can be done. I would at least use an HOB filter and my personal preference would be one from the Seachem Tidal Power line. These have build in surface skimming.
There are so many cheap options for lights you can go many different ways. How much you need to spend on them depends on the type of coral you want to keep.
OP
OP
edc_aquarium
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I do want to do a sump and I want a lot of lps corals
ihavecrabs
2500 Club Member
Sounds good!
I'm assuming you already have a 55g tank with you will be using? If not and are purchasing new, I would recommend a different size that may un-complicate lighting (like a 40b).
My recommendation would be to start with an equipment list and budget and work the list until feel you have something you can work with.
Equipment Needs:
For lights, I saw you had another post. Check out the Ocean revive lights. I picked up a few T247's recently myself.
I'm assuming you already have a 55g tank with you will be using? If not and are purchasing new, I would recommend a different size that may un-complicate lighting (like a 40b).
My recommendation would be to start with an equipment list and budget and work the list until feel you have something you can work with.
Equipment Needs:
- Return pump
- Plumbing parts (bulk heads, PVC/Flex, etc)
- Skimmer
- External Overflow box? Standpipe? may want to check out eShopps Overflows
- Lights
- Internal flow (powerheads)
- Heaters (two undersized rather than 1 large one for added protection)
- Auto Top Off (or committment to top off water twice daily)
- Dry or Live Rock
- Substrate
- ATO can fall here too..
- Dosing pumps for Alkalinity and Calcium
- Temp Probe/Controller for Heaters (added protection)
For lights, I saw you had another post. Check out the Ocean revive lights. I picked up a few T247's recently myself.
OP
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edc_aquarium
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I have a rio 2500 for the return pump and Im getting a tank from a friend for free but I've priced everything out like lights, sand, rock, salt, powerhead, heater and it's all about 270$
ihavecrabs
2500 Club Member
If you'd like to post model numbers of equipment you are thinking of, we can provide some feedback.
I'd be hard pressed to think you can get of that for $270 unless you are scoring some major deals on used equipment. If so, go for it!
OP
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edc_aquarium
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I have someone that can get me about 60 pounds of dry rock for about 25$ and the two lights I'm getting are 60$ each so that's 120$ I found I can get two 20 pound bags of live sand for 36$ I can get two bags of instant ocean salt that will make 50 gallons each so that's 100 gallons for 13$ a bag
Devisissy
Kiss My Wrasse
If it were me I would wait for the PETCO gallon sale. Get the 55, and a 20 long. Or craigslist. Then I would go to lowes and have baffles cut to size out of glass. Silicone that up. Then I would actually spend a little money on an overflow, because I'm not 100% those can be drilled. Then I would use the crap ton of existing equipment I have laying around to finish it off. Probably go barebottom to save money and use give away live rock, or the box of dry I have. I think I could easily do it for under $300.
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edc_aquarium
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What about lights
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edc_aquarium
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The ones I was looking at we're 150 w each and I was going to get two of them for 120$
There's a lot of red in that light, which you may not need. It almost looks as though the fixture is trying to compromise between a grow-light for terrestrial plants and a reef aquarium light.
I've been using the Mars-Aqua (also a Chinese "black box" light) for a couple of years, and while they're not perfect, my corals don't seem to be complaining.
~Bruce
I've been using the Mars-Aqua (also a Chinese "black box" light) for a couple of years, and while they're not perfect, my corals don't seem to be complaining.
~Bruce
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
My 65g has a HOB Fluval C4 w/ sponge, marine pure, ceramics in the wet dry, and Purigen. Reef Octopus Protein Skimmer BH1000 HOB. Converted Seaclone protein skimmer HOB into a Cheato reactor. 2x Jebao SW-4. JBJ Trinity 39W T5 4Xbulbs ATI Blue+, Coral+, Blue+, & True Actinic. No sump. 63lbs of live rock. 50lbs of mixed Hawaiian black and white aragonite. This was all in my 40B before it cracked except the cheato reactor and more live rock. Took these pictures the other day. Nitrates 0, phosphates 0, pH 8.3 even with the windows closed for winter, and alk 11, calcium 380. Reef Crystals for salt. .000TDS.
These are some of the cheapest, but best things that will work.
These are some of the cheapest, but best things that will work.
Last edited:
MSB123
Someone out there put something smart here.
I have 2 lights, that i can get to you for about 130 including shipping, both work well, and I have used them to grow sps, lps, and nems. PM me if you are interested.The ones I was looking at we're 150 w each and I was going to get two of them for 120$
