Budget reef

[Piranha76]

So last thanksgiving my wife convinced me to go from Amazonian predator tank to saltwater. I dumped the water sold the fish and asked family and friends for equipment as gifts. I got RODI system Protein skimmer and salt. I ended up buying everything else. So here’s the thing since it’s been a year I decided to see how much I spent on this conversion, not including items I got as gifts or had already. I spent $2,500 total. $500 on CUC 2 sets 6 months apart. $1000 on fish $500 of it died or eaten and $1000 on new lights chemicals and meters. Does this sound right? It’s a 125 gallon mix reef. Spending so much and being annoyed it isnt working is tough.

 

[Mical]

For most of us it's a hobby and the benefit is the enjoyment of our tanks, not how much is invested. Granted we all know the costs (and it's not cheap) but the end results are what makes us reefers.

Sounds like you have a great start but you need to research and appreciate each step. This is not a hobby you can throw money at & expect results. As a former New Yorker I can relate to the "money to results" but this is a hobby that will MAKE you appreciate nature for what it actually is and not what is perceived.

 

[ahiggins]

I knew a guy who spent thousands on his reef and frag system (think in the 12-15k range) only to have his ex toss bleach it in. She was crazy. He lost everything. Little different hahaha but still, even my nanos cost a good 1500 after getting stocked with corals.

 

[ScubaZ]

unfortunately for a lot of people that does sound right including myself. I have spent thousands of dollars on trial and error equipment or livestock that I didn’t do proper research on or just wasn’t for my tank. With that being said if I recreated my tank set up I have now it would cost far less that I’ve invested in the past due to the factor of trial and error. Once you do find the happy medium for equipment and livestock in your tank it doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket so bad.

 

[CasaReefer]

That's why R2R is such a great place you can bounce ideas off the Wicked Smart People in here and learn from their mistakes and they will help you from making the same mistake...

 

[Piranha76]

tganks for the reply’s it was making me sick when I sat down and did a year budget on what I spent. I am a lil ticked that I lost so many fish. Some were really fat and happy. I think my LTA ate them. Two my cycle damsel fish bullied too death. And clean up crews every six months seems a bit excessive and expensive.

 

[hotdrop]

Waterbox 45.2 I’m a little over 3k in. Not even well stocked or running apex. I ran the numbers on a basic 40g breeder with Chinesium everything and it’s still 800ish new

 

[Quietman]

Yeah, it's in ballpark. Could even be on the low average side for that size tank. I've always thought that for whatever reef type you want (high end gear heavy expensive to no frills basic and less expensive), it's not about the money as much as value and minimizing unexpected expenses. Advice here is invaluable in making sure you get maximum bang for your buck and keeping those hidden costs to a minimum.

 

[Quietman]

Also don't shop online or LFS without a solid plan/list. Those impulse buys in this hobby can really lead to issues (fish/corals that aren't compatible, equipment that's poorly reviewed, just bad deals in not shopping around, fads) other than just blowing money.

 

[Piranha76]

I am tempted to get rid of my bio pellets, GFO UV light and just go with a refugium with Chaeto and a protein skimmer. Any thoughts? Thought it would be cheaper and easier.

 

[Dine]

Only thing that caught my eye was 500 on a CUC. That seems really High. But the rest I can see. Easy for it all to add up.

 

[Hemmdog]

What CUC costs $500? Lol.

 

[Dine]

What CUC costs $500? Lol.

A team of guys from the LFS?

 

[Kaludar]

For most of us it's a hobby and the benefit is the enjoyment of our tanks, not how much is invested. Granted we all know the costs (and it's not cheap) but the end results are what makes us reefers.

Sounds like you have a great start but you need to research and appreciate each step. This is not a hobby you can throw money at & expect results. As a former New Yorker I can relate to the "money to results" but this is a hobby that will MAKE you appreciate nature for what it actually is and not what is perceived.

Very well said, especially the last part. When I first got my tank I had this idea in my head that I would have this sterile perfect reef tank like something out of a magazine without a speck of algae and brilliantly colored corals. I’m realizing now that while that may be possible it’s not something that happens fast and nature isn’t perfect there will be hiccups and imperfections but that’s part of what makes it cool.

 

[Kaludar]

I am tempted to get rid of my bio pellets, GFO UV light and just go with a refugium with Chaeto and a protein skimmer. Any thoughts? Thought it would be cheaper and easier.

This is just my experience but I had a difficult time getting chaeto to grow in a new tank, I have always had undetectable levels of phosphates and from what I understand chaeto needs a phosphate source to grow. I’ve read that in a new tank especially if you started with dry rock it can take a considerable amount of time for phosphate to start to build. Just my 2 cents

 

[saan1wu4]

$2500 honestly does not sound too bad for a 125g. Reefing is an expensive hobby to begin with, especially when you're just starting out and everything is trial and error.

The best way around it is just research as much as you can before make any decisions. There's lots of people with plenty of experience here on R2R that are eager to help!

 

[KrisReef]

For most of us it's a hobby and the benefit is the enjoyment of our tanks, not how much is invested. Granted we all know the costs (and it's not cheap) but the end results are what makes us reefers.

Sounds like you have a great start but you need to research and appreciate each step. This is not a hobby you can throw money at & expect results. As a former New Yorker I can relate to the "money to results" but this is a hobby that will MAKE you appreciate nature for what it actually is and not what is perceived.

Yo! This is the best answer to any question I read all-day and most of the week. I can't remember if it covers the year, but I suspect the average 125 gallon tank can easily absorb $200.00/month without turning on the lights.

 

[Quietman]

I am tempted to get rid of my bio pellets, GFO UV light and just go with a refugium with Chaeto and a protein skimmer. Any thoughts? Thought it would be cheaper and easier.

Where the money can really start adding up is when you change methodologies or design or livestock. Each can have a significant entry cost. Of course there are valid reasons for doing so, but if you've selected a tried and true course of action for the livestock you want (and there are several) it'll work given time. Chasing the perfect design can get pricey in a big hurry and still not result in success.

 

[Piranha76]

Yea,, It's like a really luxarious European sports car. Looks great but it's expensive and is one problem after another.

I shut off the UV sterilizer to see if it was still needed. It takes up a third of the sump. Woke up to a diatom or bacteria bloom. Nice cloudy mess. And now I am at work and all I want to do is do a 50% water change.

Thoughts on my set up? I have the flow intake into the sumpone intake is hooked up to a soda bottle that has filter floss that gets changed weekly, The other intake flows into the UV stelrizer. The sump has a protein skimmer, a biopellet reactor, a gfo reactor (just added) a basket of chaeto that is not growing well and a uv stelrlizer. I use RODI water that has 20 tds and reef crystalsmixed to 35PPT. My live rock is leaching PO4 like crazy and just had an avalanche a week ago.

 

[Dine]

Yea,, It's like a really luxarious European sports car. Looks great but it's expensive and is one problem after another.

I shut off the UV sterilizer to see if it was still needed. It takes up a third of the sump. Woke up to a diatom or bacteria bloom. Nice cloudy mess. And now I am at work and all I want to do is do a 50% water change.

Thoughts on my set up? I have the flow intake into the sumpone intake is hooked up to a soda bottle that has filter floss that gets changed weekly, The other intake flows into the UV stelrizer. The sump has a protein skimmer, a biopellet reactor, a gfo reactor (just added) a basket of chaeto that is not growing well and a uv stelrlizer. I use RODI water that has 20 tds and reef crystalsmixed to 35PPT. My live rock is leaching PO4 like crazy and just had an avalanche a week ago.

The RODI produces water at 20TDS? That would be very high. Should be 0.

what are your parameters? How often do you test them?