How much?

[MarcF]

Just a quick question- can you run a 90 gal fish only tank on a reasonably tight budget, after the initial outlay for set-up and livestock? I know this is not a poor man’s hobby, and I’m not exactly poor, but I am retired, and I don’t like high recurring expenses. My thought is that after the tank stabilizes, it shouldn’t cost that much after. What do you have? Food, power, RO water?
What would be my continuing expenses after that, do you think? Not counting adding a small fish now and then. I’m thinking small.

 

[dank reefer]

Salt, test kits, heaters, pumps.

 

[Kriz]

Fish is the first step.
Corals
Corals
Corals
But, with the right approach, corals may support your tank.

 

[Auquanut]

^^+1^^ Yep. That. Of course once you get started, you may want to start adding gadgets. ATO, Algae turf scrubber, etc...

 

[MTBake]

The initial setup and stocking is where most of my money is spent. The maintenance aspect is not nearly as expensive, imo. Test kits, salt mix, fish food and ro/di up keep are top necessities after the tank is running well. Take good care of your equipment and buy quality stuff in the first place so dont have to replace inferior products down the road.

 

[Devaji]

if you are doing a fish only it can be pretty cheap. use IO regular less that 50 bucks for a 200 gal mix will last you 4-6 months depending on how much and how often you do water change.
dont need expensive lighting for fish only with live rock.
after the setup you just need power and salt...a few test kits and you set.

but the thinkgis after people get good at fish only they want corals they you need better lighting ,flow and more test kits etc.

 

[Devaji]

look in to the nopeshcyce K7 pros a great light and a great price (for reef lighting that is) and can handle corals. turn down for fish only and up if you even want corals.

also can look for complete setups people get out all the time I have seen come killer deals.

 

[inletfish]

donot treat the tank for fish diseases. youre going to want to throw in a few corals one day.

welcome to the addiction

 

[PatW]

You need the drilled tank, stand, sump, return pump, power heads, auto top off, heater, lights, sand, rock, RODI system, quarantine tank, test kits for starters Red Sea or Salifert, glass cleaning stuff, skimmer, Turkey basters, nets, buckets, siphons Etc.

You can economize by buying used. For a sump, you can use a glass aquarium.

Welcome aboard. Also research, research, research.

 

[inletfish]

You need the drilled tank, stand, sump, return pump, power heads, auto top off, heater, lights, sand, rock, RODI system, quarantine tank, test kits for starters Red Sea or Salifert, glass cleaning stuff, skimmer, Turkey basters, nets, buckets, siphons Etc.

You can economize by buying used. For a sump, you can use a glass aquarium.

Welcome aboard. Also research, research, research.

i disagree for a FOWLR tank you can use hob filters for economy, you obviously donot need a drilled tank and can hit up the petco dollar gallon sale

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

+1

i disagree for a FOWLR tank you can use hob filters for economy, you obviously donot need a drilled tank and can hit up the petco dollar gallon sale

 

[X-37B]

Yes you can without a doubt! Monthly costs would be salt for water changes, RO/DI water, food, power. I would also run carbon on a fish only tank too, changed monthly. You wont need 2 part if you do weekly water changes either.
I would keep it simple. Get a tank with a corner overflow, sump, heater, quality skimmer, 2 bulb t5 unit, top to keep the fish in the tank, ato unit, couple powerheads for water movement, and some Tampa bay live rock.
Your tank would be set to rock with that setup.

 

[MarcF]

Thanks all.
To add a little info - I bought a 65 gal Aqueon tank w overflow and sump, return pump, wave maker, canopy and light. I got this from 1 of the 2 local fish stores (not counting Petco, Petsmart, etc).
Before it was delivered, I went back and upgraded to the 90. So I have the basics. I may need new lights someday if I go into coral. But I’m glad to have my thoughts confirmed or at least agreed - I can run the system from here without going to the poor house. I have extra money for this, although I’m retired. But not a ton. Sure there are accessories and gadgets - that’s part of the fun.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Coral, LEDs, etc. Do people even read posts? Fish only, you probably can get away with a nice 25-30% waterchange every 6 months. Any light, some power-heads, a heater is like $30

I would still do a sump, makes it easy. You can easily find a craigslist setup that will get you going for $300-$400. Just find one that includes rock, because rock is expensive

 

[Reefcowboy]

Might want to consider a protein skimmer. Also look into a cheap gfo reactor. In a 90 gal if you stock 5-6 medium fish you will run into nutrient issues quickly if you are not prepared. 95% of people that get into the hobby end up quitting due to algae taking over, usually due to high phosphates and nitrates.

If I were you, would do LOTS of reading, so you dont waste money and end up frustrating yourself. This hobby is very easy if you take your time to research. Also make sure to resist the temptation of buying a fish that is incompatible with others you plan to have.

 

[MarcF]

Yes you can without a doubt! Monthly costs would be salt for water changes, RO/DI water, food, power. I would also run carbon on a fish only tank too, changed monthly. You wont need 2 part if you do weekly water changes either.
I would keep it simple. Get a tank with a corner overflow, sump, heater, quality skimmer, 2 bulb t5 unit, top to keep the fish in the tank, ato unit, couple powerheads for water movement, and some Tampa bay live rock.
Your tank would be set to rock with that setup.

Good to go with most of that.
The light is an Aqueon LED strip lamp. White, red, green, blue independently controlled. This is on top of the tank with the canopy - they should keep the fish in. Will talk to dealer about the live rock. I think (or hope) that the cast coral I’m putting in will turn into live rock. Over time. I’m a gardener- so I know some things take a lot of time.

 

[X-37B]

Good to go with most of that.
The light is an Aqueon LED strip lamp. White, red, green, blue independently controlled. This is on top of the tank with the canopy - they should keep the fish in. Will talk to dealer about the live rock. I think (or hope) that the cast coral I’m putting in will turn into live rock. Over time. I’m a gardener- so I know some things take a lot of time.

I did 50% caribsea 50% live rock. Turned out nice. The caribsea is looking like live rock more every day. It does lose its color rather fast but overall they have some nice shapes.
My tank is 6.5 months old. Good lighting and stable parameters equals results.

 

[KrisReef]

Retired in Albuquerque?
The average low is from ~below freezing to 60 F, while highs are ~low 50's up to 90's in July.

The outdoor weather shouldn't be a problem if you already keep your house temps moderate? A good heater and possibly a chiller will help keep temperatures stable which is good for fish (and coral) health. The energy costs will reflect the rates "provided" by your energy supplier. Here in CA those reoccurring costs can get steep. Other costs have already been discussed before here. Yes, It can be done inexpensively after a wise initial investment.

Are you going to do a build thread? We like the pictures! GL.

 

[MarcF]

Yes, I'm retired here with my lovely wife here in ABQ, from NYC. We have central air and heating throughout. I keep it between 72-74, all year. So I don't think regulating the tank temp should be a problem with a good heater. Our energy costs are far less than what they were in NY by the way. Far far less. Most everything is less. And sure I'll do a build thread.
Here's my vision - tell me if this makes sense (I have nothing against adding corals out there in the future.)
A super clean looking tank, with not a real lot of rock (actually I have some really nice Signature Coral - see pic). I want to get a little more than what you see. In time, it should become live rock, I'm told. And I have 3 bags of sand. So this wide open tank and a number of the same kind of fish or 2 kinds that are compatible. Peaceful, low waste fish. Moorish Idols maybe. Once the levels are right I'll get some small ones and see what happens. Why would I run into "nutrient problems" and algae blooms - more than any other kind of setup, that is?
BTW my LFS owner seems really really good. Has not sold me a ton of stuff he could have. I'm putting a lot of faith in him, and it's a good thing. In NY I would have had hundreds of lfs's. At least, dozens. Here in ABQ, there are 2. But I like the one I choose and I do have this 1. Also I guess there's online, but I'll stick with my guy for now. I have a good feeling about him.

 

[KrisReef]

Your house temperatures should be fine for fish and corals. Lots of people run their tanks a few degrees warmer but stable temperatures are what you want. Your dream is probably achievable especially if you feed your fish lightly.

I have much of my live rock in my sump and out of the main tank. It provides surface area for the bacteria that run the system. If you go slow with cycling and then fish additions your plan should work out fine.

Nutrients are controlled by additions (fish feeding) and removal (bacterial metabolism) If you have enough surface area for the bacteria and a good balance of bacterial strains the tank can keep up with fish feeding. It takes time to establish the bacteria in a new system. If you are careful you might avoid some algae issues. A good skimmer will also help remove nutrients from the water and is very helpful for keeping water changes at a minimum in a fish system.

Many tanks go through stages of successions of bacteria, algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, planaria, and other marine organisms. Some of these stages create undesirable results. With only fish additions and careful transfer procedures, some of the negative stages might be avoidable, but with time they can all be handled so that your dream can be achieved.