Reality check - do you think I'm biting off more than I chew

[PYRU]

food and be pretty cheap. find a used food processor or get a hand powered one and whip up a DIY recipe should be no more that 10-20 per month.
watch that BRS video on salt cost it's pretty interesting. if going FOWLR use IO regular but if doing a reef use something with a bit more Ca/mag like reef crystals. I think a 200 gal box would last 2 month for sure. that'ss 25 gals every two weeks or 40-60 once a month.

ppl tend to get more messy eaters when doing FOWLR so make sure you stay on top of export a good fuge or ATS can go a long way.

good luck I know how hard it can be to make the "right" decision. fallow your heart and intuition you will be good to go!

I checked that video out earlier. Std IO is what I have set aside although aqua marine classic looked pretty good as well.

The fuge is 75g so I hope that does it. Really debating on an ats for space but not 100% on it yet. Skimmer is rated 180 to 400g something ridiculous like that.

I think everyone's answered my questions. I'm not a hardcore reef junkie so I think my cost will be pretty minimal if I stay on top of nutrient control.

Thanks for the replies. Worried for no reason.

 

[PYRU]

Fair enough. I only suggest downsizing because I was in a similar situation. I had a larger tank that fell into disrepair due to high operating costs and maintenance. I ended up downsizing and don't regret it.

At the end of the day this is a hobby and we all need to figure out what our level of engagement can be over the years.

Nah I appreciate it. That's what I want help me not make your mistakes. It looks like if I stay out of the heavy lps/sps zone ill be ok.

Locals were running numbers on calculators and had me spooked for a moment.

 

[PYRU]

Predator fish type? I think going all fish would be much cheaper. The moment you decide to go with corals ... your time and money will much greater.

I only have a 20 gallon tank but it’s well over 3.5k already spent . I do want corals myself as this is the primary reason I went in with the hobby . Most of that costs was all the test kits and additives , and equipment needed to keep them. My monthly maintenance costs tho should be minimal moving forward tho.

I wouldn't consider them predator types. Just a big angel and a puffer mainly. Tomato clown, maybe a few small angels, & a goby. I would love to grow out a emporer then transfer to a bigger tank.

I back to where I was at. As long as I stay out of the deep end I'll be ok.

I really enjoy looking at high end corals, but I've always been more into the fish side. Plus I've had tanks where it feels like youre in a corvette with the throttle stuck wide open. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to all that lol

 

[BestMomEver]

That's some handy info.

I'm probably right in that ballpark as well. I have viparspectra 165w's, 2 300w jager, and around 15-20 turnover volume with all pumps at around 50%. The skimmer is probably a energy hog with a sicce 1200 along with the 150w grow lights. However the tradeoff for less wc will be tremendous...I think

You’d be surprised. Your light are probably your biggest power hogs. Your return pump is second. Your skimmer comes somewhere in the middle.

Edit... right now my lights are at 28 watts and the only came on 30 minutes ago. My return pump is at 24 watts. My skimmer is at 12 watts.

 

[PYRU]

You’d be surprised. Your light are probably your biggest power hogs. Your return pump is second. Your skimmer comes somewhere in the middle.

Edit... right now my lights are at 28 watts and the only came on 30 minutes ago. My return pump is at 24 watts. My skimmer is at 12 watts.

Oh no doubt about. I think they're listed at 105w max pull, but last lights I had for were t5 ho's in 05 so not complaining.

You're pulling crazy low wattage even if your lights on blue right now.

What happened is a couple in-laws told my wife we're looking at atleast $100 in salt not including general maintenance etc. I believe they thought I would be dosing and doing big wc's though. Quick sanity check and we're back on track...no more checking my food for antifreeze

 

[PYRU]

Auto water changes work just fine in the marine world... I'm doing 1.5g per day. Mix up a new barrel of water once a month.

Cost? With a 200g system, you're going to need to do, what, 80 gallons a month, at the top end? BRS's video shows an average of what, 50 cents a gallon or so... $40 bucks a month in salt. RO/DI filter changes will add a bit to that... say another ten. Foods, which can be quite pricey, Calc/Alc dosing, if you do so... electricity... At a minimum, I'd say you're looking at a hundred a month to keep a tank that size up and running. Honestly, if you can't do a hundred a month, downsizing might be right move.

Do you have a thread on your auto system or can you go over it?

 

[James Johnson]

Emperor angels eat coral

 

[PYRU]

Emperor angels eat coral

Them and puffers both have bad reps. I'm going to try some to see if they'll allow it. If it doesnt work it doesn't work it's mainly for these 2 fish anyway.

 

[ReeferReefer]

Them and puffers both have bad reps. I'm going to try some to see if they'll allow it. If it doesnt work it doesn't work it's mainly for these 2 fish anyway.

You could always try a GSP and Xenia tank. If you grow them out before adding fish I doubt they could kill the colonies.

 

[PYRU]

You could always try a GSP and Xenia tank. If you grow them out before adding fish I doubt they could kill the colonies.

That's exactly the game plan. 3 islands with gsp, xenia, & mushrooms. Something like that maybe some cheaper lps instead of mushrooms. Everything looks good on paper though.

 

[New Jersey REEF]

I would say initial cost could be expensive then after that it can be on cruise control with set monthly budget.

When I get my supplies, I buy them to last me for entire year. Usually works out well with such long term planning. This a specially since this hobby requires lots of patience, research and learning curves.

Best of luck and hope you enjoy it!

 

[PYRU]

I would say initial cost could be expensive then after that it can be on cruise control with set monthly budget.

When I get my supplies, I buy them to last me for entire year. Usually works out well with such long term planning. This a specially since this hobby requires lots of patience, research and learning curves.

Best of luck and hope you enjoy it!

That's what I'm shooting for cruise control. Initial cost is pretty expensive. That's a good idea though. Buy in bulk when times are plenty.