The HARD Truth about Reef Keeping...

[Ferrell]

Welcome to R2R. Great bunch of folks.
I too did a budget for the build as you have done. The main components I had a pretty good handle on but the incidentals like plumbing fittings I missed by a ways. And then some incidentals I can’t remember

 

[Skep18]

Your vote options need another digit...

 

[Mebeknob]

I didn’t see rock on your list. I really like Caribsea Liferock and it’ll run around $100+ for a 22 gallon.

 

[vdubreefer]

Everybody is ranting on how much they’ve spent on their tanks, which is great, but a new reefer reading could get a lil terrified, I’ve seen plenty of systems setup cheap , cheap, cheap and they are usually AIO, with entry led lights current USA or so, in fact that was my first 55 , bought the tank for $15, built the stand out of wood i had lying around and used an old tank from a fish store cut down in width as my sump, black box led lights , and that tank grew coral, not sps as i was still figuring things out but with time it could have , All newbies looking at this thread don’t be alarmed !! You can build successful reefs for cheaper you just have to be cautious, you probably won’t grow sps quiet yet, start slow with softies and lps, save up your money and knowledge and soon you’ll start switching out equipment for newer stuff and you’ll progress, but to start a reef you don’t need to save up thousands of dollars, you don’t need a skimmer if your doing your water changes , get your RO water from a store or buy a used RO filter , and just save a lil bit each pay check, it is an expensive hobby but it doesn’t have to be if you go slow !

 

[DeniseAndy]

Very true. However, do not get a large breed dog if you can only fit a toy budget. I mean that in the nicest way possible. Not everyone wants to spend their money on their reef. You can do it cheap, but do not expect what you see in magazines.

People always ask me about my English mastiffs. Are they expensive to buy? Well, depends. The first cost is the puppy, then the food. And lots of food. Then come vet bills. It is not the original puppy that costs so much as the care you need to give it the rest of its life. Same with reefs. You can go small and keep costs low. Same as buying a small pup (less food, less cost meds, etc). But, any health issues come up, and there goes the budget. Same as reef keeping.

It is all about what you want to spend your money on. Everything can get expensive when you strive to have the best, biggest, newest, etc.

 

[cjd]

Do we count changing our minds on equipment ? When building my 75 , I spent over $3,000 on lighting before I decided on what I liked and happy with the output !

 

[Nano sapiens]

I see a lot of comments here from reef keepers with different tank sizes, goals, choices of organisms, etc. The range of costs can run the gamut from low to high, but to make (or infer) that one must spend a lot of money to have a successful reef tank is just simply not the case.

One needs to consistently meet the tank organisms' requirements and how one does that is up to the aquarist. A large part of what separates a successful reef keeper from one that is not is a thorough understanding of the system as a whole and the various animals' needs in particular. It is this understanding, not necessarily the complexity/expense of the system, that will ultimately allow for long term success.

 

[6TankReefer9]

I see a lot of comments here from reef keepers with different tank sizes, goals, choices of organisms, etc. The range of costs can run the gamut from low to high, but to make (or infer) that one must spend a lot of money to have a successful reef tank is just simply not the case.

One needs to consistently meet the tank organisms' requirements and how one does that is up to the aquarist. A large part of what separates a successful reef keeper from one that is not is a thorough understanding of the system as a whole and the various animals' needs in particular. It is this understanding, not necessarily the complexity/expense of the system, that will ultimately allow for long term success.

As mentioned in my opening post, I've been able to successfully run a 12G JBJ Cube, just like yours for under $300! But that was after much research and foresight into potential issues that many new reefers might not have the foresight or time for. I agree that a simple tank doesn't have to be an expensive tank, however not everyone wants a "nano" tank, and once you cross the line from nano to needing a sump, that is when the expenses truly add up. Per the poll as of right now, 93% have spent over $1,000 on equipment alone, and trust me, that's after looking for bargain deals on all the supplies. So though the hobby doesn't "have to" be expensive, it still is.

 

[cjd]

The question was how much have you spent ?? Not how much do you need to spend for a successful reef ?

 

[6TankReefer9]

The question was how much have you spent ?? Not how much do you need to spend for a successful reef ?

There's definitely a positive correlation between cost and success, but that's not to be confused that pouring money into the hobby equals success- any system is capable of crashing... Obviously you don't "need" an Ecotech Vortech pump, power head and Radion Lights, which together would cost you close to $1500, however that also doesn't mean you need knock off lights and other pumps that will likely break within a year if not sooner and put your system into jeopardy. So yes, don't waste money in the hobby, but it's definitely not a hobby to skim out on either. The sweet spot is usually somewhere in the middle of both extremes.

 

[Nano sapiens]

As mentioned in my opening post, I've been able to successfully run a 12G JBJ Cube, just like yours for under $300! But that was after much research and foresight into potential issues that many new reefers might not have the foresight or time for.

I've run both nano and mid sized reef tanks (up to a 55g with a sump) over the decades. While I do agree that successfully running nano tanks requires a somewhat different mindset from running a large tank, the basic equipment needed to maintain the system/coral health is essentially the same (just a lot smaller and typically cheaper). IME, the potential issues for both small and large systems are similar, it's just that with nano tanks the issues tend to be much more immediate and noticeable due to the substantially smaller size and water volume.

I agree that a simple tank doesn't have to be an expensive tank, however not everyone wants a "nano" tank, and once you cross the line from nano to needing a sump, that is when the expenses truly add up. Per the poll as of right now, 93% have spent over $1,000 on equipment alone, and trust me, that's after looking for bargain deals on all the supplies. So though the hobby doesn't "have to" be expensive, it still is.

True, a pico or nano tank is not for everyone, and conversely, the same can be said for medium or large tanks. But the question here is cost and that is directly related to how a reef system of any size is set up for it's intended purpose. One can set up a simple relatively inexpensive system, or go gung-ho and purchase every gadget on the market. Both approaches can be successful, but only if the aquarist has a good understanding of the system and it's animals' needs.

 

[6TankReefer9]

I've run both nano and mid sized reef tanks (up to a 55g with a sump) over the decades. While I do agree that successfully running nano tanks requires a somewhat different mindset from running a large tank, the basic equipment needed to maintain the system/coral health is essentially the same (just a lot smaller and typically cheaper). IME, the potential issues for both small and large systems are similar, it's just that with nano tanks the issues tend to be much more immediate and noticeable due to the substantially smaller size and water volume.



True, a pico or nano tank is not for everyone, and conversely, the same can be said for medium or large tanks. But the question here is cost and that is directly related to how a reef system of any size is set up for it's intended purpose. One can set up a simple relatively inexpensive system, or go gung-ho and purchase every gadget on the market. Both approaches can be successful, but only if the aquarist has a good understanding of the system and it's animals' needs.

Agreed. One thing I'll point out however that many aquarist who've been in the game for a while tend to over look when setting up a another "new" system is that they've already invested in the past on things they'll be able to rollover and use on their new thanks. A new reefer will still need all the basic testing kits, refractometer, salts, mixing stations/ however small or large, ect., that a seasoned aquarist already has so they don't truly take "all" the costs into consideration. I think we all know that the costs of all the testing kits, R/O units, refractometer, TDS readers, ect., together can easily add up well over $200. And it's things like these that NO aquarist should skim over.

 

[cjd]

Shhhhh, i have an 1800 dollar nano tank right now, waiting on the kessil 360x to come out than it will a 2300 dollar nano

 

[vetteguy53081]

Shhhhh, i have an 1800 dollar nano tank right now, waiting on the kessil 360x to come out than it will a 2300 dollar nano

Yeah, them nanos can add up quickly

 

[dolliecc]

A very wise Lady at the LFS told me early on in the hobby, "never add up all your reciepts"!!! So I never did but I have a 125g, 6ft tank that is over running with all kinds of coral...

 

[vetteguy53081]

A very wise Lady at the LFS told me early on in the hobby, "never add up all your reciepts"!!! So I never did but I have a 125g, 6ft tank that is over running with all kinds of coral...

Sometimes better not to look back

 

[Cujo#31]

Oh man you are so right. Reefing can be EXPENSIVE. I will always maintain the belief that this is NOT a hobby, it's a way of life. A hobby is something you do in your spare time, and something you can pick up and drop on a whim. As you all know that is definitely not the case for reefing. As a side note, reefing is not a hobby, it is more like a bad investment and the true definition of "disposable income". But I love adding this venture to my way of life. Hardware alone, not including the 180g display (which I built) and the sump which was my frag tank for my old system and I already had a ton of equipment from my former systems. I still ran over 6k. An interesting poll question would be "What is the dollar value of money you have lost/pulled out of the tank/ or thrown away reefing?" Most of us don't keep track of that number because it would make us sick to our stomach.

 

[Centerline]

Shhhhh, i have an 1800 dollar nano tank right now, waiting on the kessil 360x to come out than it will a 2300 dollar nano

I've got just under 3 tied up in my Nuvo. I feel you pain. One problem with small tanks is that so much of gear available for them is just junk. Of course that's nothing compared to the live stock in it lol.

 

[drblakjak55]

29g biocube with stand, built in return pump, lights and stand from R2R guy 110$
Sand, heater, cute disposable filter cartridges for a year, salt. 100$
RO/DI 50g per day. 150$ with extra filters.
Rocks lying around. Six fish and one giant urchin. 200$
Added LPS, eight inch welso coral, 100$.
Change 6 gallons saltwater every 2 weeks. Test only ph and sp gr occasionally.
Just saying you can run a reef tank without a lot of stuff.

 

[vetteguy53081]