Unavoidable reef setup costs?

[ReefKeeperInVT]

I acquired an 80g tank and two 30g tanks pretty affordably off facebook marketplace, with the goal of using the 80 as the reef tank with a 30g as a sump and the other as an ATO/Mixing reservoir.

I had expected to spend $200 for the rock and maybe another $200 for lights and a couple additional hydor koralias (I have a controller already). Obviously salt, chemicals, and the livestock which I plan on adding very gradually are unavoidable costs.

I figured other than that most of the rest of my costs would be plumbing and caulking and the wood for the stand I'm going to build but... What I hadn't accounted for is that the return pump for the sump seems to run $180 roughly (possibly more for redundancy), Another $200 for a protein skimmer. I have very stable well water, I didn't plan on using any sort of RODI system, but maybe i'm delusional to think so. What else am I missing?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[laverda]

The cost of your return pump eill be directly related to flow and head height required. There is no reason to have more that 5 times tank volume flowing through your sump. Helps keep the electric bill lower as well.
Heaters & or fans depending on your location. QT set up. Most well water has a lot of minerals in it. Some can be harmful. It may or may not be suitable for use as is. Some of the water test companies will test your fresh water as well as salt water.

 

[ReefKeeperInVT]

QT set up.

Ah of course, quarantine setup... yea I suppose I will need to cross that bridge as well, I was thinking just an old school bare bottom with a HOB filter or something like that.

I have plenty of heaters and things laying around that shouldn't be a major thing

 

[Sod Buster]

Put a hundred in the pot for all your test kits.

 

[SDK]

Yes, you do need a good RODI as well. Don’t invest hundreds on everything else, just to start a dead coral and algae farm....

Patience can save you money if you prioritize things and keep looking out for sales or deals on used gear.

 

[MaiReef]

Get a TDS meter for your water. You can see that 0 TDS compare to what comes out of the well are vastly different and starting with 0 makes sense when you are trying to simplify any issues.

 

[Breadman03]

A RODI can be very useful. While you may have great drinking water from your well, it is almost guaranteed to have some level of contaminants that cause issues as they build up. Copper is one of them where your well levels may not cause obvious issues, but as you top off for evaporation losses, you add more copper that doesn't evaporate. Keep on doing that for a while and you will likely get to a level where problems occur. Silicates are another thing that can make you want to pull your hair out.

My advice: budget for a decent RODI.

 

[DavidMiller]

Jebao sinewave DC return Pumps (DCP models) are Very affordable and are getting a decent reputation in the field.
I personally have had one for over 1 year and a half with no real big issues. I have had to rest the controller twice (unplud the power from the wall and plug it back in). They are also adjustable and have feed mode. And apex compatible.

I run a 6500 at 30% in a 55g and a 6500 at 40% in a 75g. The DCP controllers also show wattage use in real time. At 40% I'm using 12 watts. Thats crazy low.

The draw back is the DC pumps, all of them don't offer the head hight AC pumps do. So if your sump is in a basement, I don't think these would be that great. But if the sump is going in your stand, You can't beat these.

Here's a link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JEBAO-DCP-...670326&hash=item1c91a7bb24:g:mhMAAOSwtIBZuH5T

 

[laverda]

Jebao sinewave DC return Pumps (DCP models) are Very affordable and are getting a decent reputation in the field.
I personally have had one for over 1 year and a half with no real big issues. I have had to rest the controller twice (unplud the power from the wall and plug it back in). They are also adjustable and have feed mode. And apex compatible.

I run a 6500 at 30% in a 55g and a 6500 at 40% in a 75g. The DCP controllers also show wattage use in real time. At 40% I'm using 12 watts. Thats crazy low.

The draw back is the DC pumps, all of them don't offer the head hight AC pumps do. So if your sump is in a basement, I don't think these would be that great. But if the sump is going in your stand, You can't beat these.

Here's a link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JEBAO-DCP-...670326&hash=item1c91a7bb24:g:mhMAAOSwtIBZuH5T

A year and a half is nothing in terms of reliability. The gact you have had to reset it twice in that time is why I would never recommend them as a return pump. My last AC pump only had to have the seals replaced in over 24 years of use. Also the watts displayed is only what the pump is using and does not include the power supply for the pump, so 12 watts is not real.
Buy decent pumps for piece of mind and you usually save money in the long run.

 

[DavidMiller]

The 12 watts is a true load. There is a bit of residual voltage in the power supply, but not really worth considering. Like having my usb charger plug in the wall for my phone. The wattage use goes up when I'm charging my phone and just trickles when my phone is unplugged.
IMO AC pumps are fine, but for me, just not practical. A decent AC pump cost 4 times more than a decent DC pump nowadays and uses much more energy which translates to cost.
Having a return pump out for a few hours isn't going to hurt a tank. As long as the circulation is still going on and the temp doesn't change. I keep a heater in my DT

 

[PatW]

Well let me think......

Power heads - flow in the thank is really important.
RODI system - quality water is very important. Heavy metals, pesticides, nutrients ... all sorts of things occur in drinking water. This removes the problem.
Lights - if you are thinking of SPS corals, clams, anemones and even many LPS corals you need really strong high quality lights to mimic sunlight and they are not cheap.
Auto top off - stability is really important for marine organisms.
Heater