What was the initial cost for your reef?

[TherealplexiG]

Anyone with a million dollar tank?

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

My build
150 gal pre drilled glass aquarium new - 900
Black stand made for the tank - 800
Refugium tank - 50
Total plumbing costs 200
2 radions - 1600
1 maxspect gyro - 200
Heater - 40
Water - 150
Rock work - 200ish but this can be totally different from everyone
Chemicals - 150
Test kits - 100
Digital refractomer- 150
Total costs -4340
So 4000 for a 55 is way excessive, also a large portion of my costs were lights so you can go cheaper here to save some money, I like the programability of the radions but kessels are a great option too, I haven't tried any Chinese lights so don't have any input on these but I know people who have been successful using them

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

You can get on battle corals and buy his million dollar mili...best way to say you have a million dollar tank XD

Anyone with a million dollar tank?

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

Sry forgot to include skimmer - 300

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

Im looking at a final cost of $4000 for my 1600 gallon soooo you are spending wayyyy too much! Nothing wrong with shopping around!

I'm assuming you meant to say 160 gallon right?

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

Tank $4000
Lights and mounts $4700
Sump $500
Vortechs $1700
Gyre $300
Return $400
Skimmer $750
Calc reactor/tank/regulator $1000
Mixing station $750
Heaters $130
Apex system includes feeders, wxm, dos $1600
Media reactors $300
Fish room construction $2500
In-wall construction/custom stand $4000
Rodi $300
Ato $200
Don't know how much I spent on all the plumbing

$23,150 for setup not including salt/rock/sand/fish/corals/supplements

At first I thought this hobby was sick expensive but then I realize that doesn't equal the cost of my motorcycle.

Hobbies in general are expensive because we are willing to **** money away on them!

How big is the tank

 

[Paul B]

My entire set up probably cost about $300.00. Of course that was in 1971 so it was cheaper. I also only bought the tank, everything else I built.

 

[ngoodermuth]

My thrift-reefing advice: buy the tank,heaters, and rock/sand firsthand for sure. Tank so the seals are new and it won't leak or come apart. Heaters, because heaters notoriously fail and should be replaced somewhat regularly. Rock because pests.

Most of the other equipment can be bought used or built DIY style with little issue. I've gotten some broken parts with used equipment but the replacement parts were still less expensive than having to purchase brand new.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

How big is the tank

300g

 

[Karlotious]

No i meant 1600 gallons lol The most expensive part were the acrylic panels at $1600. It seems as a majority of the posts spent top dollar on items that do not require such an expensive investment to achieve the same results. Yes a good protein skimmer, return pumps, and lighting are necessary but I refuse to buy from a store that values things at such a high cost. DIY is the way to go

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Anyone with a million dollar tank?

Hey for that million dollar price they could save money and buy both our companies and build all the tanks they would ever want;Happy;Greedy!

 

[Richards_reef]

Have had most of these items on previous tanks. I tore those tanks down when I set up my 75 gallon.
75gallon tank $75
Tunze top off $120
Mp40wes $250
Bubble king mini 180 $400
Apex gold classic $550
Jebao dp4 doser $90
Kessil 360w (x4 with mounting hardware) $2000
1" Sea swirl $45
Water blaster hy-5000 $250
Trigger systems emerald 39 sump $500
Diy stand $50
Energy reef ghost overflow $170
=$4500
This is roundabout prices from what I can remember, it is also not including many things like plumbing, consumables or odds and ends. It also doesn't account for many items I bought that were replaced because of quality issues like skimmers(x2),lights, pumps. Etc.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

To anyone that thinks people should "shop" or find better "deals" realize that if we want certain products such as Apex, Ecotech, AI, Vertex etc... these prices are strictly controlled. You may find old inventory closeout or good prices if you're willing to go used but most reputable vendors are not allowed to control pricing on newly released products from name brand vendors.

Just like how Apple strictly controls the pricing on their products. Very hard to find deals unless you're buying ripped off or used stuff.

 

[RyanCSGO]

73G 36 x 24 x 20 1/2" starphire with hardwood plywood stand and 4 chamber sump 1700
skimmer 200
Hydra 26HD x2 w/ arms 850
ATO 100
vortech mp10qd x 2 500
ecotech battery backup 170

3,520
add the "extras" of equipment that makes life easier later on, probably be in the neighborhood of 4500-5000.

**please don't let the wife find this thread**
jk jk, shes well aware

 

[Karlotious]

I understand the want to have brand name components but a brand does not guarantee quality or a successful reef. Understanding the components of anything and how they are made (material fabrication) or the chemistry of what is produced (alternative dosing methods, etc) will always be more important than a stamp of approval. In the early days of the space program NASA spent millions in an attempt to find a pen that could write in zero gravity, Russia used a pencil..

 

[679x]

So 4000 for a 55 is way excessive

I can't edit the original post to state the $4000 wasn't US dollars, but it's actually 3000 USD. Since I work in Canadian $ (I'm in Ontario) my prices are different, and I just forgot to clarify that it was canadian dollars. My budget is 4000 Canadian, 3000 American.

 

[TherealplexiG]

My entire set up probably cost about $300.00. Of course that was in 1971 so it was cheaper. I also only bought the tank, everything else I built.

I'll follow your footsteps...

 

[TherealplexiG]

In the early days of the space program NASA spent millions in an attempt to find a pen that could write in zero gravity, Russia used a pencil..

LOL....

 

[Frop]

My 10 gallon plus refugium cost me over $1,200.

Someone said $1,000 per 10 gallons and I believe it.

My 58 gallon I'm building cost way less (since I'm buying everything used and repurposing my 10 gallon light [which is a hydra]).

*edit you know what add on $200 to that since I got the Seneye used and a compute stick to run it.. lol

 

[needbiggertanks]

My first coral/fish tank was...

20 for the tank (petco sale)
10 for the heater (petco sale)
15 for the iron stand (walmart)
45 for HOB skimmer (BRS)
2 for Thermometer (walmart)
15 for the light (t5 craigslist)
0 for the rock (tutored someone)
10 for the sand (amazon)
8 for 2 powerheads (amazon)

...but i got what i paid for

Upgrades to that tank? Lots. Haha including HOB overflow, 10g sump, carbon reactor, DC pump, pvc plumbing etc etc...

New tank is a small fortune. Currently designing so no build thread yet