A
abefroman
Guest
What is the cheapest I can get a saltwater setup going for?
jimvette1
Member
Originally Posted by abefroman
http:///forum/post/2659371
What is the cheapest I can get a saltwater setup going for?
abefroman
Depends,what size tank? How much room do you have? The bigger the tank, the more it weighs! Think support.
My 46 gal. before fish was just over $1000.00
Bio-cubes cheaper.
Give us a list and size of tank and we'll try to give you an idea.....
http:///forum/post/2659371
What is the cheapest I can get a saltwater setup going for?
abefroman
Depends,what size tank? How much room do you have? The bigger the tank, the more it weighs! Think support.
My 46 gal. before fish was just over $1000.00
Bio-cubes cheaper.
Give us a list and size of tank and we'll try to give you an idea.....
A
allenk
Guest
I agree. I think you need to give us a ball park range of the size of tank you are considering. Otherwise, there are just too many variables.
The lighting cost differences between a 20 gallon tank versus a 55, or 100 gallon tank are significant. On the other hand, you can save quite a bit of money if you only intend to have fish and no corals.
Perhaps the place to start is to at least tell us what you want to keep in the tank. That will help determine the size of tank required, the type of lighting required, etc.
The lighting cost differences between a 20 gallon tank versus a 55, or 100 gallon tank are significant. On the other hand, you can save quite a bit of money if you only intend to have fish and no corals.
Perhaps the place to start is to at least tell us what you want to keep in the tank. That will help determine the size of tank required, the type of lighting required, etc.
fishygurl
Active Member
Originally Posted by allenk
http:///forum/post/2659456
I agree. I think you need to give us a ball park range of the size of tank you are considering. Otherwise, there are just too many variables.
The lighting cost differences between a 20 gallon tank versus a 55, or 100 gallon tank are significant. On the other hand, you can save quite a bit of money if you only intend to have fish and no corals.
Perhaps the place to start is to at least tell us what you want to keep in the tank. That will help determine the size of tank required, the type of lighting required, etc.
+1
http:///forum/post/2659456
I agree. I think you need to give us a ball park range of the size of tank you are considering. Otherwise, there are just too many variables.
The lighting cost differences between a 20 gallon tank versus a 55, or 100 gallon tank are significant. On the other hand, you can save quite a bit of money if you only intend to have fish and no corals.
Perhaps the place to start is to at least tell us what you want to keep in the tank. That will help determine the size of tank required, the type of lighting required, etc.
+1
m0nk
Active Member
Some of the most expensive parts of this hobby are not getting what you want right away and settling for something that's not quite what you have in mind. Lighting is a big one there. Figure out what fish you want to keep, if you want coral, and what kind, and go from there. If you decide you want to keep tangs, but start investing in a 55g, within a few months to a year you'll have to upgrade, so all the time and money you invest in that 55g setup will basically go to waste when you upgrade.
rockman
Member
Originally Posted by m0nk
http:///forum/post/2659465
Some of the most expensive parts of this hobby are not getting what you want right away and settling for something that's not quite what you have in mind. Lighting is a big one there. Figure out what fish you want to keep, if you want coral, and what kind, and go from there. If you decide you want to keep tangs, but start investing in a 55g, within a few months to a year you'll have to upgrade, so all the time and money you invest in that 55g setup will basically go to waste when you upgrade.
+1
http:///forum/post/2659465
Some of the most expensive parts of this hobby are not getting what you want right away and settling for something that's not quite what you have in mind. Lighting is a big one there. Figure out what fish you want to keep, if you want coral, and what kind, and go from there. If you decide you want to keep tangs, but start investing in a 55g, within a few months to a year you'll have to upgrade, so all the time and money you invest in that 55g setup will basically go to waste when you upgrade.
+1
briand7878
Member
Get a plan for exactly what you want. Do lots of research and pricematching on different sites. I found tanks where i live that are $1.00 per gallon up to 75. My problem was buying tanks. When i started i was at 45 then 75 now 125 next year will be 240. That gets pretty expensive. I think if I were to add up what i have in my tank it would be about $1000 minus sand, rock, and fish. Just start basic. Tank,sump set up,heater and lights. you can build your own stand and canopy for pretty cheap. Just start slow and build up to what you need.
nordy
Active Member
Excellent advice above! especially about getting almost what you want and/or need at first and then having to upgrade later. Planning ahead, and waiting until you can find or buy exactly what you need down the road will save big bucks in the long run.
If you are lucky, you might find someone who is getting out of the hobby for some reason and then get a deal on an established tank/equipment/livestock setup. Much cheaper to be sure, but not nearly as much fun as starting from scratch and really learning the sickness, er, excuse me, the hobby. I started years ago when a buddy gifted me a fully stocked FW 55gal tank with pumps, filters, fish, plants, etc, etc. Switched to SW a few years later and it's been downhill ever since!
P. S. Welcome to the boards!
If you are lucky, you might find someone who is getting out of the hobby for some reason and then get a deal on an established tank/equipment/livestock setup. Much cheaper to be sure, but not nearly as much fun as starting from scratch and really learning the sickness, er, excuse me, the hobby. I started years ago when a buddy gifted me a fully stocked FW 55gal tank with pumps, filters, fish, plants, etc, etc. Switched to SW a few years later and it's been downhill ever since!
P. S. Welcome to the boards!
T
touchthesky00
Guest
too much...
otley 1975
Member
I agree with almost everything on this thread. I think you need to decide what you want to keep. Fish only or corals or some combo. Also don't start with junk, that includes fish and corals as well as equipment. You'll regret buying junk later on. Once you figure out what your going to keep buy the right equipment (new or used) and don't waste money on something you don't need. I did this and regret some of my picks. The best advice I can give is to get a reef ready take if your going to do a sump. Spend the extra money now or have what I had when the power when out a week ago. Its great to have an indoor swimming pool.
aquaguy24
Active Member
i started with a 24g aquapod..just to get it started and running with 25lb live rock and 20 lbs live sand..cost me almost about $750 with all the the equipment needed to get it going. not including test kits. live stock.cleaning tools. most expensive thing was the live rock..5 bucks a lb can add up real quick...so if ur looking at it being cheap, try to buy used..and most important research first before u buy..u will save a ton of money just by researching..if u want u can just buy piece by piece....
jonp
Member
How much you spend depends on much you want to research. You can do no research and go down to your LFS. They will sell you everything and before you know it you'll be dosing every chemical and having everything you don't need in / on your tank. An hour worth of good researching will save you alot of money and headaches.
Like stated above, just keep a search on craigslist and you could find a really good deal with everything you need.
Like stated above, just keep a search on craigslist and you could find a really good deal with everything you need.
spiderwoman
Active Member
Also do not start with something very small as a beginner. Smaller is harder to keep up with if you don't know what you are doing.
kaingers
Member
A lot of great advice. I was given a 20 gallon tank and learned a lot about the hobby with that. IMO start small, learn, then expand to your dream tank once you have the knowledge. If you start with a 200+ gallon system and mess up it will cost you a lot more money than if you make that mistake with a 20 gallon setup. I currently have a 28 gallon reef tank and have $1000 invested in the hobby since I started a year ago. If I were to do the same style system over again I am positive I could do it for half the cost using what I have learned about the hobby.
txmedic1
Member
ok, here is my 2 cents. its going to cost you twice as much as you can afford right now. that is because, unless you are VERY strict with your spending, you will always spend more than your initially budgeted. you will see the cool corals, beautiful fish, and latest and greatest in equipment. its very easy to go overboard in this hobby. second, i dont recommend going "small". "small" in this hobby is "difficult" at the least. the terms nano's and pico's should be left for the those with experience and a true understanding of saltwater husbandry. i recommend getting the largest tank that you can afford. the reason being is that, small tanks will go down hill fast and in hurry. if your not paying close attention, your $500-$1000 investment in a "small tank" will be disappointing. in a larger tank, its easier to compensate for things that may go wrong, and save the tank and its residents. first, read, read and read more. when you think you might have the faintest idea of whats going on in a saltwater tank, read it all over again. wish you the best of luck.
niskyvaulter
Member
another useful thing for us to know, if you dont mind saying, is how much you expect to spend. i dont even expect you to answer this question because its hard to know exactly where you will draw the line, but its worth a shot to ask.
michaeltx
Moderator
you can setup a tank cheaply I had a total of about 150$ in my 58 but from looking at it you would swear I had 1000$ or more in it. but you get what you pay for equipment wise so dont skimp or be prepared to replace it if needed. also used equipment and coral frags go along way in lowering the cost of setting up a tank.
Mike
Mike
airandsea
Member
I am very new to SW and just like they said, research will save you the most money. Examples: My local fish store was selling an aquapod 24 with the stand for about $400. I did about 25 minutes of searching and asking around and was able to get a brand new one with the stand shipped to me for $250!!! Classifieds are a great place too. After I bought my tank I found a used aquapod 24 with everything in it for $150. But, I am I have been able to watch my personal tank develop. Also, when I purchase my hydor koralia 2 pump, after about 25 minutes of looking around I saved about $20-$30. Check around for live rock and if you don't live in a big city where the prices are usually cheaper, make a trip of it and check out some places. My LFS sells live rock for $9 per lbs. I was dropping my wife off at an airport in a big city and they were selling the same live rock for $3.99 per lbs. When you start looking for corals, check out peoples frags. You can find some great deals and some wonderful specimens. Also, it gets very, and I mean very addictive. I have spent more than I thought I would just from learning more and wanting more. Good luck!!!!