How to save money setting up a salt water tank

keith burn

keith burn

Active Member
Ok Oldtimers... let's have your money saving secrets for setting up and maintaining tanks!!! :thinking:
Not everyone who loves this hobby has all that much money to get started. I thought this would be a good thread to start for those people, myself included..LOL

We made our own fish food from a box of frozen saltwater creatures at Walmart, and some garlic. We saved loads on that endeavor. The fish love it, the anemones love it, and we just used our food processor to get it all together then froze it in ice trays.
Any other cool ideas???
 
fishntx

fishntx

Member
i build all my stands and canopies, this can end up saving $100's also i use half live rock and half base rock.
 
celacanthr

celacanthr

Active Member
-Make -instead of buying- most of your LR
-Use sand from HD and then get a small bag of "live sand" from the LFS and spread it on top of the HD sand
-Like fishntx said make your own stands and canopies
-Look around for used equipment online and at garage sales (just be careful that the tank is still in good condition, and that the previous owner hasn't used copper or other bad chemicals in the tank)
-When you are buying your Cleanup crew look online for websites that will give you free shipping (like this website)
-Have a list of equipment that you do need, so that if you happen to go to a bad LFS they won't get you to buy expensive equipment that doesn't work, or that you don't need
-Make sure you can care for any creatures that you get (will save you money on livestock)
-Make sure that all your livestock will get along
-Make sure that you QT
-CELA
 
sagxman

sagxman

Member
My biggest money saving tip:
Buy what you may want later, now! What I mean is, if you know you want to keep clams or high light corals later, don't get crappy lights to get you by. You'll end up spending double to upgrade.
 
N

nereef

Guest
your own RO unit will save tons in the long run. look in a certain magazine for equipment, and maintainence stuff (carbon, salt, etc). pet stores always overprice things like this.
 
moneyman

moneyman

Member
Join a local reef club. You get first dip on the equipments and livestocks. Also, LFS might give you discounts.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
NEVER overlook the local newspaper classifieds. I commonly see LARGE full tank setups (200g!) for $1000 or similar. Yeah, that's a lot for sure, but NOTHING compared to the cost of buying new. Many come fish and all.
 
shiby1510

shiby1510

Member
diy rock and oldcastle playsand, also anything else diy...
trading corals, etc.
and use classifieds like everyone else said.
NeReef.. you made your own RO?? I'm very interested! :happyfish
 
omgsaltwat

omgsaltwat

Member
Originally Posted by keith burn
Ok Oldtimers... let's have your money saving secrets for setting up and maintaining tanks!!! :thinking:
Not everyone who loves this hobby has all that much money to get started. I thought this would be a good thread to start for those people, myself included..LOL

We made our own fish food from a box of frozen saltwater creatures at Walmart, and some garlic. We saved loads on that endeavor. The fish love it, the anemones love it, and we just used our food processor to get it all together then froze it in ice trays.
Any other cool ideas???

:hilarious ..............ha ha ha
 
ssjkakarot

ssjkakarot

Member
money saving tips? RESEARCH can save you loads of money... research what you want and what you need before spending the money on the on things u dont need or want
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
sagxman has it right upgrading later wil only cost u more money patience applies to equipment as much as it does to stocking ur tank
 
mikeyjer

mikeyjer

Active Member
Most good advice are given before me. I really would say to purchase new equipment cause you do not know the condition of the equipment your buying. I bought a won pro heater from someone locally, it failed within 2 months of usage. IF you bought it new, at least it would be under warranty. All my other equipment are new and I haven't had a problem except with what I've purchased used. :happyfish
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
I like the idea of used goods (I still have the same powerhead, substrate, tank, lights for fuge, and even heater until a few months ago when I pulled it out the tank too fast from the mid 90's). Quality aquarium equipment is extremely reliable. I think its more important to chose quality equipment and avoid shady characters than to avoid used altogether. The good thing is if you buy enough used equipment even if something fails and you have to replace something you still can come out ahead.
then theres the usual mentioned and some others: play sand, base or DIY rock, homemade fuge, retro lighting/pendants, R.O. unit, cheap salt ( I use red sea $5 25gallon bag no problems yet, test better than IO), coral fraging/selling/trading
 
hook

hook

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
NEVER overlook the local newspaper classifieds. I commonly see LARGE full tank setups (200g!) for $1000 or similar. Yeah, that's a lot for sure, but NOTHING compared to the cost of buying new. Many come fish and all.
i bought a 125 gallon with everything i needed+more for only 300 bucks! 70+ lbs of live rock, 3 power heads, tons of stuff!
 
N

nereef

Guest
Originally Posted by shiby1510
NeReef.. you made your own RO?? I'm very interested! :happyfish
no, lol. i meant that buying your own RO unit is cheaper in the long run than spending 40 cents a gallon at a time everytime you need water. its also cheaper than trying to fix crappy water conditions if you didn't use it in the first place.
 
sagxman

sagxman

Member
Oooh, here's another one:
Just because a salesperson at an LFS says you can put a purple tang in a 30 gal., doesn't mean it will live. There's $80+ down the drain.
(Disclaimer: I have never done this, just an example.)
 
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