What des the average 300 Reef tank setup cost?

[oceana]

i dont care to break it down to the dollar. (affraid to) but i would guess if i had to replace everything in my tank and all the equipment today it would cost around 30K. that would be to replace EVERYTHING just as it sits at retail cost. the problem is that many of the corals would be VERY hard to replace. to the cost could really get shot up. this does not include my HUGE electric bill and water/salt cost every month

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Rykna
One way I have found to cut down on rock is to buy reef bones and put them in with your live rock and watch them come to life!!!!! I've made over 50 dollars doing that. I've been thinking about building the tank myself. I've been looking over some of the threads regarding the subject and I like the designs. The store bought tanks are so flimsy. One of the threads showed how to build a 220 gallon for 500 bucks. I'm thinking of building it as a room devider. Problem is I don't think Our floor can hold it. I'm guessing it will have to go in the basement. hmmmmmmm 300x3=2400lbs+ 200lbs live sand +300 lbs live rock.......and salt water weighs more than fresh water per pound.....so thats at least 3500 lbs....hmmmmmmmmm.

try 300x8.56
salt water weighs about 8.56 pounds per gallon

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Rykna
One way I have found to cut down on rock is to buy reef bones and put them in with your live rock and watch them come to life!!!!! .........

Eghh... that's a good way to spread coralline algae, but not really "live" rock.
In fact, you need to seed your tank every couple of years with "fresh" live rock to add biodiversity.
The immense biodiversity of fresh rock is what makes it "live". Much of that life dies off over the years in our tanks. Seeding dead rock in an aquarium is a mediocre way to make rock live, at best.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by oceana
try 300x8.56
salt water weighs about 8.56 pounds per gallon
wow 30k! :scared:
thanks...8.56.

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by Rykna
wow 30k! :scared:
thanks...8.56.

Why did you go and do that to me.....I sat down last night and I'm already 18k and haven't even started with LR, sand, and new corals yet........

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
Why did you go and do that to me.....I sat down last night and I'm already 18k and haven't even started with LR, sand, and new corals yet........

like is aid i choose not to add it all up. I figure if you have to sit there and figure out every little penny there is a good chance you dont belong in a hobby like this in the first place. this is one hobby that IS NOT for poor people but it does make alot of rich people poor. lol

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by oceana
like is aid i choose not to add it all up. I figure if you have to sit there and figure out every little penny there is a good chance you dont belong in a hobby like this in the first place. this is one hobby that IS NOT for poor people but it does make alot of rich people poor. lol
I never complain about how much the hobby costs........We all know this getting into the hobby the addiction.....The bottom line regardless if you itemize it all up I never regret a penny spent on my systems........

 

[joshd123]

I just got my 300 gallon yesterday. I have 1000 watts of pc that cost me around $800 and that is stuff off the big auction site. It is not one set up but diffrent balaist that I am going to use. I have 2 400 watt M/H hamptons with new bulbs I got for $300 shipped. 2 250 watt M/H Coralvue that I got off another tank for about $150. 2 3 month old bulbs for the 250 for $25 shipped. Tank was about $1500. Pipe and fittings probley $50 or $60. I have 2 skimmers I am going to use and have around $250. 400 pounds of Live rock. Some I got from LFS for $8 a pound but you could all 400 pounds for about $1400 if you got it all at once from the big auction site. I have more like $2200 in my live rock. I am building my own stand because it is in the wall. So with trim studs for stand and wall sheetrock and the door for the room behind the tank is going to cost me about $500 + about 30 hours of time. Then I got a 55 gallon fish tank I am making a custom sump. I got the tank for a yardsale for $30. Another 55 gallon for a fuge for ting $50. Then about 6 used power heads that I have $60 in them. A used but almost new mag 9.5 and in sump skimmer for $85 shipped. Another mag 9.5 and a 25 watt Uv for $90 shipped. A mag 5 I have got for about $50 shipped. I am going with heaters I got from yardsales for probley 5 each. So $15 in that. The live sand I have $200 in that. The salt probley $150. I have over 70 diffrent corals that I have invested close to $2500. All my livestock I have $500+ because I am getting more when I get the tank up and going. Probley $200 in clean up crew. Getting a 6 stage R/O for maybe $110 shipped. Then all the food, test kits, and glues for fragging and other items maybe $200 or $300. So lets add this up. OMG that is $10,070 and going up by the month. That is almost stupid haha. I also have another 125 reef and a 105 reef and a 39 with 2 seahorses not added into this. I have only been in this hobbie for a year this month and probley have an easy $15k to $20k invested. That is just stupid. I could have a new truck or a boat or lots of stuff. Man you really need to think this over bro. Do lots of shopping around and wait for a good deal to come around.

 

[rykna]

:scared: ummmmm.....hmmmmmmmmm...........might be cheaper to move to the carribean.
I'm acctually thinking of building the tank and stand myself..... :notsure:

 

[oceana]

Originally Posted by Rykna

:scared: ummmmm.....hmmmmmmmmm...........might be cheaper to move to the carribean.
I'm acctually thinking of building the tank and stand myself..... :notsure:

the stand ok but the tank you should really think about. this is ALOT of water it only takes one small error to end up with a very BIG mess. you are talking about large peices and you will need to be VERY accurate with your cuts. on larger tanks jobs like this are much better left to the pros. save money in other places. you will be very glad you did. just picture your wife or girlfriends face when you come home to that tank all over the floor. that alone should make it worth the cost of having it built lol. I consider myself very up to par on DIY projects and i would not even think about building a tank myself over 100 gallons. not to mention that after you by the supplies and everything to build it you will be surrprised at how little is really saved

 

[rykna]

Giggle, well being that I am the wife, LOL, I would be the one in the dog house. As for my hubby, there have been plenty of times we almost had sushi for dinner. I like the chanllenge though....although you're right one little hole in the seam and splooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh! I like the way the one thread that talks about the build of the 220 , the guy who built it combined the stand with the tank, I believe to get more stubility and, it would be a little bit easier to make the seams fit for the tank. Course the million dollar question is "will it hold water"

 

[triga22]

Here.. You first take out a loan..
....... Sell your house and everything in it.. Then a reef ..
lol
Its alot of money

 

[acrylic51]

1000 watts of PC for $800.00 not a real deal IMO.......Funny thing is 95% of my parts are at my wholesale cost......

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by TriGa22
Here.. You first take out a loan..
....... Sell your house and everything in it.. Then a reef ..
lol
Its alot of money

now why didn't I think of that... :hilarious