College budget need a little help...

I don't have one I can give you, but if you have a pump you REALLY can build a heck of a skimmer from ACTUAL trash....I have seen a 2 Liter Coke bottle skim the nastiest stuff you can imagine....go to the DIY forum and you will find everything from little bitty skimmers up to 5 gallon water jug models....and they really do work!!!!! If you don't see a project you think you are interested in PM me and I can give you some hints on how to make a real skimmer for cheap!
 
thanks

thanks

alright i'll check out the DIY forum, i'll propbably need help anyways if i decide to make one but i dont know. i might just want to buy a cheap one. lol. I'll see.. thanks mitch
 
i will be getting a new skimmer in a few weeks and then will be selling my super skimmer 65, actually works really good for a lower priced skimmer, had it running on my 65 gallon sps tank for about 8 months and always pulled out some nasty stuff and nitrates stayed at 0. Will sell it for $50, let me know.
 
if you can't afford a skimmer, perhaps you should rethink what you should keep if anything at all. This isn't a hobby for the poor...

Perhaps some zoos and shrooms?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12121825#post12121825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flasher1
you dont have to be rich either...
Click to expand...

I definitely agree here. Proper setups can be done without buying the most expensive stuff. It all comes down to proper setup/stocking planning, and a good eye on tank parameters.

I'd take a decent look at the CSS 65, especially since that's a great deal on the used one from Jessica. If you have the time/diligence you may very well be able to get away with no skimmer whatsoever. If you keep your stocking load light, there should be no reason that a good bit of live rock and weekly water changes can't keep your parameters in check.

Good luck with your new setup. What size tank are you setting up?
 
45 gallon

45 gallon

i just set up a 45 salt tank and its been running for like a month, all i need is a skimmer and i'm most likely going to get the one jessica has, sounds nice and reasonable
 
I had a 75G that I kept for over a year with no skimmer or filtration.....but that tank was many years old and very stable......I don't know how that would work out with a new tank though.


As far as Corals....I rode around to a few stores with my buddy Victor(WWC) yesterday, and I saw some fantastic deals on corals, and some really good prices on fish also.

My first few tanks were super low budget, so you can surely do things like DIY skimmers, home made live rock, or bulk limestone......play sand.

Heck....I've been keeping Marine tanks for over 10 years now and I've only been buying really nice stuff the last couple years..

Bottom line is....you can build stuff yourself, and trade with local reefers once you get a few corals and have a nice reef tank on a low budget......especially if you travel to the cost often.

Heck.....you can even get bulk chemicals we use all the time if you know what you are looking for.

Oh man....I gotta see the 2 liter skimmer....are there pics? I want one!
 
If you're any good at DIY, we have a little project for you. Built one and it worked fine on our frag tank. Started a second one, but never finished. You can finish it yourself - parts are yours. Just come pick it up. It will need a pump. Good start and a fun project. You can search for "easy as pie" skimmer project. Send me a pm.

Rick
 
yea im responsible and absolutely love the hobbie. just tight on money, thats life. but my tank will get whatever it needs no matter what.

rick where do you live. i wanna check out the project,,,
 
Re: College budget need a little help...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12116141#post12116141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bottinelli
anyone have a protein skimmer that they want to give away or want to sell cheap. Let me know. Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

College budget+this hobby= not a good idea.

Has you can see your allready having to ask in hopes of a freebie. Save your cash and get yourself a great setup once you're out of school.:bum:
 
Re: Re: College budget need a little help...

Re: Re: College budget need a little help...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12133001#post12133001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltyguppie
College budget+this hobby= not a good idea.

Has you can see your allready having to ask in hopes of a freebie. Save your cash and get yourself a great setup once you're out of school.:bum:
Click to expand...

well said. I wish I could be as diplomatic... :)

Luis
 
I totally disagree.....I might be a newbie (reefkeeping since 1986) but I have seen people get by with the smallest investment you could imagine....like Ian said above, if you just do it smart it doesn't have to be any more expensive than you want it to be....used stuff, "fixer-upper" stuff, trades and swaps are all I had for years.....
If you have a DIY attitude and good skills you can do this stuff pretty cheaply, all considered....
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12133277#post12133277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MitchReef
I totally disagree.....I might be a newbie (reefkeeping since 1986) but I have seen people get by with the smallest investment you could imagine....like Ian said above, if you just do it smart it doesn't have to be any more expensive than you want it to be....used stuff, "fixer-upper" stuff, trades and swaps are all I had for years.....
If you have a DIY attitude and good skills you can do this stuff pretty cheaply, all considered....
Click to expand...


Yep i can put a airstone in a 2liter bottel and prolly squeez a clownfish in it. Doesnt get much cheaper then that but how good is it for the life of the lil critter i put in there?
Anything can be done cheap but not allways the best way of doing things.
 
it's never a matter of doing it on the cheaper side. It's more the fact that people dont realize what they get themselves into. I know because i started when I was 15. I still have my very first anemone and fish, a 15 year old LTA and A. Frenatus. If I could do one different? Waited until I was old enough to actually take care of it. I was lucky to have a mom house the tank in her basement until I was 27 and moved to florida.... I wish that upon no unwilling parent...

or I wish I hadn't burden my ex-girlfriend with weekly hour long drives, money that we needed spent on bulbs instead of school supplies and tuition etc etc...

I actually just took a 55 down in a friends house who's roommate didnt feel like adding water anymore...its the same story over and over.

never said it cant be done. I just don't encourage it.. :)
 
even being a newbie at this hobbie i'm investing little at a time. I'm getting input from all around including everyone here. me saying that im on a college budget doesn't mean im poor. just asking around for help and advice cause i know people are willing to help and i appreciate all of yall helping me out. Thanks a lot

bottinelli
 
For us, its exciting to try to do things as cheaply as possible. Trading, tank breakdowns, and when people upgrade their equipment are the best times to find a good deal. The coralife SS65 would be great on your tank. I ran one on my old 40 gallon tank, and it was perfect. Its a good skimmer and it really pulls some sludge. DIY stuff is great too. Its a neat sense of satisfaction when you make it yourself, and it works just as good as something purchased in a store.

On this site, HERE you can learn how to make a skimmer out of tupperware containers.
 
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