cost per gallon to build a reef

[reefkoi]

I was sitting here thinking: Is it cheaper per gallon to build a large tank or a nano?

Add up all your costs to buy the tank, stand, lights, equipment pipe, plumbing, RO unit, timers, whatever all of it. Basically everything EXCEPT the livestock/sand or rock. Divide all this by the number of gallons in the tank to get a price per gallon.
Even if you built the tank yourself (eric) or haggled the skimmer for free, add up your actual costs.

I'll go first.

About $22 per gallon for a 600 gal. reef.:bum:

 

[Leopard Wrasse]

$35.25 per gallon on my Nano.

 

[RobbyG]

I did a Poll on this already, all the info you need is here

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=801412&highlight=cost+per+gallon

 

[Deuce67]

$30/gallon on my 90g. Thats including previous skimmers, lights, pumps, etc that I dont have anymore. Its around $20/gallon on what I have.

 

[reefkoi]

This is interesting is'nt it? I guess its the big tanks that cost more to maintain the water, but then on a per gallon basis they are actually cheaper and maybe even per gallon cheaper to run?

On a side note: sorry to hijack my thread but...........

I am going to experiment with a small tank, of say 1 gallon or less ( I am thinking ounces here.) with 1 coral and maybe 1 snail and 1 hermit, a tiny bit of sand. Put it in the windowsill with no additional lighting, no filtration, no water movement, just small daily water changes (using my reef water to be even more cost effective) i want to see what that costs and how it does, I'll post some pictures, maybe I'll set it up today! hell I can probably find everything I need in the kitchen LOL and do it for $0 per gallon!

 

[Crit21]

Chris, without constant temp and circulation, I predict a stagnant, smelly mess.

 

[Crit21]

But if you want some xenia, I have a bunch that I'll be clearing out today.

 

[crazyguy34834]

I built my 100g tank and 45g attached system for $15/gallon, got all the stuff off e-bay

this includes all the chemicals and food I will need for one year as well as a 10g refugium and 35g sump. The sand and live rock is not included and cost me $450 for 140lb of rock and about 150lb of sand.

 

[racer69]

I come up with $18 per gal. without adding any live stock, LR, or LS. But I got my tank, stand, canopy, and sump for $500...thanks Martin.

 

[normanviking]

It will not be stagnant. This test has been done before with sucess.

 

[reefkoi]

yeah i got the idea from julian sprung. My experiment will be a little different. he did one coral and nothing else. I want sand and a couple inverts or maybe just 1 snail. I have the tank it will hold about 32 ounces of water. Xenia stinks so bad I dont think i want to use them, I am thinking of an LPS though, I might go with a green trumpet I have. I had to go work today otherwise it would already be setup.
I will start another thread once i setup the thing. I am going to make sure this thing costs me $0 to setup and maintain.
It will be known as "the 1/4 gallon reef aquarium"

anyway I noticed todds and crazyguys tanks are larger and cost less than the smaller guys, so thats what i was after, I'd really like to hear from Eric (Calvin415) and see what the new nano runs per gallon.

 

[normanviking]

look forward to seeing the testing

 

[reefkoi]

Sorry guys I've been working sun up to sun down, I really want to get the little 1/2 gallon reef going. stay tuned I am gonna get this baby going this weekend I think, $0 startup cost $0 to maintain, I am excited, 180 opposite from the 600!
I'm just glad I dont have a 2700 gallon tank, I bet thats a few thousand $$$$ a month to maintain.

 

[Leopard Wrasse]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8597601#post8597601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi

I'm just glad I dont have a 2700 gallon tank, I bet thats a few thousand $$$$ a month to maintain.

If I could afford that size tank, I find a way to finance the maintenance.

 

[reefkoi]

yeah I think it would be called a paycheck for somebody fulltime. Hell i'd probably hire me a marine biologist to take care of that sucker. I just dont know if there would be any willing to live in colorado.
Chris

 

[fuzzyt]

You could offset the tank maint with in-house scuba lessons.

 

[calvin415]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8581646#post8581646 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi
yeah i got the idea from julian sprung. My experiment will be a little different. he did one coral and nothing else. I want sand and a couple inverts or maybe just 1 snail. I have the tank it will hold about 32 ounces of water. Xenia stinks so bad I dont think i want to use them, I am thinking of an LPS though, I might go with a green trumpet I have. I had to go work today otherwise it would already be setup.
I will start another thread once i setup the thing. I am going to make sure this thing costs me $0 to setup and maintain.
It will be known as "the 1/4 gallon reef aquarium"

anyway I noticed todds and crazyguys tanks are larger and cost less than the smaller guys, so thats what i was after, I'd really like to hear from Eric (Calvin415) and see what the new nano runs per gallon.

Sorry Chris, just saw this post. My current nano for tank, pumps and plumbing was about 200 so 20/gallon unless you count filtration volume then it's only 13.33 a gallon. Of course I still need to light it, but that should be under 100.00. If you add up my 40 gallon cube that I had setup, it ran me over 80.00 per gallon and a lot of that was DIY!

 

[reefkoi]

yeah I am surprised your nano is that cheap, but you did build it yourself, that is pretty important obviously.
chris

 

[Joe69]

125g about $21/gal

54g about $13/gal