Cost

[poison oak]

I am thinking about start a reef tank that is 60 gal. I have enough money to buy everything and not just the standard products either. The problem is that I am still going to college and during this time I can only work part time. My question is what would be the maintenance for the month on average or if you have a similar size what is your maintenance cost if you don't giving it. Any help you can provide with be terrific.

 

[tanker]

Your cost can vary. If you go softies or LPS, you can do without adding lots of calcium. Also you will not NEED MD lights. If you stock with only a few small fishes, your water changes will be fewer. Also a good skimmer will also decrese water changes. Ect, ect..

Many factors.

 

[fareforce]

There was a poll on this a while back. It figured roughly $1/gal per month. I would budget $1.50/gal to be on the safe side.

 

[Larry Waughon]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

If set up well, the monthly operating cost is minimal. The largest cost after set up is updating to a larger tank. Good Luck!

 

[reefnetworth]

salt usually comes in amounts that will last many H2o changes. apartments here dont charge for water. instant ocean is the only salt ive ever used it has all the additives needed premixed. as tanker stated, what inhabitants will help us to determine if any other additives are needed. REEF-ON!!

 

[reefnetworth]

i buy 5g bucket of salt, $10.99 if you print the coupon from Petsmart site. see current tanks listing. it about 6 months, and i do H2o change every 2 weeks. parameters stay almost undectible for ammonia. the others are zero, always. i do add calcium, which a half gallon is about $25.00 i also use dKh buffer $ 11.00 half gallon. so in six months with 7 tanks i spend appx. $50.00 food $$$ depends on inhabitants.

 

[Randall_James]

You may get your water for free but you should still have RO/DI unless your source water is really good.
The cheapest you can go with salt is around .20 per gallon if you purchase 200G boxes. at 10% weekly water change you have say 1.20 per week in salt.
Electricity for PC's around $15 a month so we are now up to say around $5 per week
I would double that and you should be close to cost per month on a 60G. at $40 a month you should be able to take care of the tank in a reasonable manner being conservative

 

[XtrmCHoPZ]

I would say for a 60g look to spend anywhere from $100 - $150 per month. YOure going to have to buy salt, additives, food, RO water, FISH, INVERTS.....it adds up QUICK!

 

[poison oak]

Well, this is what I think I am going to add. Not all at the same time though. Once its up and running it will be over the next year, maybe less.

Mated Pair of Clownfish (not sure which kind yet)
Flame or Coral Beauty Angel
Couple of Banggai Cardinals
Tricolor Fairy Wrasse
Firefish Goby, perhaps mated
Yellow Watchman Goby and Pistol Shrimp Together

Bubble Coral
Green Fungia Plate
Hairy Mushrooms
Fiji Polyps
Fluorescent Greenstar Polyps
Clove Polyps
Maybe a few other corals and invertabrates

Cleanup Crew
One Lawnmower Blenny
Eight Turbo Grazer Snails
Eight Bumble Bee Snails
Two Emeald Green Crabs
Two Sally Lightfoot Crabs
Five Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Five Electric Blue Hermit Crabs

Is that too many things or too things? If I can add more I would like to but I rather be on the safe side and add to few of fish, invertabrates, and coral. That way thats not to much Bioload for the tank to handle.

 

[slapshot16]

My 55 gallon costs: 5 gallon water change every two weeks = 10 gallons. I buy my water premixed at $1/gallon. Water = $10 per month. Electricity: Depends on what you are running, but could range up to $20 per month. Food: Flake, pellets, frozen. $10 per month on average. Additives: See other posts. Impulse buys: who knows. If you budget $50 per month, you will be fine imo.

Bio load should be fine if you start slow. You should run a skimmer as well.

 

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7321289#post7321289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by XtrmCHoPZ
I would say for a 60g look to spend anywhere from $100 - $150 per month. YOure going to have to buy salt, additives, food, RO water, FISH, INVERTS.....it adds up QUICK!

this is 2.5-3X what it cost me to run my 75G SPS tank on 50% weekly water changes. However with the water changes, you can dump 99% of all the other additives you would even consider needing. Also testing becomes far less an issue as well so I save on test kits over the year as well.

 

[poison oak]

Do any of you guys/girls have any recommendations for equipment to get? The tank is 60 gal as you know. It is 36-18-22 if i remember correctly. I have a wood stand with a cabnit below and a wood canopy as well.

 

[RobNJ]

Are you planning on doing a sump/fuge filtration system? or do you plan on some other form of filtration.

If you have the room, go with a sump and a good Protein Skimmer and you should be set. If you have plenty of live rock this will work out pretty good.

 

[poison oak]

I was hoping to do the sump/fuge filtration system. I asked about at another site and they said no to worry about right now but I think if I could get it set now rater than later I would be better off.

 

[xlayedoutx]

Not counting PG&E i'm budgeting for $30 a month. Thats also not includeing any new fish or coral. With water changes, food, and additives i'd be hard pressed to spend that per month but thats what I'm budgeting for so that if for one month I don't spend the $30 it goes into my savings for new fish and coral. My tanks a 75g.

This isn't a comparrison in size but my cousin has a 28g. He has it fully stocked with like 7 fish and a couple coral. All are doing great. He bought a can of flake for the fish for $15 about a year ago and it still has 1/4 left. As for additives its about the same. bought some ph buffer about a year ago and the can doesn't look like its been touched. Everybodies tanks different though.