Making A Price List

[jbcincy44]

Hey guys,

I am new to this forum but have been reading it for a little while. I have decided once I move into my bigger house I am going to upgrade my 90 gallon freshwater tank to a 180 gallon saltwater reef tank. Which will be in about 4 months at the most. I have been trying to do some numbers and have been looking at types of RO/DI, skimmers, lights, live rock, and sand for the most part. I am trying to stay within a budget of $2,500. But I want to get the best bang for my buck . The tank and stand will be right about $1,000 brand new. What are your guys opinions of what type of equipment I should get and what would you recommed, that could stay at least really close to $2,500.

 

[rjsilvers]

I would try to get everything used if I were you.

I bought new for my 30g and spent a ton of money.... I bought my 180 with stand, powerheads, pumps, filters, skimmers, rock, corals, etc... for $250.

 

[BradsOcean]

[welcome]

 

[jbcincy44]

Yeah I've looked around online for used stuff in my area and never find to much and if I do it isn't in the best of shape. I plan on just buying new, which costs more but I'm okay with it. I forgot to mention I already have filtration and heaters so I won't need to purchase that.

 

[xJake]

RO/DI: Basically the only thing I can suggest is get the best unit you can afford. It's usually cheaper to buy an assembled unit than to piece one together. I would suggest www.bulkreefsupply.com for some of the best prices you can find.

Skimmers: Try to go DIY if you can. Check out www.randystacye.com for a couple great articles on how to make DIY skimmers from PVC parts. If you don't want to get into building your own then I would suggest the Octopus brand protein skimmers from www.marinesolutionsinc.com .

Lighting: For lighting options checkout www.hellolights.com www.diyreef.com and if you're into wiring your own ballasts you can find some very cheap (yet identical quality to more expensive brands) at www.ballastwise.com. As for some cheap DIY reflectors check out http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/e...HTML/DIY_Reflector/DIY_Reflector_Drawings.htm

Live Rock: The best prices on live rock are at www.liveaquaria.com they have excellent quality and great service. If you're looking to save money on rock check out Eco RoX at www.bulkreefsupply.com as well as making your own rock at http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=807988&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 .

Sand: Try to find Southdown Tropical Playsand (aka Yardright Tropical Playsand and Old Castle Tropical Playsand) it's hard to find nowadays, but it is a great aragonite based sand mined in the Caribbean. If you can't find the good stuff the next best thing is pulverized limestone. You can find more info on pulverized limestone as a substrate at http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=889622 .

Things to avoid: UV Sterilizer - very little evidence to show that it is effective at killing parasites within the marine aquarium. High electricity-use pumps - if you want to save money in the long run go with some propeller-style pumps such as hydor koralia, tunze stream, or rio seio. I'd also try to stay away from wavemaking devices; they break easily, they're expensive, and there really isn't much benefit in terms of livestock growth or happiness.

Try to DIY as much as you can (it's hard to stay within any budget you set for this hobby) and do research on longevity of things before you shell out the money to buy them. There was a thread recently talking about the WavySeas wavemakers breaking (out of warranty) after only a couple years of use due to design flaws.

 

[jbcincy44]

Okay lets see here

Tank and Stand - $1,000

Skimmer (MSX) - $360

RO/DI (Filter Guys) - $250

Lights - ?

3 Hydor Koralia 4's - $150

Live Sand - ?

Live Rock (about 100lbs to start) - ?

I think thats all I go so far

$1,760 so far

I'll go ahead and push the budget and extra $500 to $3,000 but thats about I'll I can do probably.

 

[reef2]

lights 3x250w mh
ls 150# at least
lr 2-3$ a # if u find someone breaking down tank. at lfs 5$ and up.

u still need
sump tank
return pump

 

[Playa-1]

I wouldn't make the budget so rigid. I would decide on the equipment to be used not on price but on quality, level of noise, energy efficiency, reputation. You could easily save some money on lights and a skimmer just to give the saving right back to the electric company or even worse poor results in your tank.

I would pick the equipment that you want to use and then shop to find the best deal on that equipment. The last thing you want to do is have to buy equipment a second time because you tried to save a couple of bucks up front.

That being said, you should be able to build the system and keep it within your budget but You not going to be able to stock the tank. If you absolutely have to come in at that dollar amount then You should look on Craigslist and catch somebody unloading their whole setup because they have to move across country or something to that effect. There are some really good deals to be had if your patient.

 

[jthao]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12642570#post12642570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbcincy44
Yeah I've looked around online for used stuff in my area and never find to much and if I do it isn't in the best of shape. I plan on just buying new, which costs more but I'm okay with it. I forgot to mention I already have filtration and heaters so I won't need to purchase that.

not trying to be dumb or anything here, but that statement made me think about something that made me lmao.
is there such a thing as new live rock?? hahahahahahahaha
well I guess if you made it yourself, hahhahahahha

 

[jbcincy44]

Thanks for the help. This budget is mainly just for setting up the tank with live rock and all the things that it needs to run properly . I'm not including fish or coral yet, since that wont come till a couple months after I set it up. I have a pro clear 300 wet/dry right now with a mag 12. I also have a fluval 405. I'm probably going to have to somehow make the wet/dry into a sump. Also would this be enough lighting.

http://www.aquariumguys.com/72orbit.html

 

[Playa-1]

If it were me I would use your 90 as a sump fuge with modifications.
Use the fluval to run Carbon periodically and a polishing filter.
use the mag 12 to mix salt
I'd get two eheim 1262 as return pumps
Euro-reef RS250
3 or 4 Koralia Powerheads

Lighting depends on stocking objectives and if the tank would be covered or not. I would opt for a MH and t-5 combo. Retro with a canopy and one of the many all in one units if your going topless.

 

[kmf507]

Save yourself some money and skip the live sand. It is not necessary, as regular sand will become "live" fairly quickly. If you are convinced live sand is the answer, buy a small quantity, 20 lbs or so, and put it with regular sand.

 

[fattyratrat]

IMO the best thing to do is have your eye on craigslist like a hawk. At least in my area, about every two weeks you will find someone who has a TON of nice stuff and doesn't know it and just says come get it all for 100 bucks. Just search aquarium on your craigslist every day and keep your eye out.

 

[Gtstricky]

In case you have not gotten the hidden hints in the above responses... BUY USED. Craigslist rocks for used stuff. You can get great deals on here. Start buying what you need now and wait for deals. You might not be able to get everything used but the more you save on some things the more money you can spend on the other.

I made my own sump and got my skimmer, most rock, pumps, and some other small stuff used. Got my RO/DI, sand, and lights new. Spent a lot on lights because I saved so much on everything else.

Find your local forum in here:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=536

You can find some deals

 

[macchicks]

I am saving money on live rock by buying Lace Rock from reefsystems here close to columbus. They have some wonderful display pieces and they also have some already aquacultured (live).

Lights I dont want MH's I have chosen a T-5 unit with 12 bulbs. for my 6 foot tank its $700 petsolutions.com I am not buying the lights for awhile so I have not even looked for a better price.

Ro unit Buckeyefieldsupply comes highly recomended. $170 but I have a feeling I am going to need a booster pump. I am going to research boosting whole house though as I want a better shower and dishwasher.

Dont forget to price Any electrical upgrades. Mine is running about 150. Water storage extra heaters and pumps for mixing.
testing kits refractometor

Petsmart has fiji pink non live sand for $20 for a 30 pound bag.
Then I will add a small amount of live sand from reefsystems.com