Monthly cost of a small reef

FishMaster1000

New member
Whats up guys, I have a very nice oppurtunity in front of me. My father says he will pay whatever it costs to setup a 28 bowfront reef. He says if anything all I will have to do is pay for fish and coral! I am not sure I want to pull the trigger. I will be getting my car/license in june and am not sure that I will have all the extra funds around! I am assume the only monthly upkeep is waterchanges which is fine! I know bulbs every once in awhile but besides that is there anything else im missing? This will definitely be the deciding factor! Please respond as I will be buying everything tomorrow! Thanks!
 
it is a bottomless pit, you are never satisfied. save your money and buy a car, go to college, get a good job, then buy a 4000gallon tank and swim with your fish :)
 
electric costs which i assume Dad will pay(we always end up paying for everthing sooner or later)
Additives - calcium and buffer(unless dad springs for the calcium reactor then it CO2 and media)
fish and coral food
salt
every little "reef gadget" you see:D
fish ( i usually like the ones over $100;) )
corals
test kits(unless dads buying those) tell him you need them for setting it up:p
 
I have a new 52. A bottle of salt that will last you maybe 3 months will be about 20.00. If you get a RO/DI unit (a couple hundred max) you can use tapwater forever..oops, no, you do have to replace the filters maybe every 6 months to a year. Food is minimal, about 10.00 ever so often. Test kits: the full compliment of Mg, Cal, Alk tests that you need, plus the buffers and supplements you need: about 150.00, will last you at least half a year---maybe much longer. Now...what happens when you go to the fish store and see a wonderful new frag is a whole other kettle of fish. We've told all our friends that gift certificates to the LFS are a good idea on birthdays. In other words, if you get your test kits and supplements, get your RO/DI unit, test often, and plan modest monthly costs after that, you can run fairly economically and afford specimens just now and again. THat's a fair chunk of change at the outset, for things that aren't tank and lights, but once they're bought, it doesn't get incrementally worse.
One thing you should consider is the time: a tank can't be neglected for a week or two, or you can lose everything you've got. It takes daily top-off, daily feeding, weekly tests, and monthly 20% water change at least.
 
If you don't spend your money on a tank, you are only going spend it on a girls anyway. This way you have something to show for.


Andrew
 
I say spend it on girls... the memories will last longer than the fish!
sow your oats, have fun, get it outta your system. ;P

get fish when you have your own house and can do it right.

seriously, this hobby is more expensive than a drug habit (not that I would know anything about that) and setting up and maintaining a mini-reef/nano is alot more work than a bigger tank. I have a 75 and alway look at it wish it was at least a 125.

Live rock is a big intial cost, does your father consider that coral?
 
Well as far as fish and coral go, I planned to hopefully be able to buy all of that before the summer, and the driving happneds!! This way I will not be able to add anything :)...Although then I may want a bigger tank! So I am figuring monthly costs to be made up of just Salt and R/O water. But I know I will be buying coral once in awhile! Such a hard choice!
 
Haha.. Man I really have to make up my mind. I wish I knew what it would definitely cost. At this point I think the smartest thing to do would be...Actually I do not even know what the smartest thing to do is... :(
 
Get your livestock and whatever else you can frfom fellow reefers. Trades and the reef underground are much cheaper and more fun than most LFS. Just make your parents take to strangers' houses. Don't go alone. Be safe.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6919008#post6919008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishMaster1000
. . . I wish I knew what it would definitely cost. . . . (

$2,359.68 - Just a guess, though!

Seriously, I've found that there are a lot of "hidden" costs. What I mean by that is there are always those things that make the whole process better and easier. They may not be mandatory, but they make life a lot easier and increase your chances of success.

If you're really conflicted, why don't you consider going fish only for now and breaking into corals when you get through the initial hump? You may find you are strapped and can't afford corals or that you have the funds available to get some nice colonies.

If you go fish only, you may want to consider going with lights that are appropriate for coral from the onset, otherwise you'll be wasting money now and spending more then.

Good luck and HTH.
 
tank, stand, Live rock and Lighting will be the biggest expense when you just start a tank. After that all the little stuff will add up quickly. Look for second hand stuff it will save you a lot of money when you just start. I got a 29 gall tank and stand off of ebay for $25, live rock you can find for 2.50-$3 a pound, Try seatrademarine.com and call Bernie he's a good guy and might cut you a brake. Then look on RC or NJRC for second hand skimmer's and light's or post on NJRC sight, WTB skimmer and Light. You may get lucky and be able to get everything for under $600, depends on how much you want to spend and the quality of the stuff you buy. Do what others have said and start slow and with fish only for now, then as you get more experienced get any corals you want through the club it is a lot cheaper than LFS.
 
Spent $40.00 today -needed a new Hydrometer $14.00 and saw a new skimmer REALY had to buy it too.
Yesterday- went to purschase a couple of mushroom caps, had to buy 10.
Day before- I saw a new store and stopped in, just to look, 2 Chemipure, reef Carbon, net bags $30.00 or so.
Day before that, had my water checked= posban and bags and a neet frag, Had to!! $50.00 plus!
Before that $$$$.
Planning my investment is not working.
 
u can do both have fun, dont spend an arm & a leg :)
if u buy a MH buy a 250 this way when u upgrade to a bigger tank u only need to buy one more.
JMO
have ur cake & eat it.
if i had all the information now back when i was 17 i would have done both & i woulnt have got in so much trouble i guess when u are 18 & u have a 68 camaro u are looking for trouble ( god knows i was)
 
lol steve, what was that bumper sticker, ugly as sh** but fast as hell?

I have a 36G and I basicaly have one of those hatchback ricer civics sitting in my bedroom :banghead:

I would end up crashing it anyways right?:D
 
bumper sticker was "looks like **** but fast as hell"
thats cuz i dumped all my money to the engine,transmission & rear. :)
welcome to "the danger zone"
 
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