Monthly Costs of a small reef

F

FishMaster1000

New member
Whats up guys, I am only 16 and 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!
 
If I were you, I would first evaluate if when I get a car will I have to pay for gas and/or car repairs and/or car insurance. If you don't then I would not rush out tomorrow and buy all the equipment, but rather take your time and buy really good equipment since your dad is paying. If you are setting up a sump (if you know what a sump is), then I would buy a Euro Reef protein skimmer and not a cheap Seaclone 100 skimmer. As far as lights go I would buy a metal halide lamp/fixture so that if you want you can buy SPS corals and clams. However, if you do have to pay for gas, car repairs, and/or car insurance then I would get something low key as far as livestock goes if you don't have the funds. Maybe an anemone and a clownfish pair. Or just a few corals and 2 fish. It's hard to judge exactly how much you could buy. You could always go Fish Only. There's only so much you can do with a 28 gal tank. Good luck.
 
Its really not that expensive if you do it right. I think overall, I was under $800 to set up my 58 SPS, with halides. Monthly maintenance is about $28 in electricity, and salt every couple of months. Really not bad at all.

Just search the market forums, find a local club, and get what you can for cheap.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6910494#post6910494 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Its really not that expensive if you do it right. I think overall, I was under $800 to set up my 58 SPS, with halides. Monthly maintenance is about $28 in electricity, and salt every couple of months. Really not bad at all.

Just search the market forums, find a local club, and get what you can for cheap.
Click to expand...

$28 in electricity? Man..Im pushing $150 a month in electric bills alone. I wish I had your bill :).
 
Well I know what im buying and no I will not be setting up a sump. I will be using the Current NOva HO T5. The setup cost comes out to be ~400 soup to nuts. Not including livestock. My father is well aware. So far it seems as if I have to pay for my own car but might end up getting some help. I do not have to pay insurance, but will be paying the monthly paymets. I think I should be fine. I just feel bad hitting up my parents for the money...Also, I already have a 6 gallon nanocube setup since September. It is doing just fine, and I'll be taking that down if I set the tank up! I will probably go skimmerless as there is no sump and its in my room. I do not want the unsightly skimmer hanging on the back. Maybe a Remora. Umm.. I will only be keeping lps/ softies so I feel being skimmerless will not pose a threat. Possibly one or two SPS if the lights can handle it!
 
Your life will be so much easier with a skimmer. I think a skimmer in a smaller tank is even more important then one in a bigger tank.
 
I would get a skimmer and a sump. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time. That was my biggest mistake with my tank (I'm 15 too, so I can relate). I figured I'd be OK going without one, my tank was only 40g. It tooks me 3 months to figure out how much better a sump is (better skimmers, bigger fuges, cleaner looking, all around better). Then I got my ASM G-1X that replaced my HOB skimmer... no comparison, the ASM pulls out 5 times as much.

HTH
 
dont get the sea clone, it's crap. Reefing is not cheap, and whats worse, it's addictive. You may want a car now, but 6 months after starting the reef, you might be using a siphon tube on your gas tank to sell the gas for more corals...
 
you should reconsider. A skimmer is important from day one, clarifies the water so more light gets to the corals (esp important on low budget reefs with lower end lights), oxygenates the water, is a backup to other filters providing flow and oxygen. If you have a friend with a reef, ask to see their collection cup, then ask yourself if you'd rather have all of that in your tank.

If you start a reef without a skimmer, then add one later on, all the wastes that could have been removed from the start will bind to the live rock or sand and will be a source for hair algae problems later on...
 
For a tank that size I'd allocate $100 a month to basics, and then no telling how much to everything else you're going to want. :)
 
There are many other expenses that have gone unmentioned. Does Dad know you'll need a couple of hundred bucks for live rock?

Then there are the other things you'll need, which include multiple test kits, top off water for evaporation and making saltwater. (This should not come from the tap). You'll need to set up a kalk drip, and that should not be made with tap water either. (Or use a daily two part addative that will cost more). Will you run carbon? If you have any problems keeping calcium high for your sps, you'll likely need a magnesium test kit, and addative.
Containers for mixing saltwater, and storing top-off water. High quality frozen fish food. And the list goes on....

Above all, you need a skimmer. Not having a good one is a recipe for disaster. Once you start driving a car will the tank get the attention it needs? Water changes, skimmer cleaning, etc...I'm not trying to discourage you...I just want you to think it through. It's a commitment.
 
I have a nanocube set up now and know ALL of the costs included. Yes he is aware of the live rock, I have test kits from the Nanocube, and I know I need R/O water. SPS will be a DOUBT and if it did happen not for awhile. No way will the tank be Full sps it would only be 1 or 2. Why do you need a kalk drip? For what its worth I thought kalk was used to raise calcium. With an LPS tank with weekly/ bi weekly waterchanges why would it be needed? Thanks for all the help! Also Dr. Beer where do you get $100 a month from. I hope I am not missing something big here.:(
 
Your corals and coraline algae are going to consume calcium. It needs to be supplimented. If not with kalk, then a two part addative. I suggested a kalk drip because it is the most economical.
 
Additive will be easier in my situation, since I do not have the space for a sump ATO. THe tank is in my bedroom. I appreciate your advice though! ;)
 
The monthly costs are really up to you and how much care and attention you give your tank. Speaking from experience, when I was sixteen I decided to start my own reef tank. My situation was slightly different in that I had to flip the entire bill, but after initial startup cost, I found that creating the "small" reef that I desired was just not financially possible at that time. I had to settle for something slightly less, such as minimal livestock and live rock. I managed to keep the thing going for several years, adding to it when I could, and I really enjoyed the tank I had. But at that age with a limited income, caring for the tank often came second to other needs such as cars, sports etc. You are at a point in your life when your parents are probably going to expect you to take more responsibility for yourself. Consider the unexpected like a speeding ticket. A reef tank is not a poor mans hobby. With that said my only advice is to consider what is going to be more important to you, having a really cool fish tank or making sure you have gas in your tank.
 
Thats what is holding me back from doing it, my car. Although startup costs are covered I may have to purchase livestock. There I was thinking of one big order for all my coral before I get my car in May/June...This way I will not be buying corals and will just need maintenance, such as R/O water and salt!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6913548#post6913548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishMaster1000
Thats what is holding me back from doing it, my car. Although startup costs are covered I may have to purchase livestock. There I was thinking of one big order for all my coral before I get my car in May/June...This way I will not be buying corals and will just need maintenance, such as R/O water and salt!
Click to expand...

Thats no good solution either. Throwing a bunch of corals in at the same time is a recipe for disaster. Just buy slowly over time and dont overextend yourself monetarily. Shop smart and buy base rock, go to frag swaps and buy from other reefers, etc.... Just cut costs were you can but still buy good equipment where its needed.
 
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