new to hobby, initial setup... how much $?

[tempacc]

hi everyone,

I'm new to this whole community and the hobby in general. As a child, I had a freshwater tank complete with goldfish and swordtails. Unfortunately, something mysteriously killed the goldfish and both swordtails were able to leap out of the uncovered tank to their demise. That all said, here I am today.

I've recently come across what I think might be a good deal, but truly lack the experience to qualify that judgment. What do you all think?

1. How much is this tank worth?
2. Upon inspection, what should I examine more closely? (key areas)
3. What do I need to buy on the side? (needless to say, I'm a "newbie". i realize i could go bananas and follow the guide in the thread above, but i'm hoping someone will break it down in a few sentences)

Biocube 14 Gallon (2 years old)
1 clownfish
1-2 inches of sand
12-13 pieces of live rock (6 big pieces, coraline algae over rocks; owner doesn't know the type of rock)
some coral
no cracks in the glass
additional accessories (food, heater, thermometer, water jugs, water testing kit)

$200 OBO; I've seen the tank on sale now for $180, but the offer sounds tempting. Assuming I go with it, is there a guide floating around here on how to transport the entire setup?

Thanks!

 

[JBuffetReefer]

Your not saving a bunch of money buying this setup. You need to think about what kinds of fish you want and if you want to keep corals. A 14g biocube isnt very big and wont allow you to put much in it. It also doesnt have the lighting for corals.

If a 14g tank is all you want and you dont plan on keeping many fish then it is an ok deal. You are saving about 50-60 bucks vs buying new.

In regards to moving it, you will need to drain the whole tank, save most of the water, put the fish in a bag, keep the rock in buckets and make the tank light enough to carry.

 

[NirvanaFan]

What kind of lighting does it have?

A 14g will only allow you to have 2 small fish. If you are fine with that, it's not a bad deal, depending on the lighting.

 

[I AM THE REEFER]

I agree with JBuffetReefer.

Do you have any idea what you want to keep and where you want to put it? If it's just the clown then have at it knowing the you will probably spend 50-60 dollars of your time moving etc....with no warrantee.

Good Luck!

 

[joem1cha3l]

my inital setup (30g) has cost me right around $1500 thus far to set up.

 

[Mr.Clams]

Honestly, Try and figure a way to Fit a larger tank into your life.
I have a 60g cube. The initial cost was right around $1,700.
About $500-600 for the tank, and stand.
$400, for sump and return pump.
2 Koralia 4's, $60 each.
Chiller,with built in U.V clarifier and Heater. $400( from a friend, so i saved a few hundred on this item, which you can usually do)
2 250w metal halides $100 off e-bay,( i built my own suspended canopy for $40, that i mounted these into)

Of course this was just the initial setup, Then you stock it.. find new equipment to buy, ect.
Also, any tank under 40 gallons is going to be very difficult to maintain properly, and for the beginner.
You can go even cheaper then i did, and find Hott deals everywhere. Finding friends in this hobby will help a lot.
Don't buy your first tank to quickly, plan and make sure what it will cost to maintain, ect.

 

[Mopar Reefer]

+1 for a bigger tank and in the end you will not be disappointed. If your willing to be patient search for good deals i.e craigslist, ebay etc... I bought my tank oak stand and canopy with sump and skimmer for 400.00 on craigslist.

 

[Smitty750]

$3000 and growing 125 gallon, biger is better it gives you more room for error a small tank will require more of youre attention and bad things can happen quickly. But if a 14 is what you want than do what makes you happy

 

[sasharotty]

4500 and going on a 150, i agree on the larger systems being more forgiving.But if you catch a problem too late with a larger system could also be too late to turn around.Either way good husbandry means happy livestock!Happy Reefing!!

 

[Toddrtrex]

Man, I really don't want to think about this. I will ignore my 58 and 75. Recently transferred my 29 into a 33 cube, will try to figure that one out.

Tank and stand (( from a fellow reefer )) $150
Stand/cabinet to hold sump that wouldn't fit in the tank's stand $130
Lights $300
Sand $40 (( could have gotten it cheaper, but getting it close to me was worth the extra money ))
This is where the prices are best guesses --- since I already had them for the 29.
Overflow box $50
PVC pipes/fittings $30
Live rock $150
Powerheads $60
Total sump (( glass tank, baffles, Skimmer, & heater )) $200
2 phosban reactors including pump $60

New "stuff" total $580
Total --- $1170
Stuff sold from the 29 $250
Adjusted total --- $920

 

[Playa-1]

[Size=2.5]To Reef Central[/Size]

 

[JoeMomma]

This hobby is crazy expensive. Just go real big to start and save yourself the wasted equipment and upgrade hassles.

My 120 with basement sump and fish room cost $5000+

 

[tims28gnano]

[welcome]

i dont see an occupation listed under your name!

my advice would be to look on here for everything to buy! i just got a buch of corals from a local guy on here for about the cost of 2 nice corals from the LFS. wish i would have done that with my live rock too!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[_E_]

If you break the value of this tank down, it's not a bad deal, but it's not not killer.

Biocube 14 Gallon (2 years old) - Tank retails for $180-190. You will have to determine the condition the tank is in and take that into account. Additionally, add $90 if it comes with the stand.

1 clownfish - Tank bred Ocellaris is about $20 at many LFS.

1-2 inches of sand - Maybe $10

12-13 pieces of live rock (6 big pieces, coraline algae over rocks; owner doesn't know the type of rock) - LR typically goes for around $3-4 per pound around my area. If you have 10 pounds, ...$30-40.

some coral - This is highly variable depending on what it is and its color. IME most anything bright (reds, blue) is worth more.

additional accessories (food, heater, thermometer, water jugs, water testing kit) - Another highly variable area. Heater, maybe $15-20, food depends on type and quantitiy, testing kits can be pricy but would need to know type and quantity. Thermometer, jugs, etc is negligable to the cost.

Could you buy all of this for $200 brand new? No. But IMO its not worth the asking price unless this is the e-x-a-c-t system that you have dreamed of. Heck, I got an entire 75 gallon rr tank, stand, lights, equipment, LR, LS, and livestock for less than this tank.
Eric

 

[Sk8r]

For a first tank, I'd recommend the all-in-ones, 24 g Aquapod, etc. You can try it for about 300, excluding rock and fish and coral.

That sets you up to learn the ropes, figure out what you want, and then you can lurk on Reef Central waiting for somebody to sell the killer tank of the type you want, near enough to you so you can go get it.

 

[viodea]

You need to understand the tank size limit your fish selection.
If that's the size you want to go and saving a little bit, go for it.
Otherwise, going for a bigger tank is easier to maintain for beginners.
Most people don't know exactly what they want initially. Don't rush in, do more research on what your goal is.
I was going to setup a 40G tank at first, thanks for those encourage me to get 120G. My fish selection is much wider. There is no way to get a tang in a 40G but I can with a 120G (still limited selection).
I didn't understand why people had more than 1 tank, now I do. In fact, I'm planning on finish my basement and add a FOWL to house non-reef-safe fishes.

Remember, the saving you get for this tank is far less than the money and time you waste by getting to the wrong direction.

 

[tempacc]

Based on the advice from you all, I decided against purchasing that setup. I'll still probably start off a bit smaller than most (30g or less), but that's mainly due to my limited space and budget. At some point down the road, I'm shooting for Tampa Bay Saltwater. Thanks again!

 

[Sk8r]

Good luck to you. Your biggest learning curve will be water chemistry. Once you've mastered that, you'll do fine. Read the threads at the top of this forum marked with a * symbol. Those are a how-to that will show you a lot about equipment and setup.