The hidden costs of a large reef tank!

[tstone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698786#post6698786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ocicat
Are you saying that it can cost $1000 to plumb a large tank?? I'm planning a basement sump and haven't even factored plumbing into my cost estimates in any meaningful way...

I mean, it's just PVC and bulkheads and unions and valves, right??

:eek2:

Depending on what type of reef you are trying to keep you will need flow. SPS need a lot of flow which means stuff like Tunze and Ocean motions.

For your 180 a pair of Tunze on a multi-controler will run almost $900.00.
That is over and above any basic plumbing.

Taint cheap doing a large tank

 

[-=DieselDave=-]

Buying the wife gifts to offset what I have spent setting up the tank.

 

[tstone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700381#post6700381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by -=DieselDave=-
Buying the wife gifts to offset what I have spent setting up the tank.

Mine booted me out cause the reef was/is my mistress.

Happy days are here again.

 

[Wryknow]

The water changes certainly do have the potential to add up very quickly. I just decided to buy a KENT DEION unit for my new tank instead of an RO/DI unit because the DI filters are rechargable on that model. Also there is no waste water, which may help out on the water bill.

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6694940#post6694940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Konadog
I have found that making your own food is much more cost affective than buying it. I can make about $100 worth of food (LFS purchased) for less than $25. IMO, its much fresher and better for your fish.

Can you give details on how you make your food and what you place in it ??

 

[Konadog]

My fish food changes based on what I have, but for the base I use a sea food medley from Trader Joe's. It's like $6 or $8 for a package of the stuff and its full of shrimp, scallops, and squid. Asian markets have something like this also. I toss in a few sheets of Nori, a few scoops of golden pearls, a few chunks of cyclopeze, and some pellet food. Run it all thru the food processor and pour it into freezer zip loc bags and freeze flat.

 

[tstone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6701311#post6701311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
Can you give details on how you make your food and what you place in it ??

here is a good recipie

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

For water, if you plan on using NSW that you collect, don't know for sure of a place in LB but I use some from UCSB, you've got to figure in gas and your time to go and get it/store it.

 

[Ocicat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6699039#post6699039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tstone
Depending on what type of reef you are trying to keep you will need flow. SPS need a lot of flow which means stuff like Tunze and Ocean motions.

For your 180 a pair of Tunze on a multi-controler will run almost $900.00.
That is over and above any basic plumbing.

Taint cheap doing a large tank

Well, I wasn't figuring powerheads as part of plumbing... Those are their own can of worms (Vortech??).

 

[reefarchitect]

I'm in the middle of an upgrade to a 180. When I started the planning, I figured, with all the extra stuff laying around I've fot basically everything covered. NOT! Three months and several hundred dollars later, there still isn't a drop of water in the tank.

It cost me ove $350.00 in oak alone to "dress up" my stand and build a hanging canopy.

Good luck with the setup.

 

[Bumzyman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698786#post6698786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ocicat
Are you saying that it can cost $1000 to plumb a large tank?? I'm planning a basement sump and haven't even factored plumbing into my cost estimates in any meaningful way...

I mean, it's just PVC and bulkheads and unions and valves, right??

:eek2:

Without a doubt! My 535g has cost me well over a grand to plumb with fittings, spa-flex, etc. I have a basement sump thatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s not directly under the tank to deal with though.

Here was my first order which came out to around $800 with shipping. I had to go back and order more pipe as well as a few more fittings when I started connecting things, even after that I still had to run to the local Home Depot for misc parts. No matter how well you try to plan you always seem to need at least one more piece.

Sorry for the link, I don't know how to embed an image directly into the post yet.

 

[Konadog]

Bumzyman, I'll post it for you:

And my first order of fittings only.

 

[JoeyK@OCMD]

Be ready for high electric and water bills. If your fish get sick, you have to purchase more medicine for greater quanites of water and so on. The bigger the tank the bigger the bills

 

[SunnyX]

WOW, $1000 is alot for plumbing.

It costed me less than $100 to plumb my 225gl.

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6893758#post6893758 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
WOW, $1000 is alot for plumbing.

It costed me less than $100 to plumb my 225gl.

On my 600gal I just have some basic plumbing needs and I am prob close to $600-$700+ easy... I don't have any CLs or anything special, just a 2" drain and 2x 1.5" drains and some return from the Seq Dart.

Here is a shot of what $300.00 will get you from Savko and that was just in one trip...

 

[Konadog]

Shawn, the one white 3-way fitting on the right, what is that called? I need one in one inch.

PS, I spent almost $200 just in valves for my 225!

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6894838#post6894838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Konadog
Shawn, the one white 3-way fitting on the right, what is that called? I need one in one inch.

PS, I spent almost $200 just in valves for my 225!

That is a 3-way wye, They come in two different "designs"... The other design is like a coupler with a 45deg off the side... I can get some pics tonite when I get home if you need...

 

[Konadog]

No pictures needed. I have a few of the other types in 2" (see my post above for picture), but need one like that in 1". I just didn't have a name for them.

 

[BigBert96]

I only have a 120 gallon, but there were several hidden costs i didn't take into account. I must have made a hundred trips to Lowes for small things that most people dont think about. Here are some.

Pliers- $10
PVC cutters- $30
PVC Glue+Primer- $12
Clamps for flex tube fittings- $5
Drill (If you dont already own one)- $100 for a decent one!
Wood screws- $5
Wood Glue- $5
Acrylic Primer- $10
Assorted Specialy drill bits- $30
Filter Pads for sumps- $13 for one (Per month)
Window cleaner (Aquarium safe)- $10
Power strips X3- $20=$60
GFCI Outlet- $17
GFCI power strip- $25
Supplements of various types- Purple up $15, others=$45
Hammer to open IO salt- $12
Screwdriver to remove and adjust clamps- $5
Extension cords- $12 each X 3= $36
Python hose/vacuum system for cleaning sand bed- $80
Wood cleaner for stand/canopy- $8
SuperGlue gel for frags- $3
Water changes for 120gallon setup- ? Not sure, but a lot!
Xtra pump to circulate new water for water changes- $25-$100 depending on what pump obviously!
Xtra Heater for new water for water changes-$15
Wooden spoon to stir new water- $1 (Hey it all adds up right?)
Paper towels to clean external glass of tank- $5 (Per month Estim)
Rubber bands for frags- $1
Plastic bags for frags and fishies- $3
Buckets or rubbermaid for waterchanges- $6-$25
Aquarium silicone- $6
Prime water treater- $9
Extra orings and bulkheads (u never know)- $30
Cigarettes while completing water change- $3.50 X 2 packs=$7!!
And the biggest hidden bill of them all Gas!- 100 trips to lowes in V8 F150=$99999999!
Some may already have most of these but I didn't when I started. As you can see, there are a lot of small things people dont take into consideration when starting this hobby. Feel free to add to this list.

 

[cwegescheide]

Here is a shot of what $300.00 will get you from Savko and that was just in one trip...

I'm sorry but to me it sure doesn't look like 300 bux to me. 90% of what I see there I could get at lowes for around 100 bux