Ways to be frugal

[Martini5788]

I am wanting to consolidate a list of ways that people have found to save money in this hobby. I am not good at this yet, but on my time on this forum I have seen some really great ideas to save a few bucks here and there while still maintaining quality. I feel that it would be particularly helpful in the new to the hobby forum because these people don't know the tricks of the trade yet. The only trick that I have is to order nori from Amazon. I got 100 sheets or so( can't remember exact number, and I put it in a ziplock bag) for $10. So everyone please post your ingenious ways to save a little bit of cash!! Thanks!!

 

[gone fishin]

I don't know if it is being frugal but, on some items it is better to pay more and get quality the first time around. Skimmer and lighting come to mind here.

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Sushi wrap (nori and other kinds of nutritious seaweed) from any local Asian food store. Tons of it for like $5.

DIY wherever you can. Buying used equipment.

That's all I got. Aside from that, everything about this hobby says anything but "frugal".

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Buy large containers of salt over small bags or packages if you have a small tank.

 

[Martini5788]

Ways to be frugal

I don't know if it is being frugal but, on some items it is better to pay more and get quality the first time around. Skimmer and lighting come to mind here.

I completely agree. I'm thinking more about the smaller things to save money. Nori, carbon and gfo, salt mix, supplements, etc.

But also include things to definitely NOT be frugal about. Skimmers, lighting, the tank itself, equipment, etc.

 

[ryeguyy84]

DIY 2 part

 

[chefbill]

Pickling lime opposed to kalkwasser

 

[Sk8r]

Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime 5.00 a 2 lb bag, lasts quite a while as calcium supplement IF your tank is hosting stony coral or clams. You have to hand-set the parameters, then supply that powder in topoff. Beat 18.00 a pint jar for calcium supplement.

Use pillow floss for floss (sewing store), gutter guard for jump screen, and a daylight-bright CFL 6500k flood in a shoplight fixture for fuge lighting: cheato grows like mad. You may have to mailorder the bulbs, but they're not that pricey compared to an HO rig.

Get your salt in an Oceanic 7 gallon blue bucket. Great utility bucket.

 

[EvenFurther]

I've patiently kept tabs on sales. Scored a great deal on two new MP40W-ES, when the new QD came out. I saved about 150 each. Just bought new LED fixtures at 25% off.

 

[Spar]

Buying used equipment.

This is where I have gone well wrong in the past. Buying used equipment that dies in a matter of months. Then I replace it with a used item as well, that does the same thing.

ever since i went to new items (like what gone fishn is recommending) i have saved a ton of money in the long run. plus you get warranties which are unfortunately required here-and-there.

 

[mmittlesteadt]

This is where I have gone well wrong in the past. Buying used equipment that dies in a matter of months. Then I replace it with a used item as well, that does the same thing.

ever since i went to new items (like what gone fishn is recommending) i have saved a ton of money in the long run. plus you get warranties which are unfortunately required here-and-there.

Depends on "how used" the used equipment is, and that goes hand in hand with quality of said equipment to begin with. I'm thinking local groups, friends and the like. Sometimes people buy some high end stuff and use it for a very short time only to find the hobby is too much for them and the equipment they are selling is high quality, but hardly used at all.

Short answer. Used...but it depends.

 

[skibums]

Subscribed! Let's see more!

 

[ca1ore]

I'm all for saving a buck, but frugality in this hobby is a bit like putting cheap gas in a Aston Martin :lol: Well, maybe not quite, but it's an amusing analogy. BTW, buying used equipment only actually saves you money if you're a short-timer in the hobby; otherwise, in the long run, I think it's actually more expensive.

Other than replacing equipment and livestock purchases, my recurring monthly costs are supplements, salt and fish food. Economies (for a large tank, at least) came to me in the form if a calcium reactor and an end to 2-part, salt sales (Petsmart has these IO sales pretty regularly), and grocery store sushi nori. Now I gotta go and figure out why the Aston's not running properly.

 

[brianr24]

Save money? Don't own a reef.

 

[brianr24]

Vacation at one. Twice. And you will still be ahead.

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Here's my take on "used".

Someone is selling a large tank and they only had it setup a short while, only to find they have to move and can't take it with them. They can't sell it as new and there is nothing wrong with it. Don't buy it because it's used?

Or...Someone has money to burn and buys 3 brand new Kessil A360WE fixtures. Can't figure out how to set them up and out of frustration decides to go back to his trusty MH or T5's. So now he's selling them fairly cheap. Don't buy them because they are used?

Not every used piece of equipment is ten years old and encrusted with salt creep just waiting to die. As I said...it depends.

But generally, yeah...this is probably not the hobby to apply the word frugal to.

 

[Sk8r]

THis is a hobby that takes a lot of time, and ongoing money. Many people get way into it---then move, have kids, or just decide they don't have the patience. If you shop smart, you can pick up a good system---sometimes thousands of dollars, going for less than one thousand. The catch is---the reason the owner is leaving the hobby may be that that he bought wrong stuff and couldn't keep what he wanted. You don't want to buy his massive mistake.

I cannot stress too much: look up this equipment, brand and model, haunt the websites that offer the current stuff, learn the brands, figure out what you want, how it works, and figure what you want to keep, what its tank requirements are, how big it grows (some fish can top a foot in adult size) and how you are going to do this in terms of how you're going to maintain it, how you're doing to do the changes, get the rock and sand, make up the water 24 hours before use, and what makes healthy [corals, fish, inverts]...that won't eat each other. You also need to know about quarantine and the not-so-happy problems.

 

[Addiction]

Go sumpless. You can use a non-reef ready tank and HOB skimmer. I use the Aquamxx ConeS HOB on my 75 gallon reef and it is a beast. It is rated for 175 gallon.

 

[aydemir]

Im still new to this, but my advice would be to avoid an all in one tank because you're just going to end up upgrading all the stock equipment (pumps, lights, etc) it comes with eventually. It would end up being more expensive initially however but would probably save you money in the long run...
The only real way to save money would be a lot of DIY work (build your own stand, overflows, plumbing, LEDS, etc), which takes a lot of time people don't have. Also, getting the work done by a professional would probably include a warranty of some sort, which many people, including myself, would prefer to pay a few bills for.

 

[ca1ore]

Someone is selling a large tank and they only had it setup a short while, only to find they have to move and can't take it with them. They can't sell it as new and there is nothing wrong with it. Don't buy it because it's used?

Or...Someone has money to burn and buys 3 brand new Kessil A360WE fixtures. Can't figure out how to set them up and out of frustration decides to go back to his trusty MH or T5's. So now he's selling them fairly cheap. Don't buy them because they are used?

No absolutes really, but it's 'caveat emptor'. I just think it's funny how often folks attempt to sell their own used gear for more than they'd ever pay for someone else's. Agree with Sk8r that a bit of research is your friend - and with older gear take age and usage claims with a large bucket of salt.