What would could I get for this $$$

[jcard71]

Hi,

I'm looking to spend about $1,500 on a 90 gallon setup. Will that amount of money get a good setup in a 90 galon tank or do I need to spend more?

I'm not inlcuding LR, LS or anything else in that price, just the tank, stand and equipment including lights. I want to have alot of stuff that will require very good lighting. I also want to buy abover average equipment.

Thanks again for your help. I'm a firm believer in doing seaches on message board before I ask a question, but this is one I couldn't find...

 

[DamnDamsel]

Look for used equipment. Lots of people who don't come here and ask alot of questions are always selling expensive set ups cheap

Got my 180 with stand hood and lighting system for 1000. Even came with some live rock. Plus the guy gave me tons of do dads he had bought along teh way. PH's gloves scrapers etc.

 

[druce]

I have some left over equipment, PM if you are interested

 

[old salty]

Have you checked out the Elos forum on here? They have some uber sweet setups!!

 

[jcard71]

I'm really interested in buying new, so do you think I could do okay for $1,500?

 

[CeeGee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8094929#post8094929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jcard71
I'm really interested in buying new, so do you think I could do okay for $1,500?

I don't think so not if you want good equipment. It depends on what you want to keep though.

 

[barclayrl]

I have over $5000 in my 90 so far, Most of the money went to the lights and tunze streams. ($1600 of it) I bought a nicer than usual stand as well. So the tank stand and hood cost around $900 for me. I was hoping to spend around $1500 like you but that got eaten up real fast..... For $1500 you should be able to get a tank, stand, hood, sump, return pump, and a decent skimmer. That’s about it.

I wasted a bunch of money trying to start out cheap.... Don’t make the same mistake i did. Buy what you want the first time, don’t waste money on cheap or undersized crap. I wasted over $200 in power heads to start off, only to have them sitting in a box in my basement. Same with my original skimmer. Bought a small one only to save about $30 then had to re-buy the larger one to work on my setup. The list goes on and on...

Here is some expenses I incurred. Hopefully you already have some of this stuff.
This is my basic equipment expensis, No live rock

Tank, Stand Canopy - 960.00
Sump - 251.58
Megaflow Overflow kit - 41.99
RO/DI Filter with Float Valve Adatapter - 148.50
NEW SALT SALINITY REFRACTOMETER - 47.49
Coralife Super Skimmer 220 - 160.16
48 inch Coralife Aqualight Pro Retrofit - 618.00
Ebo Jager 250W Heater - 32.90
Mag 12 Return Pump - 122.91
TDS Meter ((not going to be used) Lost 23.80
Reffkeeper 2 Controller with PH probe 329.02
Mag Float 15.94
Aqua Medic Kalkwasser Stirrer 1000 211.48
Tunze Stream Kit TS24 + Sure Grip 100 Magnetic Powerhead Holder 966.15
LIVE CHAETOMORPHA REFUGIUM MACRO ALGAE CORAL CHEATO - 26.00
salt - 40.00
Dual InLine TDS Meter for RODI Reverse Osmosis - 34.00
KENT Float Valve - 27.20
3 salifert tests and PH calibration fluid - 65.19
float switches - 15.61
Starboard - $70

 

[RichConley]

I think you could do it. Actually, I know you could do it. I think I've got about $700 in my 58 now, and most of my equipment is way oversized.


90g on the cheap.

Flow
2x MaxiStream 1200 = $60
(roughly 5000gph there)

Light
6x54w T5 setup : ~$300 (w/bulbs)

Skimmer
Reef Octopus NW200 : $189

Heater
Ebo 250w ($15. What I paid online for mine)
Return Pump
Ocean Runner 2500: $50

RO unit :$100

Refractometer: $35

Test Kits
Salifer Mag: $18
Salifert Ca: $15
Salifer Alk: $15

55g tank for sump $89. Petco.
----------------------------------------
Thats about $800. That leaves you 700 to find the Tank, and stand.

90s are all over the place in the want adds. Also, if you're willing to build a stand (which is really easy) then you could probably afford to buy a 120, which is a much nicer tank.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

You could definitely do it. I'm working on a super cheap 75g (which is just 6" shorter than a 90g), and I expect to spend $500 just to get it up and running, ready for live stock. Check it out. I say you could do it with less DIY stuff for about $1000 and have an awesome tank. FWIW, most people spend about $35-$50 per gallon on a tank. But this is usually purchasing everything through online vendors and fish stores. So, a 90g tank set up that way would be about $3150-$4500 to have it completely set up and stocked.

Travis's "Reefing on a Budget: 75g Tank Build" - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=875880
Adnup's "55 Reef on a Budget" - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=831994