Which tank is better?

[MurphyLong]

New costs a lot more than used but that's what I wanted. I have $1500 in frags alone but I also have alot of them, about 60 at last count.

Where the heck do you spend $1.500 on 60 frags?

There are quite a few reefers in my area who hold random auctions and raffles. I won 21 frags for $20 last year, and it included 2 gorgeous softball sized chalices, and several corals I didn't know enough about to risk keeping them, so I gave them to other reefers around town, and just kept the simple stuff like Zoas, Acans, favia, etc.

The tank I'm running now, I only have a few corals yet... Some zoas, 6-head acan, some GSP, a candy cane, and a frogspawn... I've got about $25 into all of them.

 

[JTL]

Where the heck do you spend $1.500 on 60 frags?

There are quite a few reefers in my area who hold random auctions and raffles. I won 21 frags for $20 last year, and it included 2 gorgeous softball sized chalices, and several corals I didn't know enough about to risk keeping them, so I gave them to other reefers around town, and just kept the simple stuff like Zoas, Acans, favia, etc.

The tank I'm running now, I only have a few corals yet... Some zoas, 6-head acan, some GSP, a candy cane, and a frogspawn... I've got about $25 into all of them.

Check around. Very easy to spend $25 per frag on nice specimens. I have seen lots of stuff for $5 and $10 but none to my liking. Lots of beginner coral like softies can be pretty cheap. When I sold the corals from my last tank I had some nice colonies that I started from frags. Most of what I sold was over $100 per coral and a couple were over $300. If it is cheap or free than that is what it is worth.

 

[MurphyLong]

If it is cheap or free than that is what it is worth.

Again, not always the case. Granted, GSP, clove polyps, anthelia, and other "weeds" are notable cheap, but when I'm getting Oregon Mummy Eye Chalice with over a dozen eyes as part of a raffle or auction, with 20 other frags for $20, that theory goes away.

Then again, I'm patient, and usually don't buy something unless the stars are aligned, I don't do impulse buys, and will buy privately before I spend 5x the price at a LFS.

 

[Ryan Darilek]

That's a gorgeous little cube, if you'd like to share the rough budget breakdown, I'd be interested!

Thanks man! Heres the breakdown of where I've spent money:

Tank & stand - $580
Lighting & Controller - $390
Filtration media - $80
Power heads - $90
Upgraded return pump - $45
Heater - $35
Accessories (hydrometer, nets, etc) - $215
Live rock & sand - $450
Testing kits - $75
Salt & chemicals/additives - $135
Clean up crew - $80
Fish - $420
Anemone - $150
Corals (a lot of large colonies, not frags) - $1350

This all totals $4,095 but doesn't include the quarantine tank, which is something folks should include in their budgeting. Including that at $4,280 .... Don't tell my wife. Haha.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[JTL]

Ryan, that sure doesn't surprise me. Eye candy is not cheap.

 

[Dmorty217]

Ha corals are cheap for the most part, I had a rare angel addiction (still do actually) and at one time had 12K in fish and there weren't that many... $1000 per 10g is way high, since my 800g of water volume didn't cost me 80K. Between the tank and equipment I have 10K probably but the tank was bought used so that saved me a lot.

 

[JTL]

So are fish and you don't need as many. High end is just that. I guess the what has always bothered me is too many fish or too many large fish in a small glass box. People think a few hundred gallons is BIG not if the fish are 12" going back and forth like they are in solitary confinement. Corals being stationary are different. jmo.

 

[jubei2006]

This hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Some of the smallest fish carry ridiculous price tags. Peppermint angel anyone? We should however take as good of care as possible for the specimen we keep to advance and improve the hobby. As far as 40 vs 75. The 75 will have higher startup costs, but be more stable and forgiving to the newly initiated. For long term cost they should be relatively equal all things considered.