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01/19/2017, 05:32 PM | #51 |
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Okay, just for fun I thought I'd price out a little upgrade. I love the Red Sea Reefer series. So here's what an upgrade would cost - all from BRS. I'm pricing out the 250 (one the smaller ones!)
Tank = $1300 40 pounds of Pukani = $152 Kessill AP700 = $895 Light mount = $65 MP 10 = $235 (I already have one, so I only have to buy one more!) 40 pounds of sand = $78 Sicce 660gph return pump = $126 TOTAL = $2,851 Wow. And that's using my existing skimmer, heaters, chiller, and MP10 powerhead. Pretty bare bones setup - no reactors, controller, etc. MAYBE I could sell my current tank, stand and light for $600, offsetting the cost a little. Oh well, guess I better start working a few extra hours.... |
01/19/2017, 05:50 PM | #52 |
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This hobby isn't too bad.. if you keep things small scale and don't buy top end things. You can get a 55 gallon full reef setup for under $300 then livestock another $300. I did a 5 gallon reef for about $150. I miss that tank... there isn't a limit though...
It's like PC gaming, minimal rig to run the latest games will run about $800.. but I've seen a $200,000 setup. Drag racing, my rig I only have $35,000 into it, but some guys have millions, some only spent $8,000 to reach where I'm at. (junk yard motors/turbos/cars) Bow Hunting: You can do it for about $200, all you need is a used bow, some arrows, and a knife, plenty of used camo clothes as well. thats a fairly inexpensive hobby.. licenses here are I think $50. yachting/airplanes - practically millionaire club just to enter... although there are some budget ways of doing it too.. especially if you own enough land to make your own landing strip/hanger for your airplane, and if you learn the mechanic work yourself.. but a decent yacht is expensive no matter what. Boating can be fairly inexpensive, just trailer/boat/towing vehicle... so I guess that's entry level yachting.. but still thousands to enter. Collecting: you can collect all sorts of things.. from free (bugs) to rare items, sports cards, trading cards, coins, stamps, comics.. you can spend millions... All hobbies get expensive depending on how extreme you want to get with them. So far my best hobby by far has been collecting.. only thing I've actually made money doing .. I have a lot of magic the gathering cards that I started collecting in the early 90's.. it's worth quite a bit now.. one unopened box is worth $1,000.. paid $50... my comics are kind of a wash.. some are worth a lot more than I paid, others are worth far less... I think in time though they'll come out ahead.
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300 gallon 8ft long, 2x xf250 gyre, reef octopus 250-int - work in progress Aquarist since 1986 Last edited by Mishri; 01/19/2017 at 06:00 PM. |
01/19/2017, 10:34 PM | #53 |
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ok.. so I decided I'd do my math too. I have a 380gal DT with 180 sump, 100 aux sump, 50 aux tank, and 100 RODI reservoir ~ 810 gal total.
Tank (Display) = $4000 Plywood sump tank = $400 + sweat aux tanks = $500 wood support structures = $500 + sweat artificial concrete rock = $300 + sweat pumps = 7 x $200 = $1400 lights = 3 x $400 = $1200 LED = $100 + sweat powerheads = 4 x $75 = $300 12' skimmer = $450 + sweat ($300 for the pump, $150 of DIY) chiller = $500 heaters = $200 kalk reactor = $100 + sweat surge = $300 + sweat live sand = 400lbs x $20/40lbs = $400 + sweat PVC = $800 (this one was hard to accept, but few options) wire = $400 (also hard to accept, but it adds up) Apex = $1200 (this one was hard to accept, but worth it) fans = $100 UV sterilizer = $150 GFO, GAC, etc = $200 + sweat RODI = $200 so $13,700 ... to round out the system. There are other supporting elements ~ $700 room - air conditioner = $300 room - dehumidifier = $200 room - vent = $200 and mistakes = $1000 (shhhhh, don't tell her) so all-in, if I had to start it from scratch again, it would cost $14,400 (assuming I don't make the same mistakes). so $14.5K for 800gal system = $18/gal setup cost. (the car I drove in college was $2000 - for contrast). at the nano level (OP), it was $700 for 20gal = $35/gal.
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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
01/19/2017, 10:40 PM | #54 |
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So here's a question. If my tank produces X macro, frags, etc. that gets taken to the LFS for credit, and then that credit gets turned in to food and new equipment, do I have to count that?
Obviously when talking to my wife it doesn't count, and sadly LFS credit can't pay the electric bill. |
01/19/2017, 10:44 PM | #55 |
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anything funded by output doesn't need to get counted (self-sustaining). Only setup cost counts.
Love making up rules.
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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
01/20/2017, 08:17 AM | #56 |
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An expensive hobby for sure! Calculating out ~1000-1250 for my new 28 Deep Blue rimless SPS, without any live stuff!!
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01/20/2017, 08:25 AM | #57 |
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Don't go racing. I got into aquariums because it cost 1/4th of what a year of racing costs me.
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I got a fever, and the only prescription is more pictures. |
01/20/2017, 08:41 AM | #58 |
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01/20/2017, 09:13 AM | #59 | |
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Location: Visalia, CA
Posts: 1,790
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Quote:
I do enjoy it. And I think it's totally worth it. I guess the point I'm making is that there is just a lot that goes into a tank. Even a 40g breeder for $40 at Petco just gets your started. To make a tank work, i.e. to make it worth even that minimal investment, there's just a lot more that you need. But that's also makes it fun - who doesn't love researching lights and gadgets? And I honestly probably will do that Red Sea update! |
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01/20/2017, 09:16 AM | #60 |
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I have two 40gal breeders that I'm ready to give away... find people like me
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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
01/20/2017, 09:20 AM | #61 |
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I already have an unhappy wife and she doesn't even know half of the costs!!!
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180 gallon mixed reef Current Tank Info: 180g. mix reef |
01/20/2017, 09:34 AM | #62 | |
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01/20/2017, 10:35 AM | #63 |
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01/20/2017, 10:46 AM | #64 | |
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Quote:
Getting set up is difficult because when you outlay the cash you can buy the cheapest, worst crap or more expensive brand new stuff. I've learned the art of waiting for that second hand deal to jump on. But there is also the art of just waiting for an indefinite period. I know someone who can sell me tons of frags of LPS and softies for $4 per individual, much cheaper than the LFS around here. But, you know, I've got those species already and if I just practice patience, I will have more over time. There are also alot of coral I would like to buy, but I just try to be content with what I do have. I was on a $100/mo livestock budget for the past 6 mo but now I'm not going to buy any more livestock and just let things grow out. .. that said I have been pricing out for an eventual upgrade 5+ years down the road so I'm not immune to the upgrade-fever rampant in hobbies. |
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01/20/2017, 10:53 AM | #65 |
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Worst part is the spending never ends, just gets worse. Always looking to upgrade and add. It's like a crack addiction only more expensive.
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01/20/2017, 11:17 AM | #66 | |
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I'm not a big fish person so I only plan on adding 1 or 2 fish at the most. There is no shortage of reefers getting out of the hobby. You can spend 10k on a tank but if it ever comes a time when you need to sell you'll take a huge blow. |
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01/20/2017, 11:20 AM | #67 | |
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Quote:
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180 gallon mixed reef Current Tank Info: 180g. mix reef |
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01/20/2017, 12:22 PM | #68 |
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Location: Visalia, CA
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01/20/2017, 12:22 PM | #69 |
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Roli, I know. It's hard to not jump on a deal. But.. I gotta resist the urge and be disciplined, especially if it isn't pressing. I would love to upgrade to that 125 but my coral and fish aren't going to die if I don't upgrade so I just tell myself to enjoy what I've got and not look to upgrade.
Ou8me2, I think that's a laudable goal. Reefing is expensive, no two ways about it. Most hobbies are. That doesn't mean people can't find a target appropriate to their wallet and other financial goals, and pursue reefing in a way efficient with respect to their target. My dream tank involves TBS rock. It surely isn't the cheapest way to get rock but I really desire a biotope aquarium that best represents the keys which involves all the hitchhikers (esp the stony coral illegal to harvest in the US). So when I do my eventual upgrade, I'll have to save up and allot my $$ to that. And it will cost more but fulfill my goal in the hobby. |
01/20/2017, 12:26 PM | #70 |
In Memoriam
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Location: Visalia, CA
Posts: 1,790
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And you guys are right, finding someone looking to get rid of their tank is the way to go. I got into this hobby a few years ago when I told my neighbor (reefer of 10+ years) that I wanted a tank. On our local forum (CV Reefers!), he found a guy desperate to sell his entire set up: 90g glass tank, stand, sump, skimmer, powerhead, lights, everything for $800. He needed it gone, so I offered him $500, and that was that.
So it was cheap, but it wasn't my ideal setup. The tank had some scratches, the stand was ugly, the skimmer was ancient and pretty crappy - but it was $500 for everything! When you do it for a while, you want what you want. I won't settle for an ugly stand or a skimmer that sort of works - and that can get expensive.... |
01/20/2017, 12:50 PM | #71 | |
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Quote:
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180 gallon mixed reef Current Tank Info: 180g. mix reef |
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01/20/2017, 12:55 PM | #72 | |
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Even if I don't, someone will. Or sell it for cheap. Or help you build it.
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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
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01/20/2017, 12:56 PM | #73 |
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Wait for a used skimmer deal or build one.
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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
01/20/2017, 07:29 PM | #74 | |
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Location: A green place near London, UK
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Anyway, reef keeping is super cheap and easy if you do it right. "You can remortgage your house and buy a £$&ing fishtank. That's how we do it around here, we just keep it simple." Last edited by Griff500; 01/20/2017 at 07:38 PM. |
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01/20/2017, 07:42 PM | #75 | |
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LOL...Super Cheap and Easy. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk |
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