I have a thought experiment.
the conditions are:
A person is setting up a reef tank, and is going to create everything DIY, except the fish and substrate.
the person has expert knowledge about reef tanks, equip, and constructing equip.
the person is frugal, and will go to thrift stores,yard sales, junkyards and even the dump to salvage parts to create all the equipment for the tank, such as electric parts to construct the lighting, steel for the stand, mechanical parts for devices,parts for plumbing, et cetera. the person will be construting the aquarium of whatever material can be salaveged, if none can be found - then made of acyrlic from the cheapest supplier.
the person sets up a 100(or what size you like) gallon reef tank suitable for any possible combintion of inverts or fish, that will maintain optimal water parameters will minimal maintence.
How much will the person spend and how long will it take to construct it?
I say with expert knowledge about reefs and expert knowledge about equipment and building skills, it would take 6 months and cost 200$(not including livestock). I think in a 6 month period of time it would take at least 6 hours a week of active searching for parts(discount the value of gas for traveling as the frugal person looks for parts on the way home from work and rides with friends, walks,etc so that use of gas is minimal). Also, discount the value of money that the person could earn if he/she worked instead of spending time building the reef tank.
I think that in a year the same could be done at half the cost it would take in a half a year, although it may take an incredible amount of time to find the devices to salvage or to wait and find deals.
What do you think.. how much would the person spend and how much time would they put into it?
the conditions are:
A person is setting up a reef tank, and is going to create everything DIY, except the fish and substrate.
the person has expert knowledge about reef tanks, equip, and constructing equip.
the person is frugal, and will go to thrift stores,yard sales, junkyards and even the dump to salvage parts to create all the equipment for the tank, such as electric parts to construct the lighting, steel for the stand, mechanical parts for devices,parts for plumbing, et cetera. the person will be construting the aquarium of whatever material can be salaveged, if none can be found - then made of acyrlic from the cheapest supplier.
the person sets up a 100(or what size you like) gallon reef tank suitable for any possible combintion of inverts or fish, that will maintain optimal water parameters will minimal maintence.
How much will the person spend and how long will it take to construct it?
I say with expert knowledge about reefs and expert knowledge about equipment and building skills, it would take 6 months and cost 200$(not including livestock). I think in a 6 month period of time it would take at least 6 hours a week of active searching for parts(discount the value of gas for traveling as the frugal person looks for parts on the way home from work and rides with friends, walks,etc so that use of gas is minimal). Also, discount the value of money that the person could earn if he/she worked instead of spending time building the reef tank.
I think that in a year the same could be done at half the cost it would take in a half a year, although it may take an incredible amount of time to find the devices to salvage or to wait and find deals.
What do you think.. how much would the person spend and how much time would they put into it?
