How much did your tank cost?

[mogurnda]

Every once in a while, somebody posts a thread asking what it costs to get a SW system running. I was thinking that the best way to answer that is to describe how much your setup costs as it is currently set up. If you have more than one, pick one. Also, maybe adding a few comments about what you might change.

If this works, maybe it can become a sticky. If not, it will go the way of all threads.

Here's my little tank, a 20 gallon mini-reef

The equipment
$50? 20 gallon glass tank: (bought 25 years ago)
$140 130 watt PC light
$210 20 gallon TBS "package"
(40 lbs live rock, 20 lbs live sand. assorted critters)
$50 Mag 5 pump for closed loop
$40 SCWD wavemaker
$20 Submersible Heater
$89 CPR Aquafuge
$25 Light for Aquafuge
$120 CPR BakPak 2R skimmer
$23 Kent Aquadose
$120 DIY solenoid valve for controlling AquaDose
(This is a great thing, and I'll post in the DIY section about it soon)
$75? Tubing, powerstrip, timers, hose clamps
$60 Refractometer
$50 Test kits

$972 Total

Then there's the livestock and detritivore kits, plus all the things I tried that didn't work, or broke....

Edit: I'll keep thinking of stuff, so expect the price to rise; I don't even want to think about shipping.

 

[Cearbhaill]

90 gallon All-Glass aquarium 199.00
Iron double decker stand 85.00
Glass top (may not use) 45.00
55 gallon tank for sump 69.00
Mag 9.5 return pump 70.00
Velocity T-3 closed loop pump 160.00
SCWD 40.00
Kent Hi-S Maxxima Ro/DI 60gpd 220.00
250w digital heater 45.00
1st set plumbing Marine Depot 100.00
(ball valves, tubing etc)
Test Kits 65.00
Refractometer 70.00
Lighting 600.00
Refugium light 40.00
Skimmer 257.00
(blemished EuroReef CS6-1-B)
Home Depot 100.00
(plumbing supplies, acrylic for sump, eggcrate)
2nd wave plumbing Marine Depot 100.00
(love that loc-line)
Brute garbage can 40.00
Roller base 27.00
New test kits 93.00
TBS 100 gallon package 1090.00
shipping first half rocks 93.00
shipping critters 80.00
shipping second half package 64.00
salt mix 100.00

_________________
TOTAL as of 1/13/04 $$ 3852.00


I've had a few incidentals since then that I need to add but this is the gist of it

Edit: One very important note (to me anyway) - not one red cent was put on a credit card!!!

 

[M-pire]

Too much...but it is worth it!

$200 - 72 gallon bow front w/ glass tops and strip light
$100 - Tank stand
$150 - 110w Power Compact light
$100 - 220w Power Compact light
$100 - 30 gallon sump
$150 - Pumps and Powerheads
$100 - CPR Protein Skimmer
$50 - Overflow Box
$40 - Sump lights
$60 - Heaters
$50 - Argonite Reef Sand and some HD sand
$75 - Hoses, Tubing, Wires, Powerstrip, Timers, etc


Total Raw Setup - $1175

$300 - Live Rock (combination of TBS and LFS)
$100 - Detritivore Kit
$150 - Clean Up crew
$150 - Various Corals
$100 - Current fish

Total Stocking - $800

Total Setup - $1975




I have never totaled any of this up...wishing now that I never did. I just slowly buy stuff, and add more and more, and now I see that it sure has added up.

My advice is to go for the gold first...don't sit around and buy junk that you have to replace or upgrade later.

 

[gbolton]

Ok here we go

Used 110 gallon Tank, Stand, 20 gallon sump, and return pump as well as about 120 lbs live rock, 3 Maxi 1200, 300 watt heater, 30 gal trash can, 3X5 gal water jugs, Aquadose 2.5 system $500
Lighting 2X400 W MH 4X32 W CF actinic $600
another 80 lbs lr $100
120 lbs Home Depot Sand $6
Bullet 2 protien skimmer w/wast collector and Mag 9.5 $400


Total $1606 proof a large reef can be done on budget.

 

[tricksterpup]

The equipment
$100 75 Gallon Plexiglass Seaclear RR tank used
$100 Oak stand
$450 2 400 watt MH light system (with Ballasts) with 2 VHO lights (missing ballasts)
$300 Live Rock (50 pounds of live rock)
$40 16 pounds Base Rock
$60 60 pounds Sand
$20 Submersible Heater
$120 CPR BakPak skimmer (from original reef tank)
$70 Coral vital, Aaragamight, Iodine, and other trace elements.
$20 2 5 gallon jugs for RO water
$99 package from IPSF
$10 clown Goby
$20 pair of Fire Gobies
$30 Sailfin Tang
$10 Royal Gramma
$20 20 hermit crabs
$30 30 snails (various breeds)
$50 a pair of Cleaner shrimp
$41 Salt
$Free Joining local reef club.
Total so far: $1620

As for Corals, I joined a local Reef Club and received frags from fellow members either for free or at a LOW discount. So look into your area, and find a local club. This way, you are not taking from the wild reef and spreading AQUA-CULTURED Coral through out the community. Plus, you can always buy used equipment from members either upgrading or leaving the hobby. This how I got my lights and some of my live rock.
I am currently also looking into a larger skimmer for my tank, I do not think my bakpak is handling it. It works but I believe in over skimming for a clear tank.

 

[OrionGirl]

Guess I can't play well on this one---all of my SW tanks have been strung out, used, modified, etc a lot. For the 10:
Had the tank, think it was about $10 new.
Lights: Incandescent hood with compacts bulbs: $45
Sand: Had a bag from the bigger tanks, $3 for the whole thing, much less pro rated.
$75 for live rock from a LFS
$50 for tubing and fittings to retrofit a wet/dry into a sump--already had the wet-dry.
$45 for critters--free snails, some hermit crabs, feather dusters.
Total = $228

For the bigger tanks, no clue on the costs. too long ago. Plans for the 120's:
~$750 for 2 tanks
~$130 for 2 55's for sumps
$900 for lights, pumps, fittings
$100 for powerheads.
$10 for sand
$500 for LR, excluding the cost of what's already in the existing tanks and will be moved over.
$250 for materials to build stands and canopies
Total=$2630, +/- $300 for miscellaneous stuff.


Not the cheapest way to go, but for the result, worth it.

 

[gcvt]

I bought my whole system used for $1000 plus $50 for my RO/DI unit. But, when I added up how much it would have cost me to set it up from scratch myself, I figured it'd be in the $5,000.00 range. That was two years ago too, so I'd have to add the cost of two years worth of salt, livestock, test kits, 2x250w MH, other bulbs, etc.

Worth every penny!

 

[frosty]

Aproximate numbers:
180g Oceanic RR $950
Custom Oak Stand & Canopy$750
1600w Lighting $900
55g Sump $200
ETSS Skimmer $250
Iwaki Pumps $360
Titanium Heaters $90
Misc. $150
250 lbs Argonite $250
150lb Live rock $750
Livestock NOT included.
$4650.00

Ouch! Never really added it up before!

 

[Jman]

75 gallon all glass aquarium stand and glass hood with 48" strip light......$383.00
120 lbs aragonite .......$12.00
20 lbs lace rock.............$30.00
2 maxi jet 1200s............$40.00
seaclone 150 skimmer...$100.00
titanium probe................$16.00
timer, powerstrip............$10.00
test kit..............................$25.00
hydrometer.........................$8.00
water change set up..........45.00
2 titanium heaters..............55.00
60 lbs liver rock..................220.00

$944.00 before the first fish or snail or star or geez!

 

[Decz]

all Canadian $$

20 gallon tank was free (hand-me-down from my brother)
$20 to fix the tank after an "incident" with an encyclopedia
$25 glass lid
$35 substrate
$90-approx on salt to this point
$180 on live rock (18 pounds)
$32 hob filter
$35 pro-quatics filter
$70 on 2 powerheads
$6 thermometre
$150 pc lights
$65 clean-up crew
$40 fish (2 percula clowns)
$35 food
$15 water storage bin
$20 hyrdometre
$80 test kits
$25 power bars
$15 extension cord
$30 RO water

total to date (7 month old reef): $968