Just a reminder: Budget saltwater tanks don't exist

[Suesea]

Yup. I suggest resealing if necessary, and filling up with tap water to leak test before using a tank. I have a 135 gallon I bought used, and it’s been in service now for 5 1/2 years. And for what it’s worth, new tanks can leak too.

 

[WetPringleChip]

by budget i meant caring more about money than fish

Yeah, i figured but some peoples budget for a fish tank is 100 and some are 1000. Some want a nano for “cheap” some want a full 75gal+. Ya gotta elaborate bc we can give u prices for new or used set ups but it depends on your price range and what you want.

 

[WetPringleChip]

Agree. The statement “can’t be done on a budget” is not really valid without more detail. Everyone has a budget. Polo reef has a budget. Might be millions but it’s a budget. My budget could be 1000 or 10,000

If people give me a realistic budget of 500+ I can get them a system built

People do the same thing with audio systems, car and home. Give me a budget and I’ll build something great

Thats exactly my point too im glad someone else sees it in these posts too. Everybody is saying help me get a budget set up but no one says what their size range is, price range is, maintenance time, set up time, long term, monthly or yearly running costs, etc. just “help me but im not going to give u the full story so 75 ppl can chime in and guess what I need”

 

[ryanjohn1]

I personally don’t believe in budget for just about anything. Shoot for the stars. It’s only money it’s not real anyway.

 

[DanATL]

tap water is very unsafe for fish and needs to be conditioned just right. also with only an HOB filter you will need to do a lot of manal cleanup. Heater? Light? Lid? Sand? Rock? I don't know about this

I can say from experience that the stone simple approach can work. You need to limit the livestock to easy to care for fish, keep stocking levels in check, and keep up with water changes but it's not rocket science. I had a great 55gal tank with 4 damsels, 1 oscillated clown, 1 royal gramma, 1 yellow tang, and 1 coral beauty angel for two years till I moved to a reef. Ran it on an Eheim canister filter. The only thing in that tank set up that was over and above a freshwater tank was a few bags of Instant Ocean and a hydrometer....and the hydrometer was the plastic one Instant Ocean sells. I never tested for anything; I just did a 20% water change every two weeks. Used the same API Tap Water conditioner in my saltwater tank, freshwater tank, and goldfish pond.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I didn't even think about this! this is great that you said this

I don't think anyone is trying to beat you up here. Lots of good points. Something like an aquarium requires a commitment. Like the ham and egg breakfast. The chicken was involved. The pig was committed. Moving residences, job transfers and other lifestyle choices all play into the decision to pursue something that requires a long term horizon. I ride horses and often people fall in love with the idea of having one. I try to talk people out of it as much as possible. Not only do they eat money, they live a long time. Fish are not inanimate. They are living creatures. What's the difference between a fish and a horse? One is more charismatic I suppose. But they really are the same when it comes to commitment.

 

[Urban Reefer Detroit]

You don't have to buy everything at once. Reefing is a journey. The important thing is to know where you are going. Considering stability is number one an adequately sized tank. 55 or greater is a good start. Once you dive into the bigger tanks that's where it gets expensive. You can't move a big tank without a crew. Upsize your filtration. Double your filter capacity of the tank and you can't go wrong. Stable parameters are most important. Lighting is second. I don't recommend used, since you can not see a reduction in par

 

[William Chiavetta]

I can say from experience that the stone simple approach can work. You need to limit the livestock to easy to care for fish, keep stocking levels in check, and keep up with water changes but it's not rocket science. I had a great 55gal tank with 4 damsels, 1 oscillated clown, 1 royal gramma, 1 yellow tang, and 1 coral beauty angel for two years till I moved to a reef. Ran it on an Eheim canister filter. The only thing in that tank set up that was over and above a freshwater tank was a few bags of Instant Ocean and a hydrometer....and the hydrometer was the plastic one Instant Ocean sells. I never tested for anything; I just did a 20% water change every two weeks. Used the same API Tap Water conditioner in my saltwater tank, freshwater tank, and goldfish pond.

dang

 

[William Chiavetta]

I don't think anyone is trying to beat you up here. Lots of good points. Something like an aquarium requires a commitment. Like the ham and egg breakfast. The chicken was involved. The pig was committed. Moving residences, job transfers and other lifestyle choices all play into the decision to pursue something that requires a long term horizon. I ride horses and often people fall in love with the idea of having one. I try to talk people out of it as much as possible. Not only do they eat money, they live a long time. Fish are not inanimate. They are living creatures. What's the difference between a fish and a dog? One is more charismatic I suppose. But they really are the same when it comes to commitment.

Thanks for the reassurance.

 

[Tactical Reefkeeping]

I am a 13 year old so I do not make the most income some comes from helping neighbors and money off of my reefing YouTube channel so I try to buty tanks used and for me it is just fun you get to restore and clean the old on and it is quarter of the price of a brand new one

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Oh! This is always a fun topic! IMO what is meant by "budget tank" is relative. This is not a cheap hobby...but neither does it have to be a super expensive hobby (compared to some others). One can save money by buying used equipment and skipping the big name brand equipment (for the most part). Also, there are plenty of beautiful common coral pieces or "no name" coral that can be purchased instead of whatever is trendy at the moment. In this way, a reef tank doesn't have to cost thousands and thousands of dollars. However, I'll balance all of that by saying that if we're going to keep animals in an environment that we create in our home, it should be adequate for them to thrive in.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I think one can make the hobby either really expensive or cheap depending on what is bought, the brands etc. I usually stick with cheaper coral for example but when it comes to equipment? I would rather buy something that is nice and will last me a while vs something that could fail in a year or 2

 

[snorklr]

I save money with DIY....BUT...when drilling my dollar a gallon tank i already owned a suitable drill and just needed the hole saw...built my own hood for my used $250 Radion, but already owned the radial arm saw and router table...modified a stand with the welder i already own...already own pvc cutters,saws, glue and primers...dedicated GFI outlet? half a roll of 12/2 romex in the attic and yes I have everything I need to do electrical work...diy Fiji Cube sump kit on dollar a gallon 20 long? the caulking gun for the silicone , assorted clamps, blue masking tape already here...so bottom line it takes a lot of money to save money

 

[Cichlid Dad]

My 75 was 100.00 for tank, stand, skimmer, pukani rock. 48 inch T5 6 bulb fixture for indoor grow with new builds less than 300.00. 40 breeder for sump Petco 50% off sell.

 

[PJs_Bucket_List_Reef_75]

I find this a little off putting and gatekeeping mentality and not what a hobby should be about.

We should be pushing there is a "budget" entry to the hobby to get more people interested in it.

By that logic because I drive a 1994 Miata and a 1987 Suzuki samurai with less than 100k miles on the chassis maintained by these two hands make. Cost less than 10k to buy at the time, makes me less of a car guy than the tool who has a 100k z01 in the garage that doesn't turn a wrench? Partake in track days, shows or the community, and he considers my cars are "less nice".
Never would I tell the youngin with the $1500 Subaru that puts in the effort to keep it running and looking as best as possible he's not a car guy or has a solid start to a nice ride.

Same for motorcycles, same for computers, welders, 3d printers, wood working, ECT ECT

All hobbies have a cost, some a higher entry point then others, and all can be taken to an over the top extreme.

To tell someone there's no "budget" entry and your stuff isnt nice because it's cheap is gate keepers mentality.

Everyone has budget, and has to be reasonable with themselves. Can you have a reef for $100 no. But if you save $100 no for 12-18 months and follow the following.
-used aio $150-$200 probably has some equipment you can use but we'll assume not.
20lb rock used - $50-75
Sand-$25
Light- go new and decent $150-$200
Heater with ink bird-$75
2 jebao wave makers-$60
Single head kameor doser-$100
Container-$5-10$(or recycled)
Good Ato-$100-$200
Ro/Di $200
2 20-32 gal trash cans- $60
2 5gal buckets-$10
Bucket of salt -$80
All for reef -$40

$1285 on the high side in equipment to have you cycling and ready for 6 months or more of maintenance/dosing on a 20 gallon aio.
Can go manual top of or gravity. Go manual dosing. Buy water from store to get started.

Live stock
Clean up crew $50-75
Fish $50-$100
Coral 10 frags @ $20-$50

$675 on the high end.

So tanks running stocked for under 2k and will cost $20-$50 bucks a month in maintenance and potentially run for 5-10 years allowing me to enjoy something that brings me joy everyday.

Can do in waves, by month 6 of saving rock is cycling, by month 10 rock in tank, month 12 clean up crew, month 14 fish, and month 16-18 coral.
And this sets you up to grow in the hobby as you grow financial means.


Can potentially be done for $500-750 if you take some more saving steps,trade, delay making your own water, go kalk, and stick to coral/fish sale for stocking. Where there's a will there's a way


Cheap soft coral, mushrooms, basic sps (think bird next, moni, cyphastrea),

Not meant to be a rant or come off anyway. More people we get into the hobby the better. And cost is often associated as being a driving factor in why people steer away.


Just late night ramble

Thank you for this. I found a lot of helpful information in it. I'm very new to the saltwater hobby (only gotten as far as a dream and buying a 45 gallon tank). I was just about to ask the very question in the original post, but started reading this thread and feeling discouraged. I do have some disposable income, but with regular treatments and other costs that are just part of life with the big "C", that disposable income is limited. This reef tank is a bucket list item for me, so even if I have to get the equipment a piece at a time over months, that's what I'll do. Rather than tell me "it can't be done", tell me how to do it in a way that is feasible for me. Initial set up is the only hurdle I have to jump, as far as the expense. I'm glad I found this community, so people with knowledge and experience can tell me where the starting line is and what direction to go .