What is the Best Deal You Have Gotten in the Hobby

[Gumbies R Us]

I feel like all of us are trying to find the best deal possible when it comes to the hobby. I am wondering what is the best deal you have gotten in the hobby. Maybe you won something at a raffle that would have cost you much more than the raffle ticket, maybe you got lucky on a sale for a particular coral or fish.

 

[Rmckoy]

I used to buy livestock all wholesale price at the time yellow tangs were $29.99
I was paying less than $10 each.

boxes or corals were similar prices

 

[thomas_neil]

I got 2 yellow belly regal blue tangs for $50. The shop owner had just taken over the store and was transitioning from salt to freshwater and was selling everything extremely cheap. Also got a decent size rose bubble tip for $10.

 

[doubleshot00]

Most of what I have was a deal per say. Lots of used equipment and great deals on corals.

But I do have a NY Knicks torch I only paid $50 for and two Apex systems for $300.

I probably paid the most for fish. Never gotten a deal on any fish.

 

[Kellie in CA]

My next-door neighbor sold me a nearly new Kessil A360X for $150 because he tried a saltwater tank for a couple months and decided it wasn't for him.

 

[lynn.reef.nerd]

Free MP40s at RAP NY for $20 worth of raffle tickets.

 

[Dbichler]

My entire setup a 210 stand canopy sump two return pumps 2 mp40s protein skimmer cheap lights and 200lbs of live rock for 800. I sold all the live rock for 600 because I already had enough. So essentially 200 for everything. I’ve replaced the lights and return pumps and added 2 more wavemakers but for a 210 I’m way ahead.

 

[ManWithAClam]

i think the best deal ive gotten so far is my Red Sea Reefer 250 (V3) got it for $150 cause it had a chipped corner on the top of the backside and the owner already got it replaced, it's now my main tank in my bedroom.

 

[Gtinnel]

An older Red Sea Max s400 along with heater, return pump, flow pumps, and an older Bubble King skimmer for free.

ETA- I have also over the last several years won two Noopsyche lights, and a Tunze long magnetic scraper, plus probably a few thousand dollars in free corals. I still have around $700 in giftcards between two vendors that I got for free that I haven’t spent yet.

 

[00W]

Got my first 75 gallon at petco for $60 cash because someone ordered it and never picked it up. Was taking up their hallway and they wanted it gone!

 

[Kasrift]

@Rennurdoar got a stellar deal on his current tank setup. He can elaborate on all of the items in the kit he bought used.

 

[AydenLincoln]

A $100 75-gallon tank on sale at Petco with VitalCare, various trades, and a box of free stuff I won from the BRS giveaway on Black Friday for buying one Mr. Chili sticker.

 

[Haggisman14]

Best deals were some freebies I won back when I had my BioCube.

Won a AI Prime, AI Nero 5! Almost $500 worth of gear for free!

Really wish I held onto those 2 things!

 

[Rennurdoar]

@Rennurdoar got a stellar deal on his current tank setup. He can elaborate on all of the items in the kit he bought used.

Yup! I got a great deal on our current setup. A 90g drilled tank, two 20g sumps, 2 mp40s, a 6" Sump SRO-2000, multiple pumps, a sicce 4.0 return pump, new in box BRS deluxe gfo and deluxe carbon reactor, AI prime fuge light, and some misc other things. All for the expensive price of $100.

Then I also picked up 2 new XR15 G5 Blues with xho reef brites and mounts. With another mp40 for $550 I think it was. Not to bad!

 

[Rob3D2018]

My job paid for my Red Sea Max S650. Brand new.

 

[19Mateo83]

The best deals I’ve gotten were my glofish 5g pico tank from Amazon for free and I got my aqueon 14g cube for $26 from petsmart. The cashier price matched it to the 3g cube price.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

A shop owner gave me a Christmas Tree Worm rock for free a few months back...i suppose free counts...

 

[j.falk]

My wife...we met at the LFS I was working at 14 years ago.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

A shop owner gave me a Christmas Tree Worm rock for free a few months back...i suppose free counts...

Free does count!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Add a $250 lfs gift card and a UV sterilizer I won today at their annual charity raffle/bake sale to this list! I’m so excited to get more fish and to have crystal clear water in the pufferfish tank! That’s a struggle lol.