simfish Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 I am a freshie and some time in the future would love to get a saltie setup, absolutely love them. Can I please know with the smart cost of a setup, i.e. please dont show me something which cost $25 000 like the one in Jansons, it will definately put me of. I know it is more expensive than a fresh water setup but not sure exactly by how much. To date I have had the petshop version which looks bleak for me..... please advice.... cheers! p.s. pics with cost would be great, thanks! :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 There have been a few questions like this in here, a search would find them easy enough. But I would recommend budgeting around $3500 to $5000 minimum for a 4 foot tank suitable for someone just wanting to get into the hobby. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 i feel it is my moral duty to discourage you from embarking on this endevour. dont do it, you'll regret it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 i feel it is my moral duty to discourage you from embarking on this endevour. dont do it, you'll regret it What!! If you know this guy Brian...all good. If you dont, you need to edit this post. There is nothin wrong with marines if you are serious about it. It is a great hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 just being trying to be sensible. had i known before i started how much it would cost in $$ and time i probably wouldnt have started (at least for a few years) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelifaxNZ Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Well so far it has cost me $1400.00 and that's without sand, rock and live stock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 lolz brian.......... may as well spend it on something, you cant take it with you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 It can be done a bit cheaper, if you do diy and look for second hand stuff. Its a lot more work to do things on the cheap though, you constantly have to be on the lookout for bargins, and since marine stuff doesnt come up anywhere near as often on trademe, it makes it a lengthy process. Somewhere there is a thread about someone saying they could set up a system for $500 but I dont believe that. I'd say the $3500 - $5000 is for a good quality system with a high chance of success. My system is on the super cheap, but I dont plan on keeping corals like these guys do. I say that now but I'm thinking about getting a $900 chiller You might want to decide what you actually want to keep - a fish only setup could be a lot cheaper. If you go the whole hog for sps corals it will be more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holiday Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 It can be a scary thought, and quite offputting when you add all the figures up. but with alot of research, good planning and alot of patients it is quite achievable. Slowly building the system over time means you can spread the cost over time. I currently have a five foot tank that I converted from fresh water to marine at a cost of a little under $1000. That sounds like a pretty good figure to get set up but over the next 2-3 years I have budgeted for a least another $6000 - $8000. My total budget was estimated to be around the $10 000 mark. The Majour costs I have yet to incure are Skimmer - $1000 Lights - $1200 Pumps - $1200 Plumbing $300 - $400 Sump and Refugium - $300 Power heads and controller - $1500 Calcium Reator and co2 - $500 More rock and sand $300 - $400 Livestock - $2000 - god knows And I would say there will be many other things along the way!!!! Oh My God "mental not to self" don't let the Mrs read this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 im anywhere from between $15k - $20k (that includes building the sump room). its a heap of $$$ for only a 5 footer but i know i can upgrade the display (next year) for very little cost. plus the extra dollars invested means extreme ease of maintenance (tap goes on, tap goes off ) as above, you could easily do it for 1/3 of the price. just dont budget too low because if you do it on the cheap you'll regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 def. worth doing it right the first time. i have made the mistake of buying cheap gear before, only to replace it a few months later. if you are like alot of us here, you will end up wanting a large tank eventually, so you may as well get gear that will be suitable for a large system. also, good quality gear will have a reasonably high resale value, should you ever opt out of the game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simfish Posted November 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Thank's alot all you guys, since my mrs has read this it is out of the question until my little one goes to school, therefore I have to stick to being a freshie for about 5 years at least! sob, sob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 pays to shop around for gear too, aquarium stores are by no means the cheapest places to buy hardware. most stuff you could get between 1/3 - 1/2 cheaper buying online. [sorry LFSs :oops: ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossco Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Having just set one up from scratch - mostly new - the $3500 to 5000 is a fair ballpark. The dilemma is how well do you want to set it up the first time? You can shop around second hand etc and get some great deals but you first have to know what you want and how you are going to use it in what system. As you can see by these threads and tank pics there are plenty of ways to skin the cat! Its only really by doing it that you gain the know how to upgrade in the direction YOU want to go. If you want an okay fish tank you can get away with paying a moderate price - if you want a great fish tank there is always something to spend your money on to make it better! Like most things in life - the worthwhile ones are never easy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelifaxNZ Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 While you're waiting for your little one to go to school, you could still start purchasing equipment as you see them on special. But first of all, you do need to decide on what type of tank you want and what size, etc. Keep reading about the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simfish Posted November 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Yeah, I could by the goods and smuggle it into the house and hide it under some old clothes in the cupboard, LOL....... Thanks guys but I will wait and hopefully someday I'll get a 8 foot or bigger and won't have to pay nasty upgrade costs...... cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Gunner Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Hold on simfish, What these guys have said is exactly right, it is a pricey activity - but my baby is still under the $400 mark: http://www.pbase.com/chris_and_jen/aquarium If your on a tight budget (like I'm on), you just have to scale things back a little and use a bit more DIY and creativity with your equipment. Small and, in my case, very small tanks are not impossible to successfully run like you would be lead to believe. But they do require a little a bit more precision and thought into your stocking options. There's a big trend at the moment in the states towards Nano (30 gallons and under) without skimmers and sumps. I know a couple people who've had their's running for over 4 years and have had great success with some sweet looking tanks. Check out: http://www.nano-reef.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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