Journel: a new reefkeeper on a budget!

[Logic_Bomb]

Hello all! I am starting a reeftank for the first time in my life, and I thought I would share the experience with the diverse group who have already helpped me on my way. As a freshwater aquariest of 18 years experience, a saltwater coral and anemone tank has been one of my long-time goals. It is now economically within my reach, though I am still very much on a budget. I'm sure my long experience with freshwater tanks will temper me through the ups and downs associated with first-time reefkeeping, and I hope the sharing of this experience may help (Or god forbid, inspire!) other reefkeepers who may want to start on a lower budget.

I've started by using the past month and a half to acumulate the hardware for this endevor.

I aquired the following through an ebay auction from a local reefkeeper:

1 55 gallon all-glass aquarium
1 backpack protien skimmer
2 penguine biowheel filters (non-functional, but I wasn't planning on using them anyway)
55 .lbs white gravel (I will probably use this for another project)

Total cost: $91

I purchased a plain heavy-iron stand from a local Petco

Stand Price: $40 (on sale)


I then decided on a lightning fixture. Seeing as corals are a prime feature I desired for the tank, I chose a new JBJ Formos A-DX 48" 50/50 Compact light fixture. It has 2 double actinic bulbs and 2 10,000k full-spectrum bulbs. I knew I would have expensive parts, and wanted to spend the money where it would truly count.

Lighting cost: $230!

I coupled that with a very in-expensive pair of versa-hood glass hoods.

Hood cost: $36.00, for both.

The Protien skimmer came with a relativly powerful water pump, but the air-hose was hardned. Therefore:

Replacement airhose: $1.99, leaving spare for other projects (Nit picky yeah, but trying to be acurate)



I could have used old powerheads, but a little bird told me that reeftanks are all about waterflow. So I opted for inexpensive new powerheads that gave lots of waterflow for not too much money. Thus:

2 Aquaclear 402 Powerheads: $62.00 total

I chose a heater whos name I cannot remember, but it was made of thermal-cunductive plastic instead of glass. A dream come true! No more cracked heaters! I also chose a simple stick-on digital thermometer.

Heater and Thermometer: $28.98



I purchased a hanging filter after a cirtain cloud problem came from some of the 'software'. Turned out not to be necessary, but hey! It adds to the water flow, and that can't be a bad thing, right?

Aquaclear 300/70 Power Filter: $30.00 (sale)


Total hardware (so far): $519.97

Ok. Having gotten most of the hardware, I decided to get into action with the software. I got the necessary salt and a small amount of chlorine remover (which turned out to be unnecessary, more on that in a minute).

Salt + Chlorine remover: $31.86


No sooner had I added the salt and chlorine remover, powered up one of the powerheads and the skimmer, and used the following:

Hydromiter: $10.95 (I know the floating kind sucks, I'll get a real one when I find one cheaply enough)

Than... I was whisked away on a magical business trip to Peoria for 2 1/2 weeks. Talk about a dream water aclimation perriod!

On my return, I was granted 2 things:
1) a weeks vacation, 1 year overdue.

2) My first yearly bonus!

well, we know where much of THAT went. :twisted:



The next installment of the software has included the following:

30 .lbs unseeded potentially live sand: $31.95

20 .lbs seed live sand: $29.95

1 Hand-Picked (from a local tank ) 13 .lb live rock: $90



While driving back from WI on an errand, I happened on a pet shop with a small but nice tongan live rock:

1 6.5 .lb live rock: $56.90

As the tank stands now, all ingredients are in place. The initial cloud from adding the sand is still there, but it is clearer every hour. I intend to spend the next 2 weeks adding more live rock till I hit about 70 .lb, spreading the sand a bit at a time, testing the ph and nitrate level using a lab kit I already owned for freshwater, and contemplating the first additions to my tank. I will feed the live rock and sand a little bit using the following:

a tiny bit of pre-owned tropical fish food

1 baby brine-shrimp kit: $7.95 /w 3 packs of eggs.



The software so far is: $259.56

That brings the grand total to: $779.93



A lot of money for a start up? Yeah, but pretty well ballanced considering the size of the tank.

I promise to continue the journal, providing photos as I get the time, and access to a digital cam. Please feel free to comment, ask questions, flame, COMPLIMENT, or otherwise participate. Thanks for reading this page, and for taking part in my first reefkeeping experience! :lol:

 

[elreydelospesces]

Nice post! Thanks for sharing that. One question, why do you need to feed your live rock or sand? I've never heard of that. Or are you just trying to add organic matter to get the cycle started? :?

 

[ChrisRD]

One question, why do you need to feed your live rock or sand?

You don't need to IMO. There should be plenty of food via decomposition for any organisms or bacteria that hitchhiked in with the rock/sand.

 

[Logic_Bomb]

Nice post! Thanks for sharing that. One question, why do you need to feed your live rock or sand? I've never heard of that. Or are you just trying to add organic matter to get the cycle started? :?

Bingo 8)

 

[Logic_Bomb]

One question, why do you need to feed your live rock or sand?

You don't need to IMO. There should be plenty of food via decomposition for any organisms or bacteria that hitchhiked in with the rock/sand.

What I'm actually trying to do is kickstart the seeding process for the non-live sand

 

[ChrisRD]

You'll have die-off with any live sand or live rock that you add to the system. This will create plenty of fuel for bacteria and hitchhiking organisms. No need to add additional organics, and in-fact it may do more harm than good (increased initial ammonia levels, nuisance algae blooms, etc.). JME/JMO of course...

 

[Logic_Bomb]

Ok, latest update.

After cunsulting a local shop about a flow problem in my skimmer, I replaced the backpack unit with a Seaclyone 100. It is working MUCH better than the backpack unit did, and it was only 89$

I got another 10 .lbs of live rock, in small chunks this time.

At the recomendation of the saltpro, I got 6 tiny little blue-legged hermit crabs for $15 and 1 emerald crab for about $8. This to help deal with some hair algea.

I got some ph adjustment tabs

I also picked up a large 1 watt moon cycle lamp for night time.

Grand total for this excursion: $231.96

I will have some pictures as soon as the water finishes clearing (It's almost done now)

 

[Tackett]

After cunsulting a local shop about a flow problem in my skimmer, I replaced the backpack unit with a Seaclyone 100.

Ack, I have the same skimmer and it blows. There is a reason it only cost 80 bucks man. Ive said it time and time again, budget in other places except your skimmer and your lights. You will wind up buying a new skimmer eventually, and you just tacked on 80 dollars to its price.

 

[Tackett]

also moon lights IMO dont do anything except give a shimmer during the night. Purely aesthetic. I would think on a budget, you should have skipped it for now.

 

[Logic_Bomb]

also moon lights IMO dont do anything except give a shimmer during the night. Purely aesthetic. I would think on a budget, you should have skipped it for now.

The skimmer is performing a lot better than the old one for now. You may be right in time, but this seems fine for now. I got the moon light b/c it was on a very good sale, and I want something to be there so I can show the tank at night. I would still have waited on the moon light, but it turns out my yearly bonus was a bit more than I expected 8O

 

[Anonymous]

never owned one of them seaclone or CPR bakpak but have read many threads about an upgrade on one of them..

i agree with Tackett, it is better to buy a quality skimmer up front. it blows to be spending additional money later when you realize you don't have enough scrub to pull the funk out of your fully stocked tank.
you corals start looking cruddy and algae is always creeping up on ya...
i would see if you could return it and buy an airdriven or something. they are cheap and really do pull some foam out... they just need to be checked daily on thier operation.

 

[Logic_Bomb]

Update:

I have added the following:

1 emerald crab
1 sleeper goby (tiny)
10 turbos
10 blue-legged hermits

Total cost: $57

I have also added a phosphate/trace elements sponge to the filter

Cost: $17

I also found 2 hitchikers

1 Un-identified turbo (probably mexican)
1 Un-identified snail (tiny pointy thing).

With these additions, plus blasting my rocks with a powerhead (a useful tip I pickedd up from another thread), a small hair algea problem has become manageable.

BTW, the Seaclone skimmer is doing an admirable job. Far better than the backpack ever did

 

[corleone525]

I set up my 30 gallon, complete w/lights and live rock (45lbs) for under $500. (The lights and LR were the most expensive $220)

 

[KoCook]

Once your bio-load increases the Sxclone will underachieve. I had a 150 on my 55 but switched to an ASM-GX1 (although this is a sump skimmer). You can find info on modifications for the 100 on some websites. I modified my 150 for my 20gal by adding an airline with a microbubble airstone, seems to work O.K. for the 20.
Also, the aquaclear 402s are famous for burping out bubbles since the impellers oscillate. Some people don't like this bubble blast on their corals.
Unless your really good friends with the LFS, careful with what he tries to sell you. Most of the time its things you don't need or fish you shouldn't have (too small of a tank, not good with reef or other fish).[/img]

 

[Bojangles]

also moon lights IMO dont do anything except give a shimmer during the night. Purely aesthetic. I would think on a budget, you should have skipped it for now.

I read an article about moonlighting benefiting the fish in your aquarium. It is said to promote better overall health and prevent certain instances. If I find the article I'll post it up here.