To be fair, equipment needs to be neither high end nor rock bottom clearance pricing. There are a number of ways to save money when making a big purchase. Group buys are popular, as well as buying used equipment from others that are upgrading or getting out of the hobby. What about the guy or gal that gets the itch to set up a saltwater system and just wants to get a realistic idea of what this may cost? That’s what this article will endeavor to answer.
Prices vary from store to store, and customized choices affect the sales ticket significantly. While there are a variety of sizes of tanks to pick from, for the purpose of this write up I’m going to recommend a good tank size for a person that is seriously interested in setting up a reef tank in their home: 120-gallons. The footprint of a 120-gallon tank is 4’ long x 2’ wide x 2’ tall. This body of water provides swimming space for fish and a nice front-to-back depth for creative aquascaping. Corals have room to grow into colonies, and an open area of sand is possible for invertebrates to traverse. This tank usually comes with a single internal corner overflow with two holes drilled for the drain line and the return plumbing. The tank, stand and canopy will likely ring up for $1100.00 plus tax. That is just the beginning...
The shopping list
Now it’s time to make the list of necessary equipment and what it could cost to get started:
Protein skimmer $200 - $1500
Sump & refugium $100 - $400
Return pump $60 - $160
Thermometer - $3
Test kits - 7 total: Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Phosphate, Nitrite, Ammonia $120 - $150
Lighting - ballasts, reflectors, bulbs $450 - $650
In-tank flow - power heads/pumps $100 - $900
Timers $30 - $50
Heaters $20 - $40
Fans $10 - $75
Power strips $5 - $25
RO/DI system $100 - $300
PVC pipe and fittings $100
PH meter - kits are worthless $80
Sump & refugium $100 - $400
Return pump $60 - $160
Thermometer - $3
Test kits - 7 total: Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Phosphate, Nitrite, Ammonia $120 - $150
Lighting - ballasts, reflectors, bulbs $450 - $650
In-tank flow - power heads/pumps $100 - $900
Timers $30 - $50
Heaters $20 - $40
Fans $10 - $75
Power strips $5 - $25
RO/DI system $100 - $300
PVC pipe and fittings $100
PH meter - kits are worthless $80
Calcium reactor $450 - $600
Phosban reactor $35 - $80
Quarantine tank $50 - $100
Aquarium controller $100 - $1500
Chiller $350 - $900
Phosban reactor $35 - $80
Quarantine tank $50 - $100
Aquarium controller $100 - $1500
Chiller $350 - $900
Sand / Substrate $100 - $200
Rock $200 - $800
Salt $35 - $80
Mixing barrel $7 - $25
Hoses & pumps $15 - $50
Carbon / GFO / 2-part additives or ARM $40 - $80
Rock $200 - $800
Salt $35 - $80
Mixing barrel $7 - $25
Hoses & pumps $15 - $50
Carbon / GFO / 2-part additives or ARM $40 - $80
Examples of quality are a judgment call, but it doesn't take much research online to get a sense of what has a decent reputation and what is complained about excessively. With aquariums, investigate how the tank looks overall, how long the warranty period is and what the manufacturer demands when honoring a claim. Is the glass cut and polished cleanly, and does the silicone look tidy or sloppy? With skimmers, is it made with cast or extruded material and what type of pump(s) does it use? With lighting, the choices in ballasts can be confusing, but essentially you need to know what type of bulb it will light, how big it is, does it make noise / hum, and how hot does it get? A variety of reflectors are available, some being better than others. Even bulb choices are key to reaping success.
Setting up a tank allows the hobbyist to choose a number of different products, but what I'd like to do here is put together a list of what I would use myself to set up a tank that I would want to maintain long term. When I was growing up, I was taught to save up for what I wanted to purchase, and that usually resulted in my waiting longer than necessary because I preferred to buy quality equipment rather than something cheaper to get by for now. That same mentality has served me well in this hobby, and has helped me avoid double purchasing to get the gear I really wanted. It may take a little longer, but in the long run I'm saving money. One more point that I never overlook: what will that item cost me in electricity consumption? Electricity never comes cheap, so every watt is considered and accounted for.
120-gallon reef-ready system:
Lighting:
A four foot tank would need two metal halide bulbs and I would supplement with two 4' VHO bulbs.
Sump & Equipment:
In-tank:
Other:
Adding up the above items totals $5277
- Full tank / stand / tall canopy - $1200
Lighting:
A four foot tank would need two metal halide bulbs and I would supplement with two 4' VHO bulbs.
- Reflectors (Lumenbrights) - $129 x 2
- Metal Halide bulbs - $75 x 2
- 4' VHO bulbs - $25 x 2
- Icecap 660 ballast (VHO or T5) - $129
- Icecap e-ballasts (MH) - $135 x 2
- Timers - $15 x 3
Sump & Equipment:
- Sump / refugium -$325
- Reef Dynamics Protein skimmer - $400
- Heater (3w per gallon) 175 watts - $40 x 2
- External Sequence Dart return pump (dialed back) - $225 -or- Internal Maxijet Utility Pump - $160
- Icecap 120mm fans $45 x 2
In-tank:
- Sand 200 lbs - $140
- Live rock 120 lbs at $8/lb - $600 - $960
- EcoSmart MP40w Vortech pumps - $450 x 2
Other:
- 100gpd RO/DI - $175
- Red Sea Pro Reef salt - $60 per bucket
- Test kits - $120
- Thermometer - $5
- Refractometer - $55
Adding up the above items totals $5277
- $500 in miscellaneous - plumbing, electrical, etc
- $500 for a controller, like Neptune System's APEX or Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite Net.
The price per gallon for this 120-gallon setup would average $52 per gallon in today's economy.
That seems like a lot of money
Could any money be saved? Yes, there are alternatives. You could skip the controller entirely. A smaller return pump could knock off $100, and using different powerheads could save another $500 or more. Cheaper inefficient reflectors will save another $200, but the wasted light won't benefit the corals and the need for a chiller to offset the heat from those bulbs will easily burn up that savings - not to mention the electricity consumed by the chiller day after day after day. I don't recommend skimping on the reflectors as they make a world of difference. With a few downgrades, it could take about $1000 off the total above, but over time that decision will result in additional purchases. The products & companies I selected I have complete faith in, and are used for my 280-gallon reef.
Don't overlook the fact that I didn't include the Calcium Reactor setup with pH controller, the Quarantine tank setup, the chiller (or window a/c needed to keep the room cool), saltwater mixing vats, and smaller items. Phosban reactors, cleaning magnets, long handled scrapers, tubing for water changes, tongs to move corals, nets to move fish, additives... they aren't free by any means.
Size affects pricing
What about a smaller tank, like a 75-gallon or 90-gallon tank? The lighting wouldn't change much, but the return pump would be too big and would have to be replaced. Less sand and rock would be required, and a smaller protein skimmer as well. Take off about $600 - $700. That would $55 - $66 per gallon.
And if the tank was larger, like a 180-gallon? Now you need more lighting, as the additional two feet of length will need to be lit. That means another reflector, ballast and bulb, and the VHO bulbs would have to be 6' instead of 4'. The skimmer should be be up-sized to match, but everything else would be the same. Tack on about $900 more. $37 per gallon
While I was at the local fish store, I asked about their 55-gallon Elos tank. It's a beautiful piece of art, and it comes with everything - all you have to do is add livestock. That 55-gallon tank cost $5000, and I don't believe that included the $500 in shipping (it arrives in giant crate). That comes to $90 per gallon.
What about an Oceanic 29-gallon Biocube? These are called All-In-One tanks, because everything is built in, negating the need for a sump. The equipment hides in the back, under the form-fitting cover. That system was $680, or $23 per gallon. The Red Sea Max 34-gallon system retails for $950, or $28 per gallon.
If you aren't an avid Do-It-Yourself'er, know that you'll probably be paying around $47 per gallon to set up an nice reef tank that will function efficiently for many years. If you set it up properly, it will settle down in a few weeks to the point that it can begin to support life. Gradually over the next 11 months, you'll purchase livestock that will fill your reefscape nicely - and that too will cost money. Weekly and monthly maintenance is essential for the reef to prosper, which requires using those test kits, mixing up new saltwater for water changes, and replacing used media with new. Lastly, making your own RO/DI water at home will save money on a continual basis.
Now that you've got the full picture, are you ready to proceed? I hope so, because this hobby is amazing, and addictive.
Happy reefing!
Menu
Reef Addicts Message