Reef Sources Example Setup - Hardware and Software Costs
Example Setup

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Hardware and Software Costs

Our target setup here will be a 40-gallon breeder tank that can hold all but the most light demanding animals. If your desire is to house the light lovers, like giant clams and stony corals, just replace the identified lighting system with a more significant one and you should be just fine. Our goal here is a design based on cost and value.

40-Breeder

We choose the 40-breeder for the following reasons:

  • good front-to-back depth
  • lower top-to-bottom depth for easy maintenance
  • significant surface area-to-volume for good gas exchange
  • large enough volume to provide some water stability
  • easy to find and cheap
  • 10% water change fits easily in a 5-gallon bucket
  • smaller size helps keep other costs in check

Before we go into the specific components and costs of each, let me say that a fully stocked tank ranges in price from $30-$50 per gallon. Yep, this setup, by the time you get a handful of corals in it will cost you between $1200 and $2000 dollars. I've told you this is not a cheap hobby. You can lessen the costs by shopping yard sales, classified ads, and ebay, but you get what someone else didn't want anymore. You can also try the do-it-yourself approach and save money. I built my stand and canopy, minus lights, for $65, and it is nicer than the one that was going to cost me $150.

But, for this setup, we are going to use all off-the-shelf products so everyone has a fair shot at it.

Below is a list of mostly mandatory, but some optional components, that will ensure you success, and ballpark prices for each. I strongly recommend you shop around. (See some of the suggestions in the resources section.)

Item # EA. EXT.
All-Glass 40-gallon breeder tank and glass top
1
$100
$100
Wooden stand and canopy of medium quality (perhaps Oceanic)
1
$200
$200
36" Power Compact retrofit kit (~192w)
1
$400
$400
CPR BakPak II skimmer
1
$140
$140
Ebo Jaeger 150w Heater
2
$15
$30
Stick-on-glass thermometer
1
$3
$3
Plastic Hydrometer
1
$6
$6
Maxi-Jet 900 powerheads
4
$20
$80
Appliance Timers ( hardware store )
4
$7
$28
Switched Power Strip ( hardware store )
1
$8
$8
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter ( hardware store )
1
$7
$7
Instant Ocean 200-gallon salt mix
1
$40
$40
44# bag, crushed coral reef sand
1
$25
$25
30# Aragamax oolitic sand
1
$15
$15
Titanium ground probe
1
$15
$15
Tap Water Purifier (TWP)
1
$30
$30
TWP refill cartridge
1
$15
$15
Test Kit - Ammonia
1
$10
$10
Test Kit - Nitrite
1
$10
$10
Test Kit - Nitrate
1
$10
$10
Test Kit - pH
1
$10
$10
Test Kit - Alkalinity
1
$10
$10
Test Kit - Phosphate
1
$13
$13
Test Kit - Calcium
1
$15
$15
60# Live rock
1
$250
$250
10# Live sand
1
$40
$40
5-gallon buckets
2
0
0
1-gallon milk jugs (for top-off water)
3
0
0
6-foot 5/8" plastic tubing ( hardware store )
1
$1
$1
Old credit card
1
0
0
Package plastic zip ties, long ( hardware store )
1
$7
$7
Misc. 1/2" PVC pipe and couplers ( hardware store )
 
 
$10
Blue-legged hermit crabs
40
$0.75
$30
Turbo/Astrea Snails
20
$1.50
$30
White Burrowing Starfish
1
$15
$15
Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata Wurdemanni)
2
$12
$24
Tank-Raised Oscellaris Clownfish
2
$20
$40
Corals, 9-for-$99 from Jeff's Exotic Fish (plus shipping)
1
$140
$140
Approximate total:
 
 
$1807

$1807, Ouch! (But look, it falls right into the $30-$50 per gallon range.) Even if you aren't intimidated with that number, please don't run out and buy all that stuff just yet. This is not all upfront money, but what you are likely to spend in an 8-10 week period. Also, everything needs to be bought in phases and you can stretch it out a little if necessary.

Let's talk about putting it together now...

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Copyright © 1999-2000, Scott Brown, except as otherwise noted. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, in part, or in full, without the express written consent of the copyright holder.