any one can help me to set up a marine tank with min cost.
You probably want to do more research, take you time and don't rush into it.
The cheapest (relatively) marine setup is FOWLR or Fish Only With Live Rocks. Even then you want to budget at least several hundred dollars to do it right.
If you are interested in Soft Corals or Large Polyp Scleractinia you want to budget at least $1000 for a 2ft.
to get min cost, buy aot of 2nd hand equipment, like skimmers and lightings, which is the bulk of the equipment cost.. macro skimmer is reasonably priced esp for 2ft, and 4tubes t5 will be sufficient for soft corals and LPS..
for a 2ft tank, u could use a fan to chill it, but use distilled water to top off..
all in all, do set aside at least $200, it is decent enough..
$200 will barely pay for the test kits and additives :P
I'd say set $500 aside to be safer.
if you want you can go without skimmer and use macro algae to help you remove the excess nutrients... that will be much cheaper...
a 2ft tank = $30+
T5 light.... go for parabolic reflector... 2 or 4 tube.. (not sure how much)
fan should be enough to cool... but be prepared to top up almost every 2-3days
sand you can go for those normal sand... don't need to go for argonite sand... for a 2ft i think 1 pack should be enough (forgot how much i used) around $10
rocks can go for those $7/kg kind... for 2 ft get those medium sized rock... so to have more option to scape... around 10-20kg should be enough.. but then again must see how heavy is the rock (some are more porous than the others)... $70- $140
wave maker... there are various brand for wave maker... i recommend seio M620 (assuming its a standard sized 2ft and there are not many dead zone) 1 should be enough... and you won't want vortex in your aquarium...
sump tank or canister filter... for my previous 2 ft i used a 2 ft some tank.... which is around the same price as the main tank...
for canister get those that used ceramic or titanium shaft for the impeller...
testkits wise most impt 1s are PH, KH, CA, MG... if you want there is also strontium testkit... maybe ard 100+ for the 1st 4...
additive wise CA, MG and trace element... if you want you can get strontium... for CA and trace element around $10+, and MG $14 for small bottle (seachem)... able to last you for quite awhile... don't need to go for grotech (LV or PRADA for marine additive)...
if you use a normal 2 ft tank and you want a sump tank you will need a overflow box..
tank ($30+) + rocks ($70- $140) + sand ($10) + sump tank ($30+) + test kits ($100+) + those 3 additives ($30 - $40) + T5 light with parabolic reflector ($220(2tubes) or $340 (4 tubes) + fan ($30+??) + salt can get those cheaper brand then buff it up using additives... don't need to go for tropic marin or grotech...
Last edited by planted86; 2nd Apr 2009 at 22:31.
Skimmers are not expensive, you can pick up a pretty good one for under $100 2nd hand.
Even if you want to set up a macro algae nutrient export system, you will need to buy a return pump, screens, pvc tubing, lighting. Still looking at spending at least $100 - $200 on that alone.
Not to mention that it will take up more space, and might be unsightly (subjective)
Hi , dont mind i could hitch a ride here ... may i ask regarding filter wise , what other filter can be used to replace canister ... and what kind of media should be used and what are the necessary additives should be added in ... Thanks alot in advance ~~
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A skimmer is the most important equipment for a marine setup follow by lighting and chiller. Do not skimp on this vital piece of equipment.
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erm.... y do you need pvc tubing and return pump if you are using a sump?? screen $0.70 light bought from DIY store around $15? i forget the real price... and that is if you are using the scrubber....Originally Posted by Fuzzy
for me i use cheato ($5-$10) depending on the quantity and how much the person quote... then i put it in a plastic container with alot of holes ($2- $5? depending on the size and quality)...
ah ok, you're talking a simple screen across the sump with a light. That will help maintain low nitrate levels, but will never be enough to remove the amount of waste that any decent skimmer could remove in a day even with your algae scrubber working for a week or two.
I was envisioning an algae scrubber big enough to actually replace a skimmer.
Standing in sump or in a bucket, with a pump over a 50x50cm or larger screen with several powerful light sources focused on it.
Also if you're going to use normal inert lapis sand and not aragonite live sand, why not just go bare bottom and save even more?
You should not use any canister or filter on a marine, unless you are prepared to open up and clean out the filter on a weekly basis. Otherwise the canister is potentially a nitrate bomb.
As detritus gets stuck in the wool and media the filter will cause a nitrate spike in your system.
The best way is to run a sump tank, if not get a nano tank with an integrated overflow and sump.
agree.. running a sump is the way to go for long term reefing. Speaking from my humble experience
since his is a small tank(2ft tank) and he want a cheap setup, water changes and macro algae should be enough... at least its enough for my previous 2 ft tank... (my stocking includes tomini tang, purple tang, 2 clown fish, mandarin fish, candy hog wrasse, 2 blue eye anthias, 3 maxima clams, 2 lobo, 2 bubbles, monti, candy cane and some other coral which i forgotten.. what i did was just by using cheato and water change every week... the whole tank was filled with purple rocks and almost no other algae.... btw i fed them seaweed(which only my purple tang like), brine shrimp(frozen), mysis shrimp(frozen) everyday 2times a day, cyclopeeze every 3-4days... and it works for me... that's why i recommended it to him...
i'm also thinking of building a big algae scrubber that is big enough but due to space constraint i can't...
more surface area for bacteria to grow on....Also if you're going to use normal inert lapis sand and not aragonite live sand, why not just go bare bottom and save even more?
and i don't like the look of bare tank...
Munichchan,
The cheapest marine tank I've managed to assemble: free used 2ft tank, on a $15 used strong wooden TV stand, free live sand, free live rocks, free 3 tube T5 lights from a kind reefer neighbour, re-used my old Eheim 2217 canister filter (previously for freshwater), $80 Red Sea Prizm protein skimmer and a $15 taiwan-brand fan. Of course require a lot of patience and effort to procure these low cost items.
Better to start with fish only, as corals are too demanding. I have recently converted back to freshwater, after getting too tired breeding True Percula Clownfish. So have a lot of equipment to let go if you're interested.
Whoah!
What were your nitrate levels at? and what kind of water change schedule were you running?
That is a really high stocking level for a 2 footer even with a full sump and skimmer running.
Baton courtesy.....service with a smile!
How long did this setup last?
If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.
I'm curious too!
Marine tank is really not cheap.
IMO, the major cost for marine tank is coming from the long run maintenance.
Dont forget the cost of 25% water changes weekly with the salt. Ive ran a salt water set up with minimal fish and a canister filter and n o simer however I did 35% water changes weekly
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