help a daddy in need get his dream

[zaireguy]

Hello

I am in need on some advice on how to put a 120 reef tank together.I have the tank.But I also have a little girl with down syndrome/Our insurance seems to think we dont need any help with her bills
So I can afford to go right out and spend a huge amount of money all at once for live rock and sand and lights.Is there any way I can set up my tank and slowly add sand little by little as i can.then start adding rock slowly?
I have heard tanks mini cycle this way.I jst have no choice.Either do it this way or forget about ever having a reef tank.I want one so bad jst have to do what I can as things afford me to.
Please no hits or flames I take enough every day as my wife and i fight for what help we can get her.Jst trying to reach a dream
thanks
Ron

 

[Mouse]

Ok Dude, obviously time is of no conciquence here so i suggest you do the following.

1) build your own rocks, use an Arragocrete recipie usually made up of Portland Cement, Arragonite Sand, Crushed Oyster Shell and pete moss.

2) Set up tank with the DIY Rocks in and leave to cure for a couple of months (giving you an excellent opertunity to save for lights). Apply strong circulation at all times during this pereod. Id set up the closed loop circulation for the System about now.

3) Once the rocks are cured you can then add sand and seed the new rock with one pice of Live Rock, or you could even just buy GARF Grunge or something simmilar.

3) i would sereously consider a refugeum set up, firstly to contain your DSB, secondly somewhere to cultivate and harvest Macro's, and thirdly a predator free environment to grow Pods, Mysids, worms, bugs and all the little critters that have names longer than they are. (if your concerned about diversity i would innoculate with a Fauna and Infauna kit from ISPF or something like that.

4) if you stock slowly, and i mean so damn slowly its painfull you could even hold off getting a skimmer for a while. Of course if your really clever, and you do the most important thing and READ READ READ, then you could run skimmerless.

I know its not an absolute set up plan, but if it were i think Chucker would get upset with the ammount of space i was using if you get my drift. But thats the direction you want to be heading in, may the force be with you.

 

[zaireguy]

thank you for your advice so much!!

 

[Mouse]

HTH,

Another bonus of yous system is that it will be "low impact" ecologically speaking, so your green too 8)

That combined with Aquacultured Fish and Corals and you have the ultimate in ecofreindlyness.

 

[Anemone]

I agree with Mouse's suggestions. As much as I hate sending anyone there, you might check out the GARF website (kif you have free time to navigate the labyrinth) - they have prety good instructions on how to create your own rock. Once it's cured, you could innoculate it with a few pounds of true live rock (as well as the sand and detrivore kits mentioned above) and your tank will be well on its way.

Kevin

 

[Reefguide]

Seeing as you are tight on money, Look on ebay for lighting, pumps, skimmer, ect... I've seen some decent stuff on there from time to time... Also check you local paper for Garage sales, ect.... Some people arent even aware of what they have and what they cost...

Good luck and I hope you get your reef

 

[danmhippo]

To be realistic and don't mean to discourage you, if you and your wife has been arguing all the time on money matters, maybe you shouldn't do a reef tank. Stick with a low maintenance and small budget planted freshwater tank with rainbow fish or a even simpler african cichlid tank stocking with a few very colorful lake malawi cichlid. You can even dig a pond in your back yard, put in a pond liner and some electric yellow cichlid. Either of the mentioned would make a very eye pleasing display with minimal cash layout.

 

[SPC]

Posted by Danmhippo:

To be realistic and don't mean to discourage you, if you and your wife has been arguing all the time on money matters, maybe you shouldn't do a reef tank. Stick with a low maintenance and small budget planted freshwater tank with rainbow fish or a even simpler african cichlid tank stocking with a few very colorful lake malawi cichlid. You can even dig a pond in your back yard, put in a pond liner and some electric yellow cichlid. Either of the mentioned would make a very eye pleasing display with minimal cash layout

-Very well said oh wise one.
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

actually I don't think he said he was fighting with his wife...

 

[danmhippo]

I've just reread the post and it's my bad that I misread it. However, my point still is every penny counts at this stage, and you have to use them wisely instead throwing them into this money pit we called reef tanks. Yes, a reef tank can be built inexpensively, but if you add all up, it's still quite a chunk out of everyone's pocket.

 

[Chucker]

One of the best suggestions I can make is to be patient.

I know one gentleman that frequents our IRC channel that bought his dry goods over a period of 18 months or so. Started off by getting a few hundred bucks together, and buying a solid tank. Waited a few months, and bought his lights. Waited a few more, and bought a skimmer. More time passed, and he got his plumbing and sumps. Little while longer, and he bought his RO/DI unit and salt. Set everything up, checked for leaks, and started mixing saltwater. After about a year and a half of small purchases here and there, he bought his sand and rock.

The only other caution I'd make is that you keep in mind not just the set-up costs, but the actual day to day costs of running the tank. Food, electric, water, supplements, bulbs..... All of these items will add to the total cost of running the tank over time. Be sure that you can fit them into your budget before plunging in, and finding out you can't afford it.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

i tend to agree with chucker:

the expense does not end once the tank is filled. Electricity, food, and supplements cost more over time than the contents of the tank.

that being said I have some agronite left and was considering making a few rocks myself. here is a way I reduced the cost of rock in my tank.

I started with only 1lb per gallon which is considered low, let the tank cycle then when I bought a coral here or there I looked for a very small frag an a very big rock.

Since the price was based on the coral not the rock I often got a 2 or 3 pound rock for free.

I bought most of my corals at 1/2 price from my LFS by propping mushrooms for him. They are almost impossible to kill and they sell fast so he always wants them. He only gives me 1/3 retail for them but hey they cost me nothing but time and superglue
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