Beast's Budget Build

B

Beastlyness 22

Reefing newb
Hello everyone! I have been searching through multiple saltwater forums and so far the users here seem friendly and the most open to new ideas. So here it goes. Most people I see spend thousands on tanks and I wish I could do this, but unfortunately I’m a broke college student so I wanted to build a budget system that many might be able to build using a little saved cash from there Christmas money and in there tip jar....so without further ado I will post my latest picture and tell you where I am and what my future plans are. Constructive criticism is welcome. I will honestly tell you though that I won't take much to heart however and go buy two hundred dollar equipment because you say I absolutely need it. Please keep in mind that this is a budget build. Thank you and I hope I have come with some new ideas.

k0mv80.jpg


What I have purchased (USD currency)
10 gal tank combo with hood and HOB (petsmart/LFS) 10-20 filter - 35$ USD
Mini Jet 606 (online) - 12$
twenty watt light bulb (petco/LFS) - 11$ x2
Thermometer (LFS) - 3$
Heater (LFS) - 10$
Fake coral rock 5lbs (petsmart/LFS) -13$
live sand 10lbs bag (petco/LFS) - 17$
Salt for 10gal (petco/LFS) - 8$
Specific gravity tester (petsmar/LFS - 8$

*this will get you started

What I plan on getting and would like feed back
Right now my lighting system is substandard. I know you need 10 watts per gallon although I have seen less that has worked for at least fish only tanks. As far as of right now my tank would not be able to hold coral life; however I have found a cheap lighting solution that I plan to modify, and is wondering if anyone has done this.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202066791/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
I have purchased the light but it is EXTREAMLY high heat. I plan on finding another lower watt bulb, but There is another that uses a fluorescent that is only 50 dollars which is still a steal compared to other hood lighting options. Any of these can be worked in as a DIY project using plexi glass.

The other problem I have is my water. I know you all are going to look at your screens and your jaw is going to hit your desk, but I’m using......tap water. Haha, I told you it’s a budget build. Believe it or not I checked all my chemicals and they are all intact except my carbonate hardness, and I’m sure there are other small chemicals that I cannot test for. BUT I have done some research and seen the holy osmosis system. But then my jaw hit the desk too when I saw the price. Soooo I found another form of filtration. Here it is...
http://www.bestcovery.com/pur-ds-1800z-2-stage-water-dispenser (If link one day is cut it’s a two stage refrigerator type water dispenser) I will be buying this and giving a review in two weeks when I get my next paycheck.

Things that I bought but they could be found cheaper if you look
Live rock - 8 dollars per pound x4 (yes I was screwed, you can find it as cheap as 2 dollars per pound, but I was anxious to get my diatom bloom on ;D )

Full range chemical test kit - 40$ (If you know the water you are using is filtered correctly just buy the cheap test strips, I just wanted to be accurate about my tap water chemicals)

Other Information that has helped me

http://www.youtube.com/user/ipsfdotcom#p/u/44/od2X9PJEc7o
Please watch all 18 or so informative videos. I found this to late unfortunately or I would have done things like panted the rear of my tank. Oh well hopes you find this as interesting as I did.

,Beastlyness
 
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It's nice being able to save money and yet try to take on this hobby at the same time. It's a good start and you can just upgrade equipment over time if your budget allows.

Welcome to the site Beastly!
 
Aquatic said:
It's nice being able to save money and yet try to take on this hobby at the same time. It's a good start and you can just upgrade equipment over time if your budget allows.

Welcome to the site Beastly!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the warm welcome. You seem to be a kind community.
 
Welcome to the site.

Is the back of your tank painted green? I have never seen green I kinda like it, it looks different.

You look like you are off to a good start.

I'm sure someone with more experience will be along soon to give you a few pointers.
 
BryanS said:
Welcome to the site.

Is the back of your tank painted green? I have never seen green I kinda like it, it looks different.

You look like you are off to a good start.

I'm sure someone with more experience will be along soon to give you a few pointers.
Click to expand...

haha no I rushed into the build and never painted the back. The green believe it or not is my room. I painted it many years ago. It’s a room for a wondering mind you could say. And thank you, advice is welcome.
 
Looks like a good start!

Several things though - you only need around 4 watts per gallon for corals. I dont really know anything else about the light fixture though.

You should be using the liquid test kit (like i think you bought) even if you are using pure water. Those dip strips are notorious for giving incorrect readings. But if you are using tap, you must test for copper! Even tiny amounts are lethal to inverts, so you will be limited to a fish only tank. Even worse is that copper can leach into your rocks preventing you from ever having inverts, even if you switch to RO/DI. Also you can buy distilled water from walmart for .69 cents a gallon, which for such a small tank will be a tiny cost. That fridge filter wont do anything, if you are going to filter your own water it needs to be at least 4 stages - but those things put out awesome tasting water!

To address the heat thing, just put a clip on fan on the tank. Works very well for keeping the temp stable.

Also be careful with that thermometer, if its what i think it is, they often break and the little metal balls get in your tank and cause issues.

Be aware with such a small tank you are very limited on your stocking options, but here is a great place to get ideas:
Nano Fish

And here is a very good article to read. The secret to a great tank is keeping great water.

https://www.livingreefs.com/water-chemistry-t31270.html


And welcome to the site! We are glad to have you here and we will help you build the tank of your dreams

PS - im a super broke college kid too! So i know where you are coming from!
 
@little_fish WOW! I couldn't have asked for such an informative and kind response. I never did look at the distilled water, but yea that’s even cheaper than going with the two stage filter, and also will take less space. Both cheap and affective. I'll start making the change over. And yes I have already been using the liquid test kits. It has been HIGHLY accurate, definitely worth the extra buck if you got it. As for the thermometer it’s been great for its price. I have not gone below 75 at all since I bought it. I am not seeing any metal balls inside of it, but I’m sure I could wing 30 dollars for a better quality one when I have an extra dollar in the future. Unfortunately it will have to last a few months. hurrraaay for being broke college kids haha. Also thanks for the fish article. I have had my eye on a clown fish for a while. Also I heard gobies are good for mixing up the sand a little so I may go with one of each. I’m trying to stay away from overcrowding. My next step is to get the snails when the diatoms take over.
 
Oh, thats a heater!!!!!

I a such a tard! But do keep an eye the heater, they break more than any other piece of equipment in this hobby, even the really expensive ones.
 
@ little_fish hahaha yea the glass tube in the background is a heater. I never did fall below 72 degrees before I had it so I debated getting it. But for 10 bucks it was worth the shot, and I don't regret it, it's guaranteed for one year it says. Maybe it will be one of my yearly things to swap out. And as for a thermometer it got cut off in the picture. It’s a mercury type there meter, although I’m sure it does not contain mercury. But that is the style of it.
 
Stability is more important than the actual temperature, dont let your temp change more than 2 degrees in a two hour time period

but . . . you might want to keep your tank a little warmer. Most corals and fish like temperatures around 78 degrees.
 
@little_fish Ahh that does make sense since the ocean doesn’t vary temperature very much. Yea 78 sounds good. That’s easy enough. I have two weeks to tweak it while everything cycles until I put my snails in, unless these diatoms get to out of control.
 
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you. As far as lighting goes...check out aquatraders.com for a light system(T-5) that will allow you to keep corals, at a decent price.
 
Welcome to the site.

About that shop light you posted, it is a halogen light, the spectrum it puts out is not useful for coral growth. Also, its wattage is what it is, halogen bulbs are different sizes for their wattages.

Your current light is fine for a fish only tank, glad that you realise that, I would just put like 5 or 10 bucks away a week and save up for a nice light if you are planing to keep corals in the future.

Many small tanks are fine to keep without a skimmer, just keep the weekly water changes and you should be fine. With the HOB filter, just keep the media clean and free of debris.
 
@bjohanson Thanks, and o well the light was only 8 bucks so not a big shot to my chest. I can always use it for my garage, or maybe take it apart and see if I can use that bad boys power for another light. I'm really trying to avoid buying an expensive light but if thats what it comes to thats fine. Fish only for awhile so I don't cause death. Yes, I have heard of skimmers. I like the idea. If I had the money to run a good sump and a skimmer i deffinitly would. As for the filter I have changed it once and will give the entire thing a good scrubing. It needs it anyways, after I put the sand and salt in everything stired up and it got really crudy. Thanks for the advice! The comments do help.


@little_fish what do you think of this refrigerator filter here? Its 5 stage with even a TDS meter attached. I know the distilled is still cheaper but I like to get creative sometimes. ha-ha

HTML: 
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=black]http://www.target.com/ZeroWater-23-Cup-Dispenser-Filtration-System/dp/B003QXM3U8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=water%20filter&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-9&qid=1297271392&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=ZeroWater%2023-Cup%20Dispenser%20Filtration%20System&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0@little_fish what do you think of this refrigerator filter here? Its 5 stage with even a TDS meter attached. I know the distilled is still cheaper but I like to get creative sometimes. ha-ha [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=black][FONT=Arial][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT]

 

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