What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Reefkeeping, Coral, Fish and Invertebrates.

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JRA95SHO
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What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Post by JRA95SHO »

So now that I scored this free 100 gal. setup that's so far looking pretty nice, I'd like to get an idea of what each of you spend a month just to maintain it. This does not include buying more livestock. Thankfully, I have my friend Andy to help me with everything. I've heard this hobby can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. Bear in mind, I have a full setup with everything I need with the only recommendation of getting a larger skimmer.

Right now the tank has a a few fish--not many: clown fish, sailfin blenny?, another type of blenny, a couple of pajama cardinals, pistol shrimp, watchman goby, a rose anemone, and a few select corals.

The tank came with everything, and I mean everything; so I have test kits, food, DI, etc.

Just wondering what I need to budget aside for the minimum monthly maintenance (which means...just keeping it going w/o adding any goodies; those, of course, would be extra).
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AgeDynasty
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Re: What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Post by AgeDynasty »

I wouldn't be scared to say at least $50.00 on a tank that size. Thats not including power consumption and water.
150 Gallon Mixed Reef
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jt3069
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Re: What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Post by jt3069 »

ID SAY POWER, WATER, SALT MIX, MEDIA (PHOSPHATE OR CARBON), FOOD ARE MY MAIN MONTHLY $$
+1 ON $50.00 GIVE OR TAKE A LITTLE BOTH WAYS
ID ALWAYS SAVE A LIL YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE AN UNEXPECTED NEED FOR SOMETHING
LIVING CHEMISTRY SET
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Amphiprion
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Re: What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Post by Amphiprion »

If you purchase in bulk and use cost-efficient/high performance products, you can get that even lower. At its height, I was able to get my 75 g running costs (excluding electricity) to about $30. Chemicals were purchased in bulk, water made in my own ro/di unit (with high eff. Membrane, resin, etc.), and T5 lamps. Food was the most expensive, but I would vary what I bought and fed, while buying higher quantities. This is an effective way to go, but it always costs more up front.
Andrew

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JRA95SHO
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Re: What Do You Spend a Month on Maintenance?

Post by JRA95SHO »

Thanks. I will post some pics soon of it set up in the house. I am going to pick up a few things for the tank today: a few fish, maybe some inverts, food, etc. As long as my electricity bill doesn't jump $100 a month, I'm ok. I don't think it will with this setup.

This week I had to go down to Ft. Lauderdale on a business trip, so I checked out a couple of LFSs there: Exotic Aquatic and The Reef's Edge. Exotic Aquatic had more fish; however, the Reef's Edge had a fantastic coral display. They had toadstools the size of a large pizza growing in their main tank; LED setups, etc. They also had a large display tank at the front of the store with a lion fish over 1 ft. long! I didn't know they even got that big. They don't have a website up and running, but I got on their mailing list. They do ship corals. Not sure on their pricing. I know Exotic Aquatic's prices were about avg. of the stores around here.
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