Newbee here with $1000 to spend. What should I buy?

LOL just reflecting on what I got in my 120 with using some stuff from the 72 I broke down and its amazing how much $ we put into them. Its worth every penny

 

I figured I would get these kinds of replys. yep not sure what to do LOL

 

Have you ever thought about having a reef tank? they are a blast and really indepth hobby.. not to mention very relaxing to watch when you have the chance..

 

It just depends on what you want. This hobby will take up alot of your time. Just not on the tank but with research. Some people think they will love it and go all out and then decide its not for them. You can always go with a smaller tank and upgrade to a larger tank later after you decide if its for you or not. There are alot of smaller tanks on here that are beautiful and im sure the owners of these tanks get just as much enjoyment out of them as people with bigger tanks do. I would suggest looking around at different tank sizes and go from there.

 

I have a 55g tank and I have spent way more than $1000 to set it up. And I started without having to buy a tank, I used the tank I already had and made a new stand. I also recomend Craigslist. I dont know about buying a complete setup with livestock if you havent gone through the process of learning through setting up a tank. There seems to be quite a bit that is learned from testing water while a tank is cycling. If I would have bought a complete tank off Craigslist and tried to keep it going I would have either become very frustrated or everything would have died.

 

Take it in stride. I got a 75 with a stand from a friend about a month ago for $100. The next week I bought a new 30 gallon as a sump for like $60. Today a LFS was running a sale and I ended up getting 50% off a return pump. Just enjoy the process and foughly attempt the budget. So what if you skyrocket over it? Don't be discouraged!

 

I'm thinking maybe a pet shark? naw lion fish

 

hahaha this is so true

 

I am less experienced than other posters but wanted to check in with some encouragement. Yes the hobby is expensive. Yes it is rewarding.

True: craigslist purchase of a system is the best value way to proceed as prices are often 50% or better than original cost.

Look for a local aquarium hobby group. These folk might have some of the equipment you need at bargain prices as well. They can definitely advise you about specific decisions. If you are lucky, some of them will help you at a bargain rate take down and move in a new-to-you tank setup.

Research and patience. The first part is fun; the latter is not so much but patience is key. Go slowly and you'll save lots of money.

Your initial budget, if you are careful, will pay for a lot of the basics if you do careful shopping. Tank, stand, pump, filter, lights, protein skimmer, refugium, power pumps, and rock. Add the fish and other organisms slowly so that expense naturally spreads itself out.

In all cases, there are the most expensive options (halide lights vs. T5) and you have to decide as you go where the money will be spent.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. For your marriage's sake, be careful not to write your hobby a blank check. It will always have something new and exciting to "want" but you can set up with what you "need".

 

If you want to keep a lionfish, then you will need at least a 90 gallon tank IMO, although it depends on what type of lionfish you want. Do not do a shark tank, not yet at least. They are some of the hardest animals to keep. You need pristine water, a boat load of experience and a very large tank. If you want to do a fish only with live rock tank, the basic equipment you will need is the tank, protein skimmer, heater(s), a means to run carbon (can be anything from a HOB filter to a reactor or a bag placed in the sump or overflow) and the rock, substrate and salt and test kits. There is also a whole bunch of other things you can get now or down the road.

I would buy all base rock and cycle the tank with that. It will be cheaper and you won't get any unwanted hitchikers or algae. You will need to cycle your tank. This allows the de-nitrifying bacteria a chance to grow and colonize the rocks and substrate. This takes anywhere from a 3-6 weeks. You can use the test kits to see how your cycle is progressing. When that is finished, you can start adding livestock, but slowly. Do not rush any aspect of this process as you will only end up frustrated and will not be happy with the finished product. Take your time, research anything and everything before you buy anything and ask as many questions as you can. Good luck.