Startup prices for a marine tank?

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JenTN

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 17, 2007
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Knoxville, TN
Hi all :) I have a 55 gal f/w tank (has been running about 10 months) and am contemplating a saltwater. My 2 1/2 year old son wants a Nemo fish so I'm using that as an excuse to look into saltwater :D

My husband and I were discussing getting him a tank for Christmas. I assume that w/ live rock/cycling, etc. I would need to purchase the tank and get it started pretty soon to have a fish by Christmas.

He really wants a clownfish (don't all 2 year olds who've seen Finding Nemo?) so we would start with that. I was thinking something in the 29-40 gal range, starting out as FOWLR. I would like to maybe add coral and an anemone later on as I get more experience w/salt. I have wanted an anemone since I was 10 myself, but I know they are hard to care for and should be added to a very well established tank.

Anyway, I was just wondering what such a tank would cost initially. Thanks for any input!

ETA- I wanted to add that I don't mean to sound trivial or dumb with this question. If we do get a tank, I will do a ton of reaserch before (I have already somewhat researched marine). It's just when I decide to get a pet, I tend to go way overboard with the research and it sort of consumes my time before I even go get a pet, so I don't want to put a ton of research into it if it's going to be way over my budget. I stayed up til 2 am many a night pulling my hair out trying to decide on a dog breed before adopting the cutie in my avatar :D
 
you could probably start the tank the first day of december and have it ready for fish...

for a 30-40 gallon FOWLR? probably $4-500 depending what you get...

cute dane btw.. still a pup im guessing?
 
BIGgourami;2229977; said:
you could probably start the tank the first day of december and have it ready for fish...

for a 30-40 gallon FOWLR? probably $4-500 depending what you get...

cute dane btw.. still a pup im guessing?
Click to expand...

Thanks! He is 9 months old (was about 6 months in the pic). He was listed as a "lab mix" at the shelter- pretty sure he's a lab/dane mix :)
 
Now that I got my husband on board...I'm thinking of scratching the 30 gal idea and getting a 120, transferring my Africans to it, and converting my 55 into a marine tank. I have found that it's easier to maintain good water params in a larger tank the hard way w/ my 5 gallon!

Anyway, I found a local saltwater LFS that can get me a 120 gal for $400 and my hubby can probably build a stand so that's not too bad. He said he's got live rock for $8 a lb, I don't know if that's good or not.

I would like a Toby puffer and a clownfish, but not sure what else yet. Any suggestions?
 
JenTN;2236921; said:
Now that I got my husband on board...I'm thinking of scratching the 30 gal idea and getting a 120, transferring my Africans to it, and converting my 55 into a marine tank. I have found that it's easier to maintain good water params in a larger tank the hard way w/ my 5 gallon!

Anyway, I found a local saltwater LFS that can get me a 120 gal for $400 and my hubby can probably build a stand so that's not too bad. He said he's got live rock for $8 a lb, I don't know if that's good or not.

I would like a Toby puffer and a clownfish, but not sure what else yet. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...


'atta girl :thumbsup: :D

if the rock looks good then $8 a pound is fair

some places around me charge 12, but it's like God's live rock
others charge $5 and it shows

toby puffers are a group of fish.. not one specific kind
valentini, hawaiian, pink spot, sharpnose are all common kinds of them

MY suggestions:
jawfish
chalk bass
royal gramma
firefish
BLUE chromis
yellowtail blue damsels
neon, orchid, springer's, or sanky's dottyback
scissortail gobies
marine bettas
flame hawkfish

there's more but i wont bore you with my $150 dollar fantasy fishes :D
 
BIGgourami;2237219; said:
'atta girl :thumbsup: :D

if the rock looks good then $8 a pound is fair

some places around me charge 12, but it's like God's live rock
others charge $5 and it shows

toby puffers are a group of fish.. not one specific kind
valentini, hawaiian, pink spot, sharpnose are all common kinds of them

MY suggestions:
jawfish
chalk bass
royal gramma
firefish
BLUE chromis
yellowtail blue damsels
neon, orchid, springer's, or sanky's dottyback
scissortail gobies
marine bettas
flame hawkfish

there's more but i wont bore you with my $150 dollar fantasy fishes :D
Click to expand...

Not boring at all :D I drool over the huge $300 puffer fish (don't know what kind, we just always check out the salt section when we go buy supplies) at another LFS in my town. I also drool over stingrays, which I vow to own one day.
 
well if you're interested here are some of my favs


golden angelfish
boyle's angelfish
multicolor angelfish
bellus angelfish
swissguard basslet
swale's bass
melatremus eel
helfrich's firefish
yashia goby
blackcap gramma
peppermint hogfish
blue spotted jawfish
sohal tangs (too big for a 55 though)
mystery wrasse
 
i just setup a 100g with 40g sump. some things i already had. ive got about $500(and went as cheap as possible while still buying decent products) into the setup and still no fish.
i bought-
used skimmer
45lbs live rock
sw test kit
hydrometer
salt
sand
misc plumbing supplies

bare in mind if i wouldve had to buy a tank, stand, heaters, tank for sump, lights, return pump, powerheads then i would been atleast another $500-800 into it.
its not cheap, but its worth it. i cant stress enough to spend some money and buy a good skimmer, if you buy used like i did you can get a very nice one for a decent price. mine is a used asm g2 with brand new sedra 5000 pump, i paid $180 for it shipped to my door.
 
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