The 55g low cost reef project

**Mits** · 01-05-2010, 04:24 PM

We don't do well with indoor plants. We have to keep them in hard to reach, out of the way places so the kids don't knock them over, which leads to a lack of watering. The CO2 problem usually happens in a house that doesn't ever open the windows but runs heat and central air. That's us.

**PapaMcEuin** · 01-05-2010, 04:25 PM

That is why ivy is great. Put it high and they can take abuse of forgetting to water.

**SaltyDawg** · 01-05-2010, 07:05 PM

Your tank looks awesome. What a difference a year makes.

**CarmieJo** · 01-05-2010, 09:20 PM

The tank is looking beautiful and your son is a little cutie! He sure looks like he's enjoying life in that picture.

**rayme07** · 01-05-2010, 09:57 PM

Your tank is looking beautiful. I love your RBTA it has some awesome color.

**Mits** · 01-06-2010, 01:46 AM

Thanks everyone. I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what to get with a small amount that I can spend at Premium Aquatics. They are right down the road, no shipping

I'm thinking more modules for the reefkeeper lite, maybe a CO2 scrubber, maybe a reactor for carbon/phosphate, who knows? And Papa, how much Ivy would it take to add enought oxygen to the room to make it worthwhile? Would my living room look like Wrigley Field?

V · 01-06-2010, 09:31 AM

haha, thats sweet. geeze, been awhile between drinks, family's gota take point though

Have you added anything since last time, or it that just growth

**Mits** · 01-06-2010, 10:03 AM

There are plenty of additions. Several small frags, a few fish and some rock has filled it out. It's a never ending process as you probably know.

V · 01-06-2010, 10:11 AM

yeeaaa!

Gold fish keeping has gotten intense..lol

**Mits** · 01-13-2010, 02:12 AM

I decided to try running a hose up to the attic to let fresh air into the skimmer. I've gone into attics and drilled down many times during speaker installs, and I drilled down only to find a fire block a couple feet down! That's pretty much like a horizontal stud blocking you from doing pretty much anything without cutting up your wall. I already put the hole in my wall for the hose to come out. I may have to go through the wall and into a closet to go up to the attic. I also lost a nice tape measure up there in the attic insulation.

**spanko** · 01-13-2010, 08:27 PM

Just read this entire thread. What a great story. Your tank and son are both looking fantastic. Sorry to hear about the tape measure falling into the attic void. Well done!!

Oh is the wife on board with the low cost attempt at keeping up the tank, or has she resigned herself to the fact that there is money that must be spent in the hobby??

**Mits** · 01-13-2010, 09:25 PM

She knows that sometimes money must be sent, but we kind of set up some rules. I can't just go grab something for the tank whenever we get paid. Just about everything in there was bought from a local reefer cheap or traded for. I have bought a few choice pieces from stores or vendors at a frag swap, and those are the ones that haven't made it! If I need something I usually get the money from selling old drygoods or frags, and sometimes I get stuff for free. My sump was sitting in a friend's garage for over a year so he just gave it to me. We also have a rule that any bonuses gotten at work are play money, and we just started a new program at my job that gives us a few hundred bucks every few months if we perform well. This has gone to MH bulbs, my reefkeeper lite, and other such drygoods. For christmas she said that I could run over to premium aquatics and grab a fish, and I decided to contribute it to my drygood needs instead. Sometimes I'll grab a fish here or there, but it's always less than $20. I have things that I really need, like a chiller, but I have to think of ways to solve my problems without grabbing one. Now that I'm running out of room in there I want to go bigger, and so I'm looking at craigslist for used tanks. Sometimes you find a gem of a deal on there. I'll just slowly build up wood pieces to eventually build a stand or something if I need to down the line. Every purchase is typically planned out for a while so I have time to find the best deal and come up with something DIY if at all possible. I've found that just about everything you need to start up a tank is just sitting around in some local reefer's garage, it's just a matter of asking for it and finding everything. My rock and sand are a great example. I just put a post on my local reef club's website asking for cheap rock and sand, and got enough to fill up my 55 for free! I don't care if it's base rock, I'll seed it with the live rock I have and spend a few bucks on some good rubble and small pieces from premium. I also buy tiny frags and enjoy watching them grow out rather than dropping large bucks on mother colony size pieces. I never fall in love with a piece at the LFS, I'll go broke if I do.

**spanko** · 01-13-2010, 09:33 PM

Wonderful examples of how to get a beautiful tank without breaking the bank. Thank you for sharing!!!!

**CarmieJo** · 01-13-2010, 09:41 PM

Well that is irritating about the line for the skimmer. Sorry to hear that the attic eats tape measures like the washer eats socks!

**Small Fry** · 01-15-2010, 04:43 AM

when i saw low cost and reef in the same title i was apprehensive, but holy crap.

The difference from a year ago to now is absolutely astounding

Going to be following this thread for progress

Josh

**Mits** · 04-18-2010, 11:57 PM

Looks like this may evolve again, I am getting a 90gal for $100 and I think I'll be putting this 55 under it as a sump. I'm going to build a larger stand that can also accomodate a frag tank next to it. As usual, I'm going to try to find a way to get everything used or otherwise inexpensively. Our frag swap is May 1, and there are a ton of great raffle prizes. Maybe I can get lucky enough to win one or two of them.

**Coreyz** · 04-19-2010, 10:49 PM

Me and a bunch of members from LMAS will be going to your swap. Can't wait!

**CarmieJo** · 04-19-2010, 11:32 PM

Hey, that's great! Your low cost project just keeps growing!

**Mits** · 04-20-2010, 11:45 PM

And it grows again! Today a fellow INDMAS member posted up a 24x24x20 tank with internal overflow that he needs to get out of his basement, and all he wanted were frags. I got it for a piece of purple/yellow scroll and a purple branching monti frag. Sure, I accidentally made 4 extra frags of the monti, but it's totally worth it! I will have my frag tank that will go next to the 90 when I meet up with him, then I just have to figure out how to make a stand and canopy to accomodate them. The tank is missing the top trim on the front and left, and I will have to scrape the silicone from where it was. I'll just cover over that with the canopy, but make sure not to place any weight on the bare glass.

**CarmieJo** · 04-21-2010, 12:16 AM

If you keep falling into deals we are going to have to start calling you Pearson.

**Mits** · 04-21-2010, 11:40 PM

Well I got the frag tank tonight. Here's a pic:

I traded 3 la laker scroll frags and 2 purple branching monti frags for the tank, 2 different chalices and what he called an orange crush acan. Good day, with the exception of moving it and cutting my hand in 2 places with the exposed glass edges. I'm going to replace the trim all the way around with black I think. Now I just need to design a stand that will hold it and a 90 along with proper plumbing. I'm pretty excited, I love projects!