Scottb Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 So I am a little late to the game on this thread, but here it goes. I had a reef tank for a short while 10-12 years ago and had to get rid of it for a couple of reasons. One I just couldn't afford it ( and really I still cant) and my home was a 1k sqf home with a 250 gal. tank in it. I couldn't stop the mold and mildew growth in the house. A couple of months ago a friend of mine bought a house in central Oregon with a nice 125 gallon fowlr tank in it that he didn't want. So I made a flyer and my wife and I took it into my LFS. As she was looking around she told me that she really missed watching the fish and how she would like to have another tank.... but smaller. I came up with this idea to build a beautiful budget tank, utilizing CL and other forums. So here is what I have come up with so far........ Brand new 40b......................... $30 craigslist 20 G acrylic sump.....................$25 craigslist Older Bubble Max skimmer......$30 craigslist The stand and hood I built ( I am a finish carpenter) ( 4 home depot 2x4 studs @ 3.41each $13.64 2 sheets of 1/2 birch plywood from a local bargain building materials store 2 @ $19.99 $39.98 1 quart of enamel paint $8.98 Euro hinges.................$10 Home depot 1x4s.............................$12 Home depot The crushed coral bed and the live rock was salvaged from the central Oregon tank. New 640gph sump pump........... $55 LFS Diamond bit and jig to drill the tank $19.99 Ebay Filter Sock.......................................$5 LFS Lock Line fittings and diffusers $ 24 LFS 10 feet of 3/4 tubing ......................$19.99 Home depot Overflow box...................................$16.99 Ebay The tank build without lighting $310.57 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paratore Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Looking good so far! The stand and hood look awesome! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil&Fin Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Endless hours of enjoying fish and coral...priceless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Wow good job keeping things on a budget! Stand and hood look very nice. Very nice skills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Looks awesome, especially for being into less than a lot of people spend on just a skimmer! Keep up the good work! Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Looks great, nice job finding the deals! ???? What's the lighting plan? DIY or China LED will keep the budget well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottb Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 I just ordered a light from sb reef lights. I was going to hold out for a used high end light but after some advice from another member, and allot of hours of reading I pulled the trigger. With the holiday sale it was $116 shipped. And if what I read is true it should preform as well as Radeon or kessil. I guess I am a few days from finding out[emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Ironically that's what I was going to suggest looking into but wasn't sure how cheap you wanted to go. I use the generic full spectrum 165w lights and everything does great so I'm sure you'll be fine with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoringDave Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Quite impressive lights for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottb Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 And the man chimes in! Thank you boringdave for turning me on to them! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoringDave Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 You may have me confused with someone else. I have never seen them until I read this post then googled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.