araywest
Best pic I could find ha.
Hello everybody,
I just wanted to show my reef tank and what i've done with it. I tried to make it a "budget" tank even though that is hard to do when you love spending money on your hobby.
I bought the tank on craigs list for $100 and painted the back black with some left over spray paint in my garage. Then i used leftover lumber from a project and some small things from Home Depot( I love hate that place) to make the stand.
here's the tank and stand after postioning it.
I just so happened to find a great deal at my LFS and they had a Hamilton dual 400 watt fixture for another $100 for lighting. i know it's fuzzy.
here's the sun coming out of my house( my neighbors must think I'm growing WEED)
I had a 55 gallon reef tank prior that had a bunch of live rock and my Clown fish that has been around from the start of this hobby. ( wife killed all family and frinds of "tough Guy")
I put all the above rocks and coral into the new tank.
I also added a 28 gallon refugium from ebay for $145. and an eshopps s-120 skimmer for $135. The live sand was also from ebay i don't remember how much and the cost somewhere around $70 and 100 pounds great deals. Here is the Refugium and skimmer.
After this point reefing got real :frustrat: I wanted SPS corals and had the lights for them. they just didn't like the water CA levels so i spent $700+ on the geo CA reactor 618.
This was when the coral really started to take off.
At this point i figured i was good and didn't need to ever touch anything again........that never happens. after a year of $250 dollar electric bills every month with the house set at 82F i was sick of trying to run the AC and paying up to $350 a month( thanks California and OBAMA) so i bit the bullet and picked up some AI sol super blue LEDs.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time to look my tank over and if you have a question please ask and I will do my best to find the answer.
Austin.
I just wanted to show my reef tank and what i've done with it. I tried to make it a "budget" tank even though that is hard to do when you love spending money on your hobby.
I bought the tank on craigs list for $100 and painted the back black with some left over spray paint in my garage. Then i used leftover lumber from a project and some small things from Home Depot( I love hate that place) to make the stand.
![262746_10150300928589048_3495476_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F262746_10150300928589048_3495476_n.jpg&hash=c869eb9eebdbf754c04bcdd6e4f86f81)
![270507_10150308510644048_4780465_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc6%2F270507_10150308510644048_4780465_n.jpg&hash=8d75a0ee281034a0ba45d4771b8d1736)
here's the tank and stand after postioning it.
![185198_10150326419829048_1594199_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc6%2F185198_10150326419829048_1594199_n.jpg&hash=a821d043f698b696573d7445a9d0c036)
I just so happened to find a great deal at my LFS and they had a Hamilton dual 400 watt fixture for another $100 for lighting. i know it's fuzzy.
here's the sun coming out of my house( my neighbors must think I'm growing WEED)
![395639_10150550333834048_2061096050_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F395639_10150550333834048_2061096050_n.jpg&hash=246c785606e74c08b8b8209e8a64a9b2)
I had a 55 gallon reef tank prior that had a bunch of live rock and my Clown fish that has been around from the start of this hobby. ( wife killed all family and frinds of "tough Guy")
![150344_494174029047_5391035_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F150344_494174029047_5391035_n.jpg&hash=bb757eefe7bdc89470c6b2a718573e3e)
I put all the above rocks and coral into the new tank.
![181197_10151033422039048_1349950990_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc6%2F181197_10151033422039048_1349950990_n.jpg&hash=17193b3009f6db1376bf57523aa3de14)
I also added a 28 gallon refugium from ebay for $145. and an eshopps s-120 skimmer for $135. The live sand was also from ebay i don't remember how much and the cost somewhere around $70 and 100 pounds great deals. Here is the Refugium and skimmer.
![403479_10151033421889048_1451765052_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F403479_10151033421889048_1451765052_n.jpg&hash=7b53d9250046ca6ff6cf56a8e8a2d6dc)
After this point reefing got real :frustrat: I wanted SPS corals and had the lights for them. they just didn't like the water CA levels so i spent $700+ on the geo CA reactor 618.
![285676_10151033421919048_691611205_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F285676_10151033421919048_691611205_n.jpg&hash=84d8a917681109230eba05030f146d8e)
This was when the coral really started to take off.
![539933_10151033421629048_1389692946_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F539933_10151033421629048_1389692946_n.jpg&hash=91601ef268389c5c66ae2c6aa7cdc2d5)
At this point i figured i was good and didn't need to ever touch anything again........that never happens. after a year of $250 dollar electric bills every month with the house set at 82F i was sick of trying to run the AC and paying up to $350 a month( thanks California and OBAMA) so i bit the bullet and picked up some AI sol super blue LEDs.
![271183_10151251856739048_355123226_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F271183_10151251856739048_355123226_n.jpg&hash=05b0e4859f2d0021c2fbb9bcaef83299)
![253729_10151251856334048_846033653_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F253729_10151251856334048_846033653_n.jpg&hash=6466d5b52176f0b95c6e135472abb023)
![317514_10151251856389048_2055930528_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F317514_10151251856389048_2055930528_n.jpg&hash=591e2c13ade2c39fba02848ad0b50f04)
![548009_10151251856479048_25116534_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F548009_10151251856479048_25116534_n.jpg&hash=51b593d847223cb0bca1529bf8c5318f)
![183372_10151251856659048_1742170541_n.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F183372_10151251856659048_1742170541_n.jpg&hash=7d37bbd49c0e349ee5ad81171aee59fe)
Thanks to everyone who takes the time to look my tank over and if you have a question please ask and I will do my best to find the answer.
Austin.