Need guidance on how to build an economic reef aquarium

[Coral!4life]

Hello Reef Lovers.

We are new to this forum, it seems there is tons of great information here, but we need some guidance on how to navigate this forum so that we can have a better understanding of how to build an economic reef aquarium. My son, freshman at high school, is interested in learning about coral reef , and trying to do some research on how to preserve this important ecosystem. It is difficult to monitor them in a real ocean, hence we are thinking of building our own reef aquarium. Here are some of the questions

- Do we have a starter guide on explaining how to build it, what is the build of materials and cost of those?
- how long will it take if we start from scratch till we can have a living coral reef ecosystem?
- or should we buy an existing setup if we want to jump-start this learning process of coral reef ecosystem?

Looking forward to hearing back from you all
Thank you
Coral!4life

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Thread 'The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

This is a great guide going in to great detail of almost everything you need to know.

It will take a few weeks to get your tank, get all the materials, etc. After that it will be another few weeks until you can add your first coral. It won't take long. I'd suggest buying new if you can because it's way more reliable.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

First of all, this is an incredible hobby to get into!

Unfortunately, like most people, youre likely going to run into a number of unexpected expenses. A lot of them are small but add up. I definitely wouldnt djscourage anyone from entering this amazing hobby but realistically its not cheap.

In regards to learning about coral reef conservation through the hobby, I wouldn't make that my reason for starting. There's actually a lot of people who commonly point out how different natural reefs are from captive reefs. I actually prefer to design my tanks as natural as possible but you simply cant replicate the real ocean inside your house. You will learn some basic things about corals such but I personally wouldn't try to apply the majority of aspects of reefkeeping to natural reef conservation.

I do encourage you to plan out your tank and expenses and enter the hobby! Beware though, youll be addicted soon enough! Haha

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

There is no hiding it, this is a heck of an expensive hobby. Yes you can cut some costs here and there, experienced hobbyists will know how, but its very difficult for new hobbyist. I think the EVO 13.5 is the cheapest entry level tank for beginners, but even then, you will spend more than a thousand in your first year just to end up with 2 or 3 fish and a handful of corals.

This is a research heavy hobby, the more reading and research you do will help you more and will help you save money. Lack of research will cost animals their lives and will cost you more money.

Consider to go with a freshwater tank for a year or two to get some basic fish and aquarium experience, its much easier and much cheaper. Good luck

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Bruttall]

In my experience, there are 2 words that do not apply to salt water aquariums. The first one is "cheap". The second one is "economical".

 

[WvAquatics]

Agree with all above. Bes ad ice I got before corals. If you can take 100$ bill and burn it and move on your coral ready. That being said you can do things on a budget. Research the guide posted above. Also brs has a lot of beginners advice. Also for aquarium I would look for a much bigger tank than the evo 13.5. The swings in that tank will be tough for a new reef keeper. Look at the innovative marine fusion 25 aio. Sale right now for 200$ that's a great 25 gallon to start. Everything is smaller form and in the back of the tank. Good luck remember this hobby is all about research.