Ok so here goes. Another build.
So the other day I had completely decided to get out of the hobby. I told a few friends that I was getting out. The reason I rationed this will be explained in detail.
First and largest reason was my yearly operation cost of the 150, 390, and basement sump. I easily exceed 3000 a year in operation cost and this doesn't even count price of what i spend in fish and coral. My powerbill from just the tank is 150/180 each month. So power is ruffly $1800 per year for aquarium power alone.
Salt cost is 1.4 boxes of salt at $50 a box is $850 a year. I do a 50 gallon water change once a week. Sounds good in theory until you realize that 50 gallons is only 7 percent water change. After receiving my triton test back I realized that 7% is just not sufficient for an sps dominated system.
Other cost.
Kalkwasser I bought a 4.4 pound tub off Amazon for 44 dollars on March 18th. First use was on April first. I use 3 cups every 2 weeks and am about to run out. $264
Food. Just in frozen I spend about 300 a year.
Corals well anyone that has seen me at a reef stock or the local store knows I am like a kid in the candy store. So we can only guess how much I spend there.
So that was the nuts and bolts of what got my gears turning and made me ready to get out. Also, I have a mini tank crash from unkown orgin and lost some masive colonys of my favorite sps. I was able to save some nice frags but it was pretty devastating.
So I looked at wife and say to her I am done with the hobby. Instantly my wife started balling. Not one of my friends or I thought my wife truly enjoyed the aquariums. Well we were wrong. After days of her trying to talk me out of it I began looking at other options.
Option 1 just keep 390 in basement with much smaller return.
Problem with this option was we do not spend enough time in basement as primary TV and entertainment of friends is upstairs. Between lack of visibility and cost to run 390 this was not the option we wanted to go.
Option 2 keep 150 cube and put sump underneath instead of having it plumbed into basement. The 150 is a very established tank and before the mini crash was grown in very nicely. My wife likes the placement, however, I had 3 issues. First being flow. Since this thing has grown in getting enough flow has been a challenge as it is against 2 walls. Secondly it's so grown in I do not have room to put frags from 390 or reef stock. Lastly maintenance, with the deminsions its very hard to get pumps out to clean. My wife is 4'9 and when I go out of town for work(months at a time) usually someone has to come help her. Biggest driver in this decision not to keep this tank was coral room and maintenance.
Option 3 small red sea reefer around 65 gallons. I really liked this idea but I was the only one. I will admit looking back now it was stupid choice. I like fish
(big swimming ones) and lots of them.
Option 4 buy 150 gallon sca eurobraced aquarium.
So here comes a friend known for spending other peoples money. He says what about like a 150. I have a lot of the equipment already that can run a system this size. I talked to the wife and she lit up with idea but was worried about placement. I looked up the 150 dimensions and was like ok I could live with this with one problem front to back was 24 inches. The 150 cube is 36 and the 390 is 30. I began feeling like I was going to be crapped for space. The goal is to make a minimalist scape so the corals can grown in nicely. I am going to get rid of some weed corals and only put all my high end stuff in it. The yearly cost savings should be at least 1/3 of current setup.
Behold I have ordered a planet aquarium
60.5 x 30.5 x 24.25 eurobraced aquarium with grey stand and matching canopy.
Canopy will be floating and contain 4 xr15 gen 4 (with i already own) with 4 48 inch t5.
I already have the apex and trident for dosing and monitoring.
Flow will be 2 mp40 which is already owned. I currently have 6 total 4 new and 2 old. If I need more flow I will use the 2 older ones to supplement the ones on the side.
I will have to order a smaller skimmer and a sump. For the sump I went with a trigger system platinum 34.
There will be lots of equipment ie mp40, metal halides, xr15 pro,life reef skimmer, and frag packs coming up for sale. There may be a very large MRC calcium reactor for sale as well.
There will also be fish and 2 maybe 3 Colorado sunburst anemones for sale.
Stay tuned.
Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
So the other day I had completely decided to get out of the hobby. I told a few friends that I was getting out. The reason I rationed this will be explained in detail.
First and largest reason was my yearly operation cost of the 150, 390, and basement sump. I easily exceed 3000 a year in operation cost and this doesn't even count price of what i spend in fish and coral. My powerbill from just the tank is 150/180 each month. So power is ruffly $1800 per year for aquarium power alone.
Salt cost is 1.4 boxes of salt at $50 a box is $850 a year. I do a 50 gallon water change once a week. Sounds good in theory until you realize that 50 gallons is only 7 percent water change. After receiving my triton test back I realized that 7% is just not sufficient for an sps dominated system.
Other cost.
Kalkwasser I bought a 4.4 pound tub off Amazon for 44 dollars on March 18th. First use was on April first. I use 3 cups every 2 weeks and am about to run out. $264
Food. Just in frozen I spend about 300 a year.
Corals well anyone that has seen me at a reef stock or the local store knows I am like a kid in the candy store. So we can only guess how much I spend there.
So that was the nuts and bolts of what got my gears turning and made me ready to get out. Also, I have a mini tank crash from unkown orgin and lost some masive colonys of my favorite sps. I was able to save some nice frags but it was pretty devastating.
So I looked at wife and say to her I am done with the hobby. Instantly my wife started balling. Not one of my friends or I thought my wife truly enjoyed the aquariums. Well we were wrong. After days of her trying to talk me out of it I began looking at other options.
Option 1 just keep 390 in basement with much smaller return.
Problem with this option was we do not spend enough time in basement as primary TV and entertainment of friends is upstairs. Between lack of visibility and cost to run 390 this was not the option we wanted to go.
Option 2 keep 150 cube and put sump underneath instead of having it plumbed into basement. The 150 is a very established tank and before the mini crash was grown in very nicely. My wife likes the placement, however, I had 3 issues. First being flow. Since this thing has grown in getting enough flow has been a challenge as it is against 2 walls. Secondly it's so grown in I do not have room to put frags from 390 or reef stock. Lastly maintenance, with the deminsions its very hard to get pumps out to clean. My wife is 4'9 and when I go out of town for work(months at a time) usually someone has to come help her. Biggest driver in this decision not to keep this tank was coral room and maintenance.
Option 3 small red sea reefer around 65 gallons. I really liked this idea but I was the only one. I will admit looking back now it was stupid choice. I like fish
(big swimming ones) and lots of them. Option 4 buy 150 gallon sca eurobraced aquarium.
So here comes a friend known for spending other peoples money. He says what about like a 150. I have a lot of the equipment already that can run a system this size. I talked to the wife and she lit up with idea but was worried about placement. I looked up the 150 dimensions and was like ok I could live with this with one problem front to back was 24 inches. The 150 cube is 36 and the 390 is 30. I began feeling like I was going to be crapped for space. The goal is to make a minimalist scape so the corals can grown in nicely. I am going to get rid of some weed corals and only put all my high end stuff in it. The yearly cost savings should be at least 1/3 of current setup.
Behold I have ordered a planet aquarium
60.5 x 30.5 x 24.25 eurobraced aquarium with grey stand and matching canopy.
Canopy will be floating and contain 4 xr15 gen 4 (with i already own) with 4 48 inch t5.
I already have the apex and trident for dosing and monitoring.
Flow will be 2 mp40 which is already owned. I currently have 6 total 4 new and 2 old. If I need more flow I will use the 2 older ones to supplement the ones on the side.
I will have to order a smaller skimmer and a sump. For the sump I went with a trigger system platinum 34.
There will be lots of equipment ie mp40, metal halides, xr15 pro,life reef skimmer, and frag packs coming up for sale. There may be a very large MRC calcium reactor for sale as well.
There will also be fish and 2 maybe 3 Colorado sunburst anemones for sale.
Stay tuned.
Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
