Budget Reefing!

One of the first questions I get asked by some one that is outside of the hobby is... "Isn't hard to keep saltwater fish?"  .. No.

The Second questions is "Isn't it expensive?" well... it is only as expensive as you want it to be.

Of course anyone can can just throw a bunch of money at a reef system and get it going, but there is just something about scoring a great deal. My system is just about (equipment wise) complete, but I am always looking at used reefing stuff for sale.

If someone is just getting started in the hobby and does not want to shell out THOUSANDS of dollars then a smart budget reefer can look towards the used market for their reefing needs.

I would turn to your local reefing forum for a great community and resource for knowledge and  great deals. Most states have local forums that you can turn to. Mine happens to be MichiganReefers.com


Reefing toys that I would buy used.

Protein skimmers.   After you have done all of your hours and hours of research, you will have an idea of what your looking for. Then you can look for that type of skimmer that might be just a couple years old and would perform just as well. After all, there is really not much to skimmers as far as moving parts, just the way bubbles and water move around.

Power Heads.  Providing that the manufacturer has been proven to have good customer support, such as Tunze or Vortech. So when something might go wrong with your old used pump, you can get it going again as soon as possible.

Aquariums.  Buying a brand new aquarium can give you serious sticker shock. Buying a used one can be much easier on ones wallet. But this is one item that you need to be careful and either reseal the seams and/or perform leak testing.  

Lighting.  Making your corals happy can be one of the most expensive parts of your reef tank. You can take advantage of a fellow reefers upgrade to new stuff or people moving. Just make sure that your are investing in a newer form of lighting such as LED, metal Halides, or T5.  If you get halides or T5, the first thing you do is replace the bulbs. 

Obviously when you are buying a used item, you need to be aware that you do not have warranties that you would get when buying new. So when you are buying used it is even More important to buy a quality piece so that it will last when you are using it for your reef tank by taking it for a second round of use.