Having a marine tank brings natures wonders inside your home.
There is no cookie cutter answer and comes down to what you want and what your budget is. To get an idea of price - have a bit of a look below to help guide you through the beginning stages of what you want and what it will cost.
There are different levels in both cost and care.
Easiest - FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) this requires the least amount of care of the 3 systems and you can graduate from this as your experience grows. A AquaOne MiniReef is ideal for this to start with. Here is the link for the Aqua One MiniReef -https://www.thetechden.com.au/collections/aquariums?page=2&_=pf&pf_v_brands=AquaOne
When working out what is required in addition to the hardware here is a great link by Red Sea which simply works out what you need for what type of tank.
If you find you want to progress to Mixed Reef or LPS Dominant tank you can upgrade the basic equipment that comes with the MiniReef - keep in mind the fish you select in a fish only system may not be compatible with coral If you are thinking on coral later try to stick to Reef Safe fish.
Next Level - Mixed Reef (Coral and Fish) Mixed Reef is a combination of fish and coral. This is one of the most common marine tanks in homes today. The AquaOne MiniReef is still an option but easy level of coral that require low lighting. Also start venturing into Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox tanks where you just get the base tank and you add the lights, skimmer and return pumps.
Advanced - SPS or Coral Dominant This is where you will need higher end lighting, skimmer, wavemakers and while you can upgrade the Aqua One Mini Reef most tend to go straight to the Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox tanks and pick specific equipment to suit - this is more customisation of a tank. Lighting is important as you go into the Mixed Reef and SPS tanks. Most lighting for more demanding coral will generally work on a 60cm by 60cm square so a two foot tank generally one light - 4 ft tank is two lights and a 6ft tank 3 lights. Lighting will generally range from $380 up to the top of the range at $1200 each. Skimmers - better to over do it than under do it and most skimmers will range from $235 and go up with the most common around the $500 Wavemakers help move the water and again these will range from $100 up to $1100 Return Pumps will start off from about $150 and go up to $750 There is a lot involved but hope this gives you a rough idea - have a bit of a think about the direction and we should be able to work from there.
Please call us on 0754 323260 to discuss this further.
