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Bahama Llama's 45-Gallon Coral Farm

Bahama Llama's 45-Gallon Coral Farm

by Bahama Llama Coral
Volume
45 gal
Tank type
frag/coral farm (mixed with some SPS)
Bahama Llama Coral tallies the full equipment cost of his Deep Blue 45 gallon frag tank coral farm, arriving at about $3,160 not counting livestock or coral. He argues reefing is affordable if you buy used gear and start small, and shares t

Bahama Llama Coral tallies the full equipment cost of his Deep Blue 45 gallon frag tank coral farm, arriving at about $3,160 not counting livestock or coral. He argues reefing is affordable if you buy used gear and start small, and shares tips on growing a self-sustaining frag farm. He closes with recommended reef YouTubers and the Reef News Network podcast.

View original source
Source: youtube

Equipment Breakdown

Shop this build · 8 of 8 items priced
Bahama Llama's 45-Gallon Coral Farm — Full Equipment List
$2,202
est. build cost
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Filtration
Eshopps S-150 Protein Skimmer
Eshopps
S-150 Protein Skimmer
Skimmer
eShopps X-120 Axiom series
$199.99 Buy → ⚠ Out at SaltwaterFish.com Details →
Lighting
ATI T5 Bulbs (Coral Plus / Blue Plus)
ATI
T5 Bulbs (Coral Plus / Blue Plus)
Lighting
Aqua Illumination Prime HD
$24.95 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
EcoTech Marine Radion XR15 G6 LED
EcoTech Marine
Radion XR15 G6 LED
Lighting
Nanotech T5 reflector
$549.88 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Flow & Circulation
Maxspect Gyre XF350
Maxspect
Gyre XF350
Flow
Maxspect Gyre 1K
$609.99 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Tunze Turbelle Stream 6105
Tunze
Turbelle Stream 6105
Flow
Tunze oscillator
$324.99 Buy → ⚠ Out at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Hydor Koralia Evolution Wavemaker
Hydor
Koralia Evolution Wavemaker
Flow
Hydor Koralia wavemaker
$41.99 Buy → ⚠ Out at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Water & Salt
Fritz Reef Pro Mix Salt
Fritz
Reef Pro Mix Salt
Salt
Fritz RPM (blue box)
$1 Buy → at Fritz Aquatics Details →
Dosing
Red Sea ReefDose 4 Dosing Pump
Red Sea
ReefDose 4 Dosing Pump
Dosing
Coral Box
$449 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →

Husbandry & Notes

  • Buy ~90% of equipment used on Facebook or local coral groups to cut cost dramatically.
  • Keep dKH around 8 so no supplementation is needed during water changes.
  • Run a deep oversized sump; this one could support two or three more frag tanks.
  • Use foam sleeves over hoses to block light and prevent algae in return lines.
  • Start small (e.g. Fluval Evo 13.5) and progress up the coral ladder over time.
  • Tread lightly with SPS; gain experience on entry-level corals first.
  • Grow a frag farm so the tank pays for itself via trades, store credit, and sales.
Reported parameters
Alk (dKH)
8
I still feel like the reefing hobby is an affordable one.
That's a $500 sump. That's funny, the sump is so much bigger than the actual tank.
I like to keep my dKH around eight so that's perfect for me.
A third of the price of this tank is the lighting.
All I want to do is just have enough money to maintain the hobby... for it to pay for itself.