How To Setup An Inexpensive Octopus Aquarium

• Equipment:

  • 30 gallon aquarium - glass, around $50. Acrylic, around $150.

  • Berlin Air-Lift 60 Internal Protein Skimmer - $30.

  • Eclipse System2 Hood - $70.

  • 45 lbs Live Rock (can be added weekly as you go, say 5 lbs/week as you're cycling the aquarium) - $225 total or $25/week.

  • No heater needed if temperate species (such as a bimac), otherwise add another $30 for a heater.

  • Bag of Coralife sea salt - $10

  • Bag of substrate (live sand, crushed coral, etc) - $20

  • 1 bottle of Amquel Plus (removes chlorine, conditions water) - $5

  • 1 bottle of NovAqua (removes toxic metals) - $5

  • Hydrometer - $10
    
    

• Notes:

  • The Eclipse hood has to be cut in a couple places for the skimmer to fit properly (not hard to do, you'll see where this one plastic part on the lid is hitting the skimmer).
    
    

• Pics:
  Here's the front of the tank with some large pieces of live rock to start the cycling process:

  

  Here's the side of the tank:

  

  Third shot of initial tank setup: