Jumping In! My tank diary begins.

[GMGQ]

Yes, fair enough. My DIY sump/fuge were cheaper too, as was my DIY Overflow box.

I just wanted to point out the flip side of some DIY projects, so that people know before they jump in. You'll definitely get personal satisfaction from building a higher quality, customized product, but you will pay for it. In both Time and Money. Plus Murphy's Law is always there to prove itself. So you have to weigh those options. Else you can pay a premium up front for a retail product, and you'll have it right away. So it depends on what you're looking for, and what you're willing to give up.

But again, dont get me wrong, I jumped in to this DIY thing whole heartedly, and I actually learned a LOT about the various trades involved. It was very rewarding, and I'm already thinking about how I'd improve on some things for the next time.

Famous Last Words: Measure Twice, Cut Once!!

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

There are some DIY projects that might cost more than retail, but IMO that would mean you ended up with something mucher higher quality and customized than retail.

And for a lot of projects, DIY is actually cheaper, even if you do go over budget by a bit. For example, I have done 2 lighting hoods that were much cheaper going with a retrofit kit and DIY hood compared to buying a complete unit. My Auto-top of system is cheaper than retail by far. My sump is DIY with an old tank and baffles, FAR cheaper than buying a retail sump.