I got the AC 110 for $75, normally $90.
Not a huge saviings in itself, but when you're buying a lot like I am, it adds up.
I'll have to check my receipts at home for the other stuff, but I know I've already saved over $100 by getting it on sale.

they work as a bio filter and u can get 6 of them for 1$

if u also get some polyester stuffing(its made for pillows and inside dog toys) from walmart( u can get it for 15$ and it last for at least a year) u can use it instead of a sponge for your filter

with the  polyester stuffing acting as a mechanical filter and the plastic scrubbies working as a bio filter that is really all u need in your filter it will work for any filter u might need carbon to somtimes. this method will save u lots of money in a year

All I see are salt water/marine fish he has.  I didn't see 1 Goldfish or any tropicals except those ciclids.
As far as the scrubbies, I see he uses them in a homemade sump pump.
Where are the award winning goldfish? LOL!

That site made me want to cry  

I miss my saltwater tank.  Never got as far as getting the lights and things set up for corals but the live rock and fish make it beautiful as well.  Its soooo much work getting all that set up and keeping everything just right though so I don't miss all the work involved.  Didn't go through everything but all I saw were saltwater tanks.  Gorgeous saltwater tanks!  Small one in the office one day sounds like a fine plan for now and maybe things will have slowed down around my house by then, remodeling is time consuming.    

That's impressive     You've got a lot of nice fish.
Seriously tho, is it really ok to just use cheap pot scrubbers? I thought everything had to say 'for aquarium use'.

Summertime, I use what the filters recommend.  They usually will say what is recommended on the box or the pamphlet inside.

ya sick fish suck

the ceramic rings would work perfect to so if thats what u want to use go for it. there is a lot of different way to get a good bio filter u can even make a filter out of a airstone  inside a tube that goes though a sponge and some of those rings only for a small tank but it would work alittle

in this hobby there are a lot of ways to do things u just have to find out what works best for u. as long as u have a good bio filter that is all u really need

I bought the Fluval 405 canister filter for $175, normal price is $220.

I didn't see any Rena filters or pumps on sale at Petsmart.

The 75 gal tank & stand were $335, normally $395.  However they gave me an extra $20 off the stand because the box it was in was torn and open on the edges.  

I bought this all at Petsmart.

I noticed amazon.com sells the filters and filter media for a good price.  I don't know if I'd want a filter shipped because who knows how they're throwing it around, but I will buy the media from there.  I also like amazon.com because there's usually customer reviews that you can read about the product.

30 to 50 water change sounds harsh

You have to work out what percentage of water you should change each week/fortnight based on how many fish are in the tank, the size of the fish and what filtration you are running.
I change approximately 30% a week in my 40 gallon which works well for me!
So while 30 - 50% may seems like a lot to you creamkiller it is probably necessary in Minde's Tank

Bad bacteria can build up in the gravel, so I vacuum once a week and try and get as much debrie out as I can.
Sometimes it is a 25% change, sometimes more, sometimes 50%.
I keep a clean tank! LOL!  And my tank is overcrowded, I know!
Some of my fish are over 12 years old and thriving.
Some are over 7 inches not including tail fin!
Here are some pix, have a look!

i guess there is a differents in my saltwater tang the sand bed will act like a bio fillter cause it is small and there is lots of cervices
can u use agonite sand in gold tank i know u can in a chiclid tank  it works as a bio filter and would help the tank out

hauling water in buckets makes u strong and mighty. plus u can leave it out in a bucket for a day so alll the cloring in tap water will go way (bad spelling) so u dont need conditioner

Oh well, guess I'm helping the economy with my retail purchases, and paying sales tax.   

Those are pretty pictures.  Also gives me an idea of your filter placement, although I will probably experiment with it.

I like the natural looking gravel that you have, but was considering using those small oval glass rocks for the bottom.  It seems like it would be harder to clean gravel than between these glass rocks.

I want to get a water changer.  How do you get the temperature right?  Also, don't you have to let the water sit overnight to let the gasses escape?  I've read some articles about that.  I'd love to hear your opinion.

Right now I fill the buckets the night before I change it, and use water conditioner right before I put it in the tank.

This forum's great!  Thanks to you guys I'm getting this set up correctly!  I'm also passing the information on to my daughter and others.  Kind of cool how this stuff spreads...  Good for the goldfish too 

 u can get some ovel rocks a the dollar store

u dont have to leave bucket out for 24 hrs that is how long it take to get rid of everything if u use that tap water conditioner.

u dont ALWAYS need to use conditioner if u do Leave the bucket out  if u live on city water u need to leave it out for 24 hour or put the conditoner in

if u are on a well u could put the water straght in the tank but u should test for nitrides and nitrades as u could have some in well water

You also need the conditioner to remove heavy metals and hydrated lime.