Don't Add It All Up..

[Slats]

And if you do, congratulations, you just spent a bunch of time documenting a number you never really wanted to know or see. And of course, never show this list to your spouse/partner.. or you will get

Whats your list look like?

Here's mine, and I am sure I'm forgetting a lot:

[kmbyrnes]

Ha! I did that once, with my first tank.
Now I just hope there's enough to pay the electric bill.
Good thing Mrs. B is also addicted.

[C.Eymann]

I am book keeper, I know better than to start budgeting/ adding up initial and yearly costs. of a reef aquarium.

[ericp351]

It may sound like a lot but in this hobby it's not bad. On a large system that could be the lighting budget😱. Not for me. Everything on my system is second and third hand.

[GimpyFin]

I added mine up and it comes out to this (Give or take a little):

[ScienceRulez]

Originally Posted by ericp351

It may sound like a lot but in this hobby it's not bad. On a large system that could be the lighting budget😱. Not for me. Everything on my system is second and third hand.

Totally correct, the light budget for our tank here was $10,000 while the tank itself was over 20K. this hobby is one that you can spend as much or as little as you like. More expensive isn't always better nor is going as absolutely as cheap as you can.

Other hobbies can add up to, so keep it in perspective. You don't want to know about my film photography addict...err hobby. I'm trying to convince the wife to let me build a darkroom. You don't want to see the price tag on that...

[brett559]

Great list. Hey, it's only like $100 per gallon. The funniest part is the fact that your actual tank was only $260, or about 4% of the entire purchase. LFS should throw in the tank for free - almost like how inkjet printers are basically free, they get you over time with the ink.

$200 for a RBTA? Wow. I brought my use RBTA to my LFS and got like $30 in store credit

[ReefsandGeeks]

There is a huge difference between new and used price, specially if buying an entire used setup from someone getting out of the hobby. I spent ~$3,500 on my 40 gallon mixed reef most things new before I realized how much cheaper used is. I could have gotten a 180g for a similar cost had I bought all used and waited for great deals. I got a 65 gallon full setup for $20, complete with fish, lighting, live rock...etc a couple of months ago from someone on craigslist getting out of the hobby. Apparently I was the only person who responded that had reef experience

I think no matter how much money I make, I'll still be a budget reefer. Just the size of the tanks will get bigger. The wife wants a seahorse tank, so keeping an eye out for a setup I can use for that adventure haha.

[BigDave]

I'm almost to two grand and that's without water in the tank yet. That also includes the tank and a good chunk of the equipment being given to me. I built the stand myself which saved me a small fortune.

[toothybugs]

Originally Posted by GimpyFin

Then when you get out, if you're smart you can end up with a decent chunk back in your wallet.

Though I put several times IN TO my 75 what the cost of a new 6D will be and am struggling to get half the camera covered....

[Slats]

Originally Posted by kmbyrnes

Ha! I did that once, with my first tank.
Now I just hope there's enough to pay the electric bill.
Good thing Mrs. B is also addicted.

Hold onto her, shes a keeper

My gf looks at my tank then thinks of all the money I could have spent on her or an engagement ring for that matter... whoops

Originally Posted by brett559

Great list. Hey, it's only like $100 per gallon. The funniest part is the fact that your actual tank was only $260, or about 4% of the entire purchase. LFS should throw in the tank for free - almost like how inkjet printers are basically free, they get you over time with the ink.

$200 for a RBTA? Wow. I brought my use RBTA to my LFS and got like $30 in store credit

Ha I know right, tank is the cheapest part. I want to change to a non-cubed rimless tank when I move into my new home at the end of the year and I'm starting to realize that the size I want will have to be custom. Starting to save right now for it and instead of 4% of the total cost its going to be around 20% :/

Well, in all fairness my RBTA is about 6" across when fully open, but still sounds like your LFS was a little stingy

[BigDave]

Originally Posted by Slats

Hold onto her, shes a keeper

My gf looks at my tank then thinks of all the money I could have spent on her or an engagement ring for that matter... whoops



Ha I know right, tank is the cheapest part. I want to change to a non-cubed rimless tank when I move into my new home at the end of the year and I'm starting to realize that the size I want will have to be custom. Starting to save right now for it and instead of 4% of the total cost its going to be around 20% :/

Well, in all fairness my RBTA is about 6" across when fully open, but still sounds like your LFS was a little stingy

I remind my wife all the time that her engagement ring was going to be an upgraded engine for my Harley.

I won't tell you what her response usually is...

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[Capsle]

My tank has been up and running now for about a month. I would guess I'm between 3-4K.

Wife thinks it's half that so we're still on good terms

I've slowly started introducing my 180g built I am planning, still have a ways to go with that one.


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[Kevin Guthrie]

A hundred a gallon, who would've thunk it. And then there's the annual bill: electric, salt mix, DI, ...

[kmbyrnes]

Originally Posted by Slats

Hold onto her, shes a keeper

Yes she is.
Now if I could only get some maintenance help instead of just 'advice' .......

[Reel North]

220 g sps reef.

With all the wrong stuff I bought, one foot-itis etc, it's got to be 20k. Which is still $100 a gallon right?!

[fcmatt]

Great thing about this hobby is if you buy quality upfront, get out of the hobby for a while but keep the good stuff you have, getting back in costs a lot less. That is exactly what happened to me. I am pleased my ATI T5 light seems to still be a great purchase today as it was years ago. I am definitely going to use it again soon. Same with Ro/dI and etc...

[Reel North]

Exactly.

It takes a very rich man to buy cheap stuff