Calculated my start up cost, questioning my sanity.

[crazyfishmom]

When my husband and I met he had (still has) this amazing collection of gaming stuff. More systems than I care to count. More games… more games and moooooreeeee games than I care to think about not to mention figurines and collectibles associated with those games. As we bought the house where we live now and rooms started filling with random gaming associated stuff friends and family always wondered why I was so okay with all of it and I just said “eventually there will be something that I will spend crazy amounts of money on and he won’t be able to say anything about it”… then I discovered the saltwater itch. He tried to complain at first and then he realized that complaining was probably not the way to go since he was planning on continuing to buy gaming related stuff. And now we are blissfully ignorant of how much we spend on hobby stuff. Definitely trying to slow down the spending now that my setups are fully up and running but it’s a a constant internal battle.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I would consider myself a budget person for maintaining my tank. I don't have the most money in the world but I can maintain a tank without much hassle. This hobby can become expensive quickly if you are buying all the latest reefing products or buying high-dollar frags and fish. However, this hobby can be on the cheaper spectrum but also very rewarding at the same time. There have been posts made on here In the past with some money-saving tips, and I would look over those posts for some pointers on how to make this hobby not as daunting as it might seem.

 

[Doctorgori]

we are all junkies in one form or another …
justbbe glad it’s not drugs or worse

 

[Captain-Barnacle]

Started with just Sea Monkeys and table salt, under $10; thrilling at first and then hooked. It's now a $10 a day habit, heading higher. Must I rob liquor stores to feed this addiction? There should be a Hotline. I would call it.

 

[VintageReefer]

If anyone is looking for a tank I would like to point out my thread, post 19 has the purchase link. This is a setup around 1300-1500 depending if there is a sale, and includes the sh and it’s comparable to other brands selling similar size setups for 2800-3000$

It’s a great tank package to get into the hobby with or to upgrade to

Best reef ready tank deal of 2024 - whose looking for a new tank?

I’ve been holding off on posting this but now I’m ready I came across what I believe is the absolute best deal you’ll ever see on a reef ready system Background - Current USA had a custom tank built for their marketing photos. It’s all over their website under the sections for r24 led reef...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ryanjohn1]

I’m impulsive and bad with money. So guess the reefing bug was in my veins. Lol I got 3 k in lights.

 

[FUNGI]

I quickly scanned the Heading and thought it said "questioning my salinity".......
missed opportunity

 

[Sharkbait19]

One time when I was buying livestock at the lfs I saw the register screen and my purchase history, as well as the total amount I’d spend there. It was both impressive and disheartening…

 

[Nick Steele]

I started with a 20G at like $1000 now that same 20G is about $2000 or so due to adding lights flow pump and heaters lol. Crazy hobby but most of mine are! Hunting isn’t expensive for me but dang it’s exhausting! Scuba/freediving on the other hand is all three costly/exhausting/lifethreating!


Plans for a 120G+ one day as a final tank but will want to finish my school after my wife does too.

 

[dakoop]

Yikes, never add up cost in this hobby

 

[Fred A.]

My kid only wanted a Betta fish, and I thought a salt tank would be a better investment - laughs on me.. I thought the forums were exaggerating the start up cost if your not shopping on Facebook.

We have a QT with meds up and running for under $250 easy. This thought made me feel insane after doing a spreadsheet and seeing the difference. I’ll easily be over $2k by time our two little clowns pop into a measly 65g display tank & hoping they live.

When I realized just how much, I’m at the point of might as well get it right now rather than upgrade later. Maybe that way I’ll stop researching like it’s a full time job. So let’s just say $3k, so I can get a fancy low maintenance fish litterbox (reefmat). And not to mention wave makers, ato, lights.

When did you realize you should have taken a vacation instead?

It's a HOBBY. How much do you or your friends spend on golf, cruises, sports cars or lots of other things? Besides, your kids don't really need to go to college!

 

[Badblackdog]

My kid only wanted a Betta fish, and I thought a salt tank would be a better investment - laughs on me.. I thought the forums were exaggerating the start up cost if your not shopping on Facebook.

We have a QT with meds up and running for under $250 easy. This thought made me feel insane after doing a spreadsheet and seeing the difference. I’ll easily be over $2k by time our two little clowns pop into a measly 65g display tank & hoping they live.

When I realized just how much, I’m at the point of might as well get it right now rather than upgrade later. Maybe that way I’ll stop researching like it’s a full time job. So let’s just say $3k, so I can get a fancy low maintenance fish litterbox (reefmat). And not to mention wave makers, ato, lights.

When did you realize you should have taken a vacation instead?

My wife are empty nesters. I was trying to talk her into buying a classic car as a hobby. She said that would be way too expensive. So, I talked to her into a reef tank. I think by the time I’m satisfied with a reef tank, which will be never, I probably could’ve bought a car.

 

[Dan_P]

My kid only wanted a Betta fish, and I thought a salt tank would be a better investment - laughs on me.. I thought the forums were exaggerating the start up cost if your not shopping on Facebook.

We have a QT with meds up and running for under $250 easy. This thought made me feel insane after doing a spreadsheet and seeing the difference. I’ll easily be over $2k by time our two little clowns pop into a measly 65g display tank & hoping they live.

When I realized just how much, I’m at the point of might as well get it right now rather than upgrade later. Maybe that way I’ll stop researching like it’s a full time job. So let’s just say $3k, so I can get a fancy low maintenance fish litterbox (reefmat). And not to mention wave makers, ato, lights.

When did you realize you should have taken a vacation instead?

The cost can be much lower but keeping up with the Joneses and needing the latest technology are the leading cause for the high cost. Buying the the most expensive coral and fish also play havoc with the budget.

 

[tigre44]

What I spend my retirementMy wife are empty nesters. I was trying to talk her into buying a classic car as a hobby. She said that would be way too expensive. So, I talked to her into a reef tank. I think by the time I’m satisfied with a reef tank, which will be never, I probably could’ve bought a car.

I got both but it’s what I spend my retirement money on

 

[FernFish]

All I can say, my friend is Facebook and OfferUp are your friend, find a reef group near you, and it won’t be that expensive , although kinda lost how much I spent on coral

 

[ErikVR]

Replace reefing with any other hobby. Everything is expensive. My other hobby is sports cars, do you think reefing is expensive??? I also go mountain biking, €12000 mountain bike? Not an exception!

That's why I always say, go big! Why spend 3000 on a small 65gl tank when a 200 will cost you only 1000 more.

 

[gbroadbridge]

My kid only wanted a Betta fish, and I thought a salt tank would be a better investment - laughs on me.. I thought the forums were exaggerating the start up cost if your not shopping on Facebook.

We have a QT with meds up and running for under $250 easy. This thought made me feel insane after doing a spreadsheet and seeing the difference. I’ll easily be over $2k by time our two little clowns pop into a measly 65g display tank & hoping they live.

When I realized just how much, I’m at the point of might as well get it right now rather than upgrade later. Maybe that way I’ll stop researching like it’s a full time job. So let’s just say $3k, so I can get a fancy low maintenance fish litterbox (reefmat). And not to mention wave makers, ato, lights.

When did you realize you should have taken a vacation instead?

My latest tank build started 3 years ago and I've logged every penny spent on it.
Total as of today is $22,712.94.

Now that is in AUD so lets call it $US 15,900.

I'm in Australia so things are rather more expensive than the US, and I've got a ton of automation as I travel a lot.

You've barely started on the road to ruin

 

[Biokabe]

My kid only wanted a Betta fish, and I thought a salt tank would be a better investment - laughs on me.. I thought the forums were exaggerating the start up cost if your not shopping on Facebook.

We have a QT with meds up and running for under $250 easy. This thought made me feel insane after doing a spreadsheet and seeing the difference. I’ll easily be over $2k by time our two little clowns pop into a measly 65g display tank & hoping they live.

When I realized just how much, I’m at the point of might as well get it right now rather than upgrade later. Maybe that way I’ll stop researching like it’s a full time job. So let’s just say $3k, so I can get a fancy low maintenance fish litterbox (reefmat). And not to mention wave makers, ato, lights.

When did you realize you should have taken a vacation instead?

See, for me, it was the other way around... look at the cost of vacations, see that it's $2,000 for a week-long vacation, and say to myself, "Hmm, I could spend $2,000 to sleep in a different bed for a week... or $2,000 to have a cool reef tank for decades."

It's all about priorities.

 

[VintageReefer]

I bought a 600$ rc car then put $500 in upgrades. And hit a curb at 60 mph and watched it cartwheel 100 ft. with plastic and metal flying into the sky like it was raining. I spent $1000 rebuilding it and upgrading it along as I went. Then before driving it again I analyzed for any weak spots and upgraded more. It’s full titanium, carbon fiber and aluminum now. I think my build cost is around 1200$. And now… I’m afraid to drive it. It’s too fast for public roads lol. So I bought another that I keep stock and use in the back yard and I have more fun with it because if it breaks the parts are cheap.

And cars. That’s an expensive hobby. I’ve bought and sold 5 or 6 cars in the last 10 years. Including a Mercedes suv that was 100k when it was new. Had it for 8 months then sold it for a few k more than I bought it for. That was a fun truck…

 

[ErikVR]

See, for me, it was the other way around... look at the cost of vacations, see that it's $2,000 for a week-long vacation, and say to myself, "Hmm, I could spend $2,000 to sleep in a different bed for a week... or $2,000 to have a cool reef tank for decades."

It's all about priorities.

Exactly! The biggest 'waste' of money is going on expensive vacations.
*POOF* aaaaand it's gone!