Cost per day of reefing

[10Seconds]

Anyone else ever think about this? Since I added a 2016 Apex to my 220 tank and it has a power tracking feature it got me thinking.

Based just on electric useage, my 220 runs me about $2.50 per day. However I also use about 4 gallons per day RO water. And add in 40 gallons of salt per month. I am figuring my cost on the 220 is about $3.30 per day. Then I add food, both coral and fish. Between LRS and PE Mysis I am another $1. So all in close to $5 per day. I figure my 60 gallon is closer to 2.25 per day. So reef keeping cost me about $7.25 per day.

Has anyone else looked at this or am I just a nerd for figuring it up?

This seemed like a lot until I divided out my cable bill and thats $6/day and I enjoy it much less.

 

[Dsnakes]

I believe I have seen a similar thread or poll to this. Though it may have been monthly estimated cost. I have no idea what my Nuvo 20 costs to run...but I know how much I've spent on it ;Blackeye

 

[Zero Nitrates]

Probably $100 per day;Wideyed

 

[10Seconds]

Probably $100 per day;Wideyed

Holy crap. What are you running on that thing?

 

[Daltrey]

I can tell you so far my estimates are way off from what I had originally thought. I was guessing around $40 a month. I am actually around $200 a month.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/p...our-average-running-costs-are-a-month.336344/

 

[Zero Nitrates]

Holy crap. What are you running on that thing?

Just joking!

Probably about $10 per day. Water, power, salt, replacing equipment, carbon, GFO, CO2, super glue, light bulbs, coral, vibrant.

 

[10Seconds]

I can tell you so far my estimates are way off from what I had originally thought. I was guessing around $40 a month. I am actually around $200 a month.

Yeah me too, would have guessed about $40 per month until i really started adding things up.

And thats not counting buying SPS frags which are outrageous now days either.

Maybe on second thought I shouldnt have added it up.

 

[Idoc]

I'm not even going to think about it...If I see a number, I might find a new hobby! Lol. Ignorance is Bliss...

 

[Dsnakes]

 

[reefwiser]

You never want to think like this with a hobby. An don’t let the wife think this way either or you will have to just sit on the couch and watch the Hallmark channel and do nothing. [emoji23]

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

My freshwater planted tank is almost zero maintence, if any large piece of food were to be missed my snails can turn a slice of zucchini or a piece of raw fish into aquarium soil in under a week, my saltwater tank is practically on life support however

 

[splix]

You also have to factor in what you spent on all hardware and livestock TOTAL since you said "hmmm, I should put in a saltwater tank", amortize that total to the day you started. So yeah, most of us are at like $100+/day lol

 

[Flatlandreefer]

One thing about it, if you are going to think in these terms then the longer you stay in the hobby the cheaper it will get per day so really you are saving money by keeping your tank running...

 

[Mini Coop]

You never want to think like this with a hobby. An don’t let the wife think this way either or you will have to just sit on the couch and watch the Hallmark channel and do nothing. [emoji23]

Or the husband . . .

 

[Radman73]

I keep a spreadsheet that roughly tracks what I've spent on the tank, equipment, and livestock. Roughly is the key word. I could probably go back over the last year and figure out exactly what I spent but I'm not positive that I want to know the answer.

6 years ago or so I figured I'd spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 2k on a 29gal biocube and that wasn't inclusive of things like salt, water, and electricity. But really, how much electricity could a 29gal consume lol!

My wife still figures this is a relatively cheap hobby plus it keeps me at home and the kids learn something. She doesn't begrudge it at all. Well, as long as we can still afford the vacations anyway