Does this hobby have to be expensive?

[toti21]

It could get expensive if you want all the shiny new techs that comes out.

 

[landlubber]

My electric bill for aquarium is around $3/month.

another relative figure though. for instance, my 120g mixed reef tank uses 20+ life support devices that rely on 110v and would guess I'm in the $50-$75 monthly power consumption club. my old 77g freshwater tank could all be run off of a single 5-slot powerbar.

 

[squampton]

I keep my costs as low as possible as we are somewhat lower income, and other then at start up where the costs were high, the monthly costs are minimal, under $50/month including the $3-$5 or so for electricity.

My tank is only 43 gallon system so not huge, I can run everything off 1 power bar.

 

[icejam]

I think what we are all trying to say it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it.

 

[sfin52]

I've got a 55g fish only tank with one chocolate chip star. That tank is finished adding inhabitants. Food, water changes and reg maintenance.

75 reef last fish was added as well. Coral is a whole different ball game. It's a leather tank. So I've got a couple more corrals to get and than I'll let my coral grow. It's finding leather frags that's the hard part. All the leather I find are grown out or bigger coral peices.

 

[sfin52]

You can make this as expensive as you want or keep the cost to your liking it's up to you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A reef tank is a build..... you assemble it as time goes along and add components over time. No one does it all at once in which then it would be expensive. It's more of an over time investment. I have approximately $12K stuck into my 360g ( $34oo in lights alone) And, that is one of 4 tanks. I believe in getting the best and buying it Once, not replacing things due to mechanical/electrical failure.

 

[zoso]

This is not a hobby , it’s a way of life

 

[MnFish1]

I think the term “expensive” or what is cheap in this hobby differs from person to person. For one reefer a $200 frag is something that they don’t even need to think twice about while for others $200 is crazy expensive for a frag. Although it is possible on rare occasions I do thinj this hobby has to be expensive, with every reefer trying to move forward with their tank and that usually requires more money. I personally don’t know or heard of a reefer who is “finished” with their tank and is completely satisfied with what their system is at. There is always one more gadget or fish or frag that they are still after. So Although it may be possible, I think long term it will be and get expensive.

Just because someone can 'afford' something doesn't mean it isn't expensive. I mean - you can pay 100,000 for a car worth 5,000. Assuming the person that bought the car is a multi-billionaire -that doesn't mean the car wasn't expensive. The person that pays $5000 for the car worth $5000 is the 'smart one'. iMHO.

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Just because someone can 'afford' something doesn't mean it isn't expensive. I mean - you can pay 100,000 for a car worth 5,000. Assuming the person that bought the car is a multi-billionaire -that doesn't mean the car wasn't expensive. The person that pays $5000 for the car worth $5000 is the 'smart one'. iMHO.

What someone can afford usually determines what they see as expensive. Someone making 500k a year is never going to see $500 the same as someone making 40k a year. Most of us dont see a bar of candy as expensive but for someone else that money is all they had for a meal.

 

[MnFish1]

What someone can afford usually determines what they see as expensive. Someone making 500k a year is never going to see $500 the same as someone making 40k a year. Most of us dont see a bar of candy as expensive but for someone else that money is all they had for a meal.

Yep - but thats why the initial question was a bit odd. (no offense to the OP). Thats kind of obvious - that different people have different means.

I was getting at the point that lets say there are 2 billionaires and one of them pays 100,000 for a 5000$ car, and the other one pays 5000. The one that paid 100,000 paid an expensive price. (FYI - I would never pay $200 for a frag - though I could afford it) - that was my point

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Yep - but thats why the initial question was a bit odd. (no offense to the OP). Thats kind of obvious - that different people have different means.

I was getting at the point that lets say there are 2 billionaires and one of them pays 100,000 for a 5000$ car, and the other one pays 5000. The one that paid 100,000 paid an expensive price. (FYI - I would never pay $200 for a frag - though I could afford it) - that was my point

Ah ok I get it now. But frags arent usually like that. When you say you wouldnt pay 200 its not like you can get it cheaper everyone usually has them at the same price point. say a JF Homewrecker you might find one for 400 thats very cheap for a hw.

 

[Katrina71]

I think if you keep it simple and buy some stuff used, it can be done on a budget. Join a local club and swap Coral. It's a great way to learn and make new friends too.

 

[sfin52]

@Katrina71 I think she just nailed and summed up the thread. Build a budget and stick with it. Once it is budgeted than over that is expensive. If you want a light save for it. Don't put this hobby on credit.

I really liked the budget idea.

 

[KrisReef]

Yes it does have to be expensive. This hobby is a luxury not a necessity.
Still:
To heck with a budget, we're talking about coral on this forum! No limits or expense is ever wasted in the reefing hobby.

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Yes it does have to be expensive. This hobby is a luxury not a necessity.
Still:
To heck with a budget, we're talking about coral on this forum! No limits or expense is ever wasted in the reefing hobby.

Agreed!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Finished? It's a hobby, not a project. There is no 'finished' for a hobby. Any hobby. If it's 'finished'... it's not a hobby.

Well said Dr. Graybeard.

 

[hart24601]

I did a poll few years back. I should have included options over 10k, but the median was around 8 grand in the hobby with the largest group, a full 1/3 of people, spending over 10 grand . We can talk a lot about how little or how much we would spend in theory, but most people on this site that have been in the hobby a few years have spent many thousands. It's always more interesting to me what people do rather than what we say we can do!


https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cost-of-the-reefkeeping-hobby.187602/

 

[Idaho-reefer]

I bought most of my equipment lightly used on the forums here. It was still expensive but for me and after trying things on a bare minimum budget it was worth it. Controller, lights etc not 100% required but makes the hobby more enjoyable for me. Spend what make sense for you and in the right places. It’s supposed to be enjoyable. I love not having to spend time filling or dosing my tank. But those things came after years of manually doing it.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I think starting on a firm budget, is great way to enter the hobby.

Cheap glass box, a smaller cheap glass box for the sump, a skimmer and a heater thats reliable, add some rocks and salt water. some form of overflow and a light.

Your first fowlr is had for $250-$550 depending on what tank sizes chosen.

As time goes on add equipment as your life dictates.

Livestock prices are also in the eye of the beholder a stunning reef can be had from the $10 frag section at the lfs.
(I say this as my last frag was an $80 black torch that was on sale for $40 lol)