I don't think it's anymore expensive than having a dog, difference is all the cost is up front when setting up a tank. Let's be clear -- it isn't a CHEAP hobby. Especially not if you do it right. I routinely price tanks and equipment, live rock and sand for customers and it's generally about 30-35 dollars a gallon for a decent mid range setup. Cost goes up from there.
Please Stop Stating This Is An Expensive Hobby.
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McMullen
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It's an expensive hobby for most people. Especially comparing to most freshwater setups.
Setting up a FOWLR arguably is comparable to a freshwater planted system. But, a full blown Sps reef, well that gets pricey. Even maintaining alk and ca+ with mature colonies along with salt mix can be 20-30 bucks a month. Now add electricity, fish food (frozen) can be pricey. That hot new coral! Come on......it's an expensive hobby and people need to know up front so they are prepared to care for their animals the proper way.
Setting up a FOWLR arguably is comparable to a freshwater planted system. But, a full blown Sps reef, well that gets pricey. Even maintaining alk and ca+ with mature colonies along with salt mix can be 20-30 bucks a month. Now add electricity, fish food (frozen) can be pricey. That hot new coral! Come on......it's an expensive hobby and people need to know up front so they are prepared to care for their animals the proper way.
I try to run my tank as low cost as possible. But as most others have said expensive means different things to different people. I made my skimmer, sump, hanging kit for my LEDs, overflow, and buy most everything else when it's discounted. The other day I compared this to when I used to play video games. All the systems, games, accessories and then computers I bought makes this hobby seem like nothing. I've been off work sense October due to an injury. (Not getting any disability either) I bought 2 part and 400 gallons worth of salt during Black Friday and haven't spent a dime sense besides electricity and when I wanted some awesome corals. I believe my tank is healthier and in better condition then it's ever been.
FlyinBryan
Well-Known Member
This is a 2 year old thread, but I'll bite. Based on my experience. You can buy cheap now, but you will pay later for the right equipment.
And right there, you just doubled your cost. This isn't just an ordinary hobby. Once you get the bug, there's no going back.
And NO cheap way to pull it off doing it the right way. You'll need a bigger protein skimmer, a bigger one. You'll see you need more lights, more power heads, uh oh, now I need a gfo/carbon reactor, now I need bio-pellets, oh wait need more salt. Ugh, I'm so tired of having to get rodi water from the store, I think I'll get a water filter. Now I need another bucket, a heater and power head to mix.
Like I said, you can inexpensive, eh-hem, 'cheap' now, but you'll pay eventually!
Oh and don't forget your trip each year to macna!!
And right there, you just doubled your cost. This isn't just an ordinary hobby. Once you get the bug, there's no going back.
And NO cheap way to pull it off doing it the right way. You'll need a bigger protein skimmer, a bigger one. You'll see you need more lights, more power heads, uh oh, now I need a gfo/carbon reactor, now I need bio-pellets, oh wait need more salt. Ugh, I'm so tired of having to get rodi water from the store, I think I'll get a water filter. Now I need another bucket, a heater and power head to mix.
Like I said, you can inexpensive, eh-hem, 'cheap' now, but you'll pay eventually!
Oh and don't forget your trip each year to macna!!
Harry_Y
Valuable Member
This is a 2 year old thread, but I'll bite. Based on my experience. You can buy cheap now, but you will pay later for the right equipment.
And right there, you just doubled your cost. This isn't just an ordinary hobby. Once you get the bug, there's no going back.
And NO cheap way to pull it off doing it the right way. You'll need a bigger protein skimmer, a bigger one. You'll see you need more lights, more power heads, uh oh, now I need a gfo/carbon reactor, now I need bio-pellets, oh wait need more salt. Ugh, I'm so tired of having to get rodi water from the store, I think I'll get a water filter. Now I need another bucket, a heater and power head to mix.
Like I said, you can inexpensive, eh-hem, 'cheap' now, but you'll pay eventually!
Oh and don't forget your trip each year to macna!!
I went through an upgrade last year due to not really having the funds when I first it up
Not only did I spend twice, the tank also did not do as well.
Sometimes you really need to spend the money to do it right.
LaurenA
New Member
Before I stock my 125g it will have cost me $7000NZD for standard (not state of the art) equipment; thats about a sixth of the annual average salary in this country (before tax). It's expensive here which is why I am also having a quarantine tank coz I just can't afford (literally) to take risks.
Bill Bolton
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Reef keeping is an expensive hobby. There is no debating it. The expenses never stop either. One will always need to buy salt and other cbemicals. Lights will always need replacing, even LED lights wear out or break. The initial output of money is large unless you get a deal on good used equipment, and live rock..... The livestock we keep seems to have a tie between color intensity and cost. It also seems the folks that buy the expensive corals keep the prices high by selling a simple frag for top dollar. I often see zoanthids for 20 bux or more per polyp.......with my last tank, I was selling Tubbs blues for 20 bux for a full plug. Superman Monti for 25 for a 1x1 inch frag. It gets more of it out there....which will mean less comes out of the ocean.
Yes, this hobby is expensive, but it is worth it.
Yes, this hobby is expensive, but it is worth it.
I wish that I made enough to think this wasn't an expensive hobby!
I made a poll a while back about how much people had spent in the hobby. The median value was in the $6000 range. The average would have been much higher, but I only went up to 10k and above category.
The median household income in the us is 52k. Average worker total tax rate (according to one source) is 32%. So that is around 35k take home. For a household, not individuals.
That looks like an expensive hobby to me.
I made a poll a while back about how much people had spent in the hobby. The median value was in the $6000 range. The average would have been much higher, but I only went up to 10k and above category.
The median household income in the us is 52k. Average worker total tax rate (according to one source) is 32%. So that is around 35k take home. For a household, not individuals.
That looks like an expensive hobby to me.
Goby-won
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How much you need Salt Creep???I don't know what the exchange rate between VA and MN is now? My loan may not be worth much.
Speaking of putting kids first...let's consider the activity (not hobbies) my children have chosen:
Swimming - bathing suits are the cheapest at about $75, swim team initiation was $300 and monthly dues are $150, then add in travel (hotels, gas, meals, oh yeah and there is cost per event she wants to swim in a meet.
Piano (this one is cheap, of course after you buy the piano) - had to get the piano and pay to move it. Weekly lessons, music books, and tuning.
If I paid near what it cost to buy the piano and move it on my saltwater hobby my wife would have killed me.
I wonder why I don't have any money for fish or corals at the end of the month?
Speaking of putting kids first...let's consider the activity (not hobbies) my children have chosen:
Swimming - bathing suits are the cheapest at about $75, swim team initiation was $300 and monthly dues are $150, then add in travel (hotels, gas, meals, oh yeah and there is cost per event she wants to swim in a meet.
Piano (this one is cheap, of course after you buy the piano) - had to get the piano and pay to move it. Weekly lessons, music books, and tuning.
If I paid near what it cost to buy the piano and move it on my saltwater hobby my wife would have killed me.
I wonder why I don't have any money for fish or corals at the end of the month?
Joseph Pagnotta
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Might be an expensive hobby, but the Reward is Pride and Joy. C'mon we love when a friend or family member come over and just stare at what we created. I love my hobby
[HASHTAG]#expesivehobby[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#brooklynreef[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#expesivehobby[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#brooklynreef[/HASHTAG]
RoyalGrammaJohn
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Here's the deal. You don't need a sump , an overflow , or yes even a skimmer. You can do a low tech setup like I have. However if your not going to run a skimmer you just need to make sure you keep up on those water changes so nitrates don't get to high. So basically you can you use the same equipment that would be for a freshwater tank but you need GFO and flow. Also with products like poly filter and chemi pure blue you can still get rid of some dissolved organics which is what a skimmer does but just by a different method. But all in all it is a little more expensive than freshwater. But it doesn't got to be ridiculously expensive. It's all what you make it.
I totally agree it's worth it, but it's a major expense in most reefers lives. You can do it for not a ton of money, but for 99% of people that is only really possible after you have spent (or wasted) money on junk and really know what you are doing! Yes, there is the occasional person that really dives into research and can build a stony coral tank without spending nearly what most do, but that isn't the norm. Just like now after several years in the hobby and making my share of mistakes (with livestock and equipment) I could look over CL and take my time and build a tank for not too much, but I know what to look for and what to do now.
cvicente
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Can't say it any better...
TheEngineer
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I suppose it would depend upon what an inexpensive hobby is. Wood working? Nope. Paint ball? Nope. Mountain biking? Nope. Hiking? Could be, if you don't camp or buy gear. I think most hobbies eat up our disposable income. I think it was well said that the initial cost of entry is high, but the costs are generally stable after that (they certainly can be at least!).
sheepdog76
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The hobby can be what you make it or should I say can afford to make it. I have a few tanks going fresh,reef,and fowlr. I must admit I am a tech person and love getting the latest and greatest however have had great success with a low tech pico 5.5 gal tank with nothing more then a cheap 50w heater,fluval 106, and a maxijet 400 I got on eBay. The original set up had a smaller fluval HOB which did fine when it cycled but decided to add to the bio load so I did switch the filter to the 106. I have had the biocube skimmer on it but didn't like it and with reg water changes don't have an issue with out it. Over all before the 106 this tank ran me under $125 with rock and sand to start. I do weekly water changes of only two or three cups and since it is so small very little additives . This tank houses a baby long tenical anemone(which will out grow it) Sally light foot,blue damsel, blue and scarlet crabs,snails and just adding some smaller coral frags. So this hobby can be done on a smaller scale but no matter how much you want to spend no amount of money will make up for good care.
TheEngineer
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Welcome to R2R!
This can be expensive to start, but it can also be reasonable.
Who thinks $1000-$1200 it reasonable? That's the question.
You can spend that on $1 a gallon tank, black box light, cheap heater, cheap HOB skimmer, cheap power head, cheap dry rock and sand, DIY stand, 5x $40 fishes, and 5x $40 corals.
Or you can spend $1200 on one light, or on one skimmer, or 1\4 of a tank.
You can even spend $750 on one homewrecking coral! LOL!
Maybe you can even get back a couple hundred selling frags, if your tank survives long enough.
Who thinks $1000-$1200 it reasonable? That's the question.
You can spend that on $1 a gallon tank, black box light, cheap heater, cheap HOB skimmer, cheap power head, cheap dry rock and sand, DIY stand, 5x $40 fishes, and 5x $40 corals.
Or you can spend $1200 on one light, or on one skimmer, or 1\4 of a tank.
You can even spend $750 on one homewrecking coral! LOL!
Maybe you can even get back a couple hundred selling frags, if your tank survives long enough.
