Please Stop Stating This Is An Expensive Hobby.

[jft]

We all have OUR addictions whether we want to admit it or not. I been doing this 30 years Plus: Hugh amount of Money spent learning on my own. Ups and downs:. the joy on childrens faces and hopefully impacting them to be the future of the reef aquarium keeping, Priceless!!!. I would be RICher but the friends I made and the kids encouraged, I would NOT trade it.

 

[Northern Flicker]

People in this hobby (reef side) tend to be slightly better off. A lot of people I meet in it are also in tech, engineering or the trades. In freshwater, I find a lot more students, average folk, people in lower income brackets, older folks, etc.

Money is 100% a barrier into reef keeping and if you don’t agree, you likely are beyond the barrier.

Ive seen decent looking reefs on a budget, but the most long lived and gorgeous reefs usually have a significant I vestment behind them. The budget reefs seem to rarely last as long.

 

[Roli's Reef Ranch]

Why does everyone keep stating this is an expensive hobby? In reality, this hobby is determined based on what we are willing to spend. Telling new reefers or potential reefers that it's expensive to own a saltwater tank is getting out of hand. I previously would say the same but I understand that it is I that have made it expensive for myself. Purchasing new equipment and other "gimmick" items that come out each year is unnecessary. Simple husbandry can sustain but that isn't preached more than telling people to buy this item for "automation" or this $400 skimmer for skimming your tank. Everyone isn't being paid the same wage and it can discourage them. Try telling them the hard working way such as doing water changes, and testing before recommending some expensive piece equipment that he/she can do manually. Ultimately, he/she will decide to buy the equipment if they see fit.

Just my observations from this week.

Expensive? Compared to what? It's only expensive if you do it right! lol

 

[MoshJosh]

It's expensive. . .

maybe not compared to other hobbies (recreational space flight, leading an expedition to find Atlantis), but generally speaking I would say it is. . . in general, for the average person, based on the average salary/pay, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Goaway]

Ive seen decent looking reefs on a budget, but the most long lived and gorgeous reefs usually have a significant I vestment behind them. The budget reefs seem to rarely last as long

I'll contribute the failure to lack of care. They stopped doing water changes, stopped plucking algae, stopped topping of water like they should do daily. Stopped doing manual dosing. They just got tired of dealing with an aquarium.

Thats the reason why we have automated systems now for years. People don't want to do it. Let the doser dose, let the monitors keep track. Somewhere automatic water change happens, auto top off. These things are expensive! Except maybe water top off and dosers... i guess depends.

Are all of those things needed? Not needed. But they can give more free time to the person.

The manual upkeep of a reef tank can be very time consuming.

 

[billyocean]

It can be done on the lower end and lead to an extremely successful tank. Putting the work in physically and mentally will lead to more success than expensive equipment alone every time.

 

[StatelineReefer]

People in this hobby (reef side) tend to be slightly better off. A lot of people I meet in it are also in tech, engineering or the trades. In freshwater, I find a lot more students, average folk, people in lower income brackets, older folks, etc.

Money is 100% a barrier into reef keeping and if you don’t agree, you likely are beyond the barrier.

Ive seen decent looking reefs on a budget, but the most long lived and gorgeous reefs usually have a significant I vestment behind them. The budget reefs seem to rarely last as long.

@Paul B would probably disagree with this entire premise.

 

[Northern Flicker]

It can be done on the lower end and lead to an extremely successful tank. Putting the work in physically and mentally will lead to more success than expensive equipment alone every time.

Just out of curiousity, what is lower end for you?

Reason I ask is you own a $600 USD skimmer. As a point of reference, most people won’t be able to spend $600 USD during an entire year on a hobby, let alone just one optional price of equipment.

 

[Northern Flicker]

@Paul B would probably disagree with this entire premise.

For every Paul B, there are thousands who buy an Ali express LED light and kill an anemone.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Even though this is a nine year old post, it still holds true. "Expensive" is a subjective term. Every reefer reefs according to their budget, and probably more. This is a hobby for people with extra money. Some of us, however, try to make it more accessable to those with less.

 

[billyocean]

Just out of curiousity, what is lower end for you?

Reason I ask is you own a $600 USD skimmer. As a point of reference, most people won’t be able to spend $600 USD during an entire year on a hobby, let alone just one optional price of equipment.

I mean, reefing is expensive depending on your budget but in the relativity of reefing it can be done on a lower budget. Not everyone needs a skimmer or reactors. Jebao pumps, eheim trutemp heaters, black box lights and instant ocean salt can get it done with great success. I think with some digging around on used equipment and tank you can have a great startup for about a grand. Local reef clubs help. At the end of the day hobbies that require money are luxuries not necessities. You can drop 20 grand in a tank and it sucks and you can drop a grand in one and it's more successful...all relative. I suppose "expensive" is in the eye of the beholder..if it effected my bills being paid I would get out or downsize. Don't know if that answered you're question...I guess just relativity.

 

[Muffin87]

Why does everyone keep stating this is an expensive hobby? In reality, this hobby is determined based on what we are willing to spend. Telling new reefers or potential reefers that it's expensive to own a saltwater tank is getting out of hand. I previously would say the same but I understand that it is I that have made it expensive for myself. Purchasing new equipment and other "gimmick" items that come out each year is unnecessary. Simple husbandry can sustain but that isn't preached more than telling people to buy this item for "automation" or this $400 skimmer for skimming your tank. Everyone isn't being paid the same wage and it can discourage them. Try telling them the hard working way such as doing water changes, and testing before recommending some expensive piece equipment that he/she can do manually. Ultimately, he/she will decide to buy the equipment if they see fit.

Just my observations from this week.

I believe that when people say “it’s expensive” they mean that decent gear especially automation is expensive.

Obviously coral is expensive, but you can take a look at the prices before entering the hobby.

The issue I believe are the hidden costs that aren’t really obvious when you get into the hobby.

Unless you pay a lot of money, equipment is gonna often break. Pumps break, pump controllers break, finicky parts break during maintainance. I find it absurd how much money you pay in reefing for pieces of plastics that aren’t even well

Its also the fact that people don’t realise that when they go on holiday, either they pay a decent tank sitter, or they need to invest in automation (Or both).

Also frequent water changes are very difficult for people living in apartments, so people who live in a small apartment may prefer to invest in gear that allows you to make as few water changes as possible.

I think these things will eventually frustrate a lot of people. I don’t think it’s coral per se.

 

[harrylarry]

I think it’s expensive and I make just over $90k a year with a family. Feels like minimum wage these days though…

what do you all make in pay and is it expensive for your wage?

 

[GARRIGA]

Just noticed this originated in 2014. If it wasn’t expensive then. It is now and as I recall it. Expensive in the 80s. VHO wasn’t cheap and for a college kid was cost prohibitive. Settled on an anemone which little did I know then might have benefited from those VHO vs my T12 solution. I think that’s what they were. Plus MH out of the question. Yellow tangs only $30 bucks as I recall. That was affordable.

 

[BaliReefBox]

this hobby is expensive no two ways about it... allot of other hobbies are just as expensive to setup in the initial stages but reefing just keeps on giving.......(taking) .....kinda addictive though

 

[Jax3545]

Fair to say when someone thinks buying a sale tank and a Marineland hob filter is all the magic to make it happen. I have a monthly maintenance of $300. If I want to get additional animals, that's a whole different expense

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Agreed but don’t assume that the doctor or the engineer have more discretionary finances to spend . They could be high in debt , credit cards maxed , paying alimony, child support , or overspent on vacations etc . The paper boy and the Waitress might be debt free and rolling in it lol!!! . I get your point but your analogy was based on assumption .

Don't forget the the cost of scotch and cigars have really gone up. ....... Have you seen the price of plane tickets to Fiji or the Bahamas?. The cheapest cheapest meal at Ruth Chris for my lunch today was 125.00. it cost me 200 grand to buy my kids, oh I mean get my kids into Yale last year. The cost of everything has gone up, .,........ Sorry couldn't help it. I agree, each one of us can't look at someone else and have any idea of there finances.

 

[Fort Salty]

This is what you make it. The biggest expense is getting started I would think. It is easy to just stock it slowly over time. I got almost everything used: tank (45gal), stand, skimmer, hob overflow, pump, more rocks than I could use. I spent $220 for that. I have purchased only one coral over $40 (torch).

One problem is the same as the original poster mentioned 2014, which is that people on internet forums are told they need to automate, need brand new top of the line lights and gadgets, and should be dosing big brand name products (that's without mention of the scope of quarentine suggestions). Those things are good, I'm sure, but don't seem necessary to me so far. Granted, I am new, but I am pretty happy with how things are going for me.

The second problem is that people, Americans in particular, run their households almost as poorly as the American government. I made about 43k last year, and have a wife and two kids on that single income. Somehow, people making twice that seem to have trouble making ends meet. I understand life happens with medical or whatever, but I am going to suggest poor life choices are a major factor.

All that said, everyone is welcome to spend as much as they like on gear and livestock. But it is what you make it in the end. I see people from all walks of life at the lfs myself.

FS

 

[Cichlid Dad]

The more I read and comment on how expensive the hobby is or not expensive, I think this hobby is expensive for someone with 100. 00 a month to spend, or someone with 1000.00 per month to spend. It's because we are all addicts for the hobby and spend more than we should, and always want our systems to be better than we can afford no matter our budgets, we want more!

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I spent more on my 25 gal AIO with it's 2x2 foot print than I did on a 29 cuft LG french door stainless ateel fridge with pull out freezer and a service door in the door.

It's an expensive hobby.