Poll: TOTAL MONEY SPENT on Reefing

[thewire]

Here I thought the economy is tanking! Amazing

 

[hds4216]

Here I thought the economy is tanking! Amazing

The economy is not doing well, but the median reefer, I'm certain, is wealthier than the average person. Plus this is over multiple years.

 

[thewire]

On my 20G Nuvo I’m probably at around $1500-2000. That is somewhat depressing as I could have went bigger.

Might but once you get bigger your expense goes up 4 folds!

 

[thewire]

The economy is not doing well, but reefers, I'm certain, are far wealthier than the average person. Plus this is over multiple years.

Not true actually. A lot them are just average middle class. Better question how much money you have in 401k?

 

[hds4216]

Not true actually. A lot them are just average middle class. Better question how much money you have in 401k?

What about the people who don't have 401ks? Reefing is not a cheap hobby.

 

[KyOsIBa515]

What about the people who don't have 401ks? Reefing is not a cheap hobby.

Reefing is what you make it. If defining success having a 400 gallon tank with state of the art equipment then yes.

However, I have seen some pretty amazing things on a budget that would cost as much as one expensive light.

 

[MentalNote]

Not true actually. A lot them are just average middle class. Better question how much money you have in 401k?

But why do you need a 401K when you can "invest" in corals and make all that profit from selling frags?

I'm heavily invested in my tank and yet to see a return...but....someday...... someday.... haha.

 

[Magellan]

Wow I really hope I’m under 3k. Not even 2 years in and just went from 28g to 40...oh man I hope I’m under 3k

yep. Done thinking about this!

 

[Ravsta]

I feel sick when I think about the amount I have spent over the years. Ignorance was bliss until this question came up

 

[skydirt]

Well I didn't want to think about it but I have a 400g with an attached WB 105g. I have a 80g frag that is separate which is currently being replaced with the new WB 165 frag tank. It's currently cycling. Fish room with qt area. All tanks running. Radion g5 (20 total) and T5s. Trying to get this full GHL set up on big tank this week. Powerheads and skimmers alone are over 6k this year. The fun part is I still have so much room left to fill the tanks up with mostly sticks! I know you reefers can figure out the quick estimates on just that list. I don't really want to add it up. Not to mention the wife loves the hobby and actually makes me spend more

 

[725196]

Who's idea was this for a marriage ending post?? Is this thread meant for us to get in trouble with our spouse? I can't...won't say in case she ever sees this! LOL.

Seriously, its a lot, but I aint saying how much!

BTW, the amounts on the pole... wishful thinking ranges. You need to up that...a whole lot!

 

[Tophers Reef]

Been reefing for a couple of years. Recently upgraded to a RSR 425XL. Since that purchase on black friday 2020 Ive spent close to 6500 cdn. Haven't stocked a single fish or coral yet.

 

[monicalooze]

I just started in Sept 2020. I think I've spent about 3-4K on a 10gal Waterbox. Getting the infrastructure set up in your house (RODI, pumps, heaters, QT tank) is quite expensive. I have my fish, but I haven't even started on the corals yet. I've also found that it's easy to make a lot of "errors" buying things you don't love, especially because there isn't great data out there about ANYTHING. Ask 6 reefers, get 12 opinions.

I know I could have done it cheaper, but I already want another tank, so I investing in proper equipment and infrastructure seemed wise. My husband doesn't care. He loves ecosystems, helps with water changes, and it's not a stretch for us. I don't think about the money because I love this hobby.

 

[SPS2020]

This year alone, over 12K. I'd hate to think about the total since I started in the mid 80's.

 

[Silent]

I wouldn't even want to know the cost of the coral I have lost over the years.

 

[ca1ore]

Over the last 2 decades plus, probably somewhere around $30,000. I lost track... $10,000+ seems like an inadequate description.

LOL ..... agreed. I began reefing in 1988; not accounting for time value of money, in constant dollars I am easily over $100K. Hi end audio system far worse though.

 

[TheKylersFire]

My previous tank was a 45 gallon AIO. I automated nothing and had that tank for 5 years. I bet I spent 15k on that tank over the 5 years but a lot of the money I spent was due to lack of automation and mistakes. I hated that tank by the end cause of the maintenance and all the work. My new tank i set up about a year ago is a 180 peninsula. I was about 10k start up cost and I’ve automated everything from water changes testing I have a salt mixing station and I’ll never look back. To me it’s not about the money it’s about allowing myself to enjoy the tank and for me the only way to do that was to minimize the work.

 

[BigMax]

Interesting Macbalacano that you would bring this up now as I was thinking the exact same thing.

I got my first saltwater tank while I was college in 1977, so yup I'm old. Over the years tanks only get bigger, as they do for most hobbyists. At present I have a 350G FOWLR and a 70 gallon reef tank. Keeping things running over the years I'm in the multiple 10's of thousands camp. Speaking of 401k's with compounding over the years I don't want to think about it, but I enjoy it more than I would a Porsche, each to his own, hobbies typically aren't cheap.

In that vein I'm considering doing what will likely be my final tank, a 450G reef tank. I've calculated that it will cost me in the mid 20k range for the set up. Am I nuts? I've always wondered what portion of ones income, or savings, they put into the hobby? Cost is a relative thing, some will spend more than they should, but again it's relative. As an aside, I worked with someone who lived in a 'mobile home' but had a stereo system front ended with all Mark Levison gear etc. (you audiophiles know of what I speak) his audio gear was more than double the cost of his home. Priorities?

At one of our LFS' The owner asked me if I wanted the receipt from a purchase, I said "yes". He told me that was odd most people ask him to throw it in the trash, they don't want to think about it.

Related to it's all relative, I started talking to someone at the LFS and the discussion got very interesting, super nice guy. It was obvious his investment was well over a $100k, and like most hobbyists what fun is it if you can't show it off to other people who understand what you're doing? I was wondering if he'd be like the stereo guy? When I drove out to his house a few days later he obviously wasn't, the home was probably pushing $3M, The tank was stunning, for you equipment guys start out with 3 Abyzz pumps and go up from there! Multiple Clarion Angels, a beautiful Conspicuous Angel and again it goes on and on. Running the numbers through my head it was more like $200k. So. I had to ask, 'what do you do for a living'?, he owned a company with over 120 employees, that he built up over the years...more power to him! But again on a relative basis a drop in the bucket for him, wish I was in the same boat, but my purchase will hurt a bit.

Had to attach a photo of his show tank....I know you're curious (1350 gallons)

 

[shred5]

LOL 10,000.00 I probably have that much in it just right now in my basement system.
I have been in the hobby 35+ years so it is hard to even imagine how much I have spent.

That said the hobby does not need to be expensive. DYI used to be more popular.
You can still trade corals.

 

[[Cameron]]

Like many I was in the 10k plus per year club for a LONG time. I think when I broke down my last setup a few years back I managed to get about 15k out of it which is a fraction of what I had in it and was lucky to get that.

The setups that always impressed me were the DIY guys that spent a fraction of what I did with long running setups.