Poll: TOTAL MONEY SPENT on Reefing

[flyfisher2]

This has been my primary hobby since the mid 1980's. I've had numerous tanks and with that corals and fish. As it stands I don't spend on any other hobby so I justify reefing as my one 'vice' if you will. It keeps my mind focused and me sane, if all goes well. LOL
Reefing satisfies various aspects in our life. It gives us peace, a sense of accomplishment, keeps us in touch with nature, educates us, keeps me out of trouble, keeps us home in these trying times and so much more. Aren't these all reasons to help us justify the cost?
There are those who would spend their hard earned cash with nothing to show or justify the cost in the end. To each his own,
I for one love the hobby and don't regret it.
At the same time I agree that it has become incredibly commercialized and we need to be aware of what we need and what is just ridiculous.
I think I can manage without the 'Louis Chanel' discombobulator which claims to break down the waste in in my skimmer cup so as to make the smell more tolerable while I'm on my way to dump it out in the toilet.

On that note... Don't ask me what I spent!!!
It gives me a headache

 

[See Gee Sea]

About $5K with livestock. Lost around $300 in livestock which to me is far more costly with the pain associated with that...

 

[thewire]

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.

You are right. Any hobby is expensive but it does not have to be that expensive. I think in long run it will prevent newer people coming in to the hobby because of the cost. Even i felt like manufacturers are price gouging on everything and people are willing to pay for it which is mind blowing.

Some of the hobby grade equipment is more expensive than industry! Controller in 4 digits cost...nut!

This getting pricey trend, IMHO is just bad for the hobby in general. I think at least Coralvue is doing something right. cheaper controller

 

[G Santana]

I just started, I had the tank and sump from before and I'm easily at $2000 to start and that only gets me two fish in the tank and nothing else lol.
I can see being over 3 thousand easily when fully stocked and with some corals.

Imagine if I had to shell out cash for a tank lol

 

[Dkmoo]

i mean... it's basically

VS

amirite?

 

[Silent]

i mean... it's basically

VS

amirite?

No question the bottom one is much cooler.

 

[Dkmoo]

No question the bottom one is much cooler.

Difference is, top one will help you pick up ladies, bottom one will likely make ladies run away from you.

 

[drblakjak55]

Love Audi R8s. Since I retired five years ago my 90 g mixed reef with 29g cube for QT have been my most rewarding hobby and worth whatever it takes to keep everybody fat and healthy. I feed four times a day from flakes to pellets to dried plankton, sinking spirulina, to frozens. No dosing, no Neptune or Apex monitors. Just a two part sump with mesh socks and skimmer. Chaeto and cotton candy algae wall than dc return. 25% water change every for weeks.
free tank and sump. Bought 100 pounds dry rock. 50 pounds sand. RODI and salt. Overflow box. Dozen fish at a time. 75 corals. Killed, lost into the rockwork , or withered away regardless of where you put it, another 100 coral. So....How much? Oh yeah two total tank failures after nice setups achieved. Electrical issues. So 9000$ easy doing it on the cheap. But once the ecosystem is set up to handle your feeding 600$ of food a year. 300$ salt. 100$ testing stuff. Beautiful day and night. Your piece of the ocean no one will appreciate the four times you had to move a Coral to get it happy

 

[RedReefer]

10k for the past 10 years maybe. Well over that for the past 25 years.

 

[Dkmoo]

Love Audi R8s. Since I retired five years ago my 90 g mixed reef with 29g cube for QT have been my most rewarding hobby and worth whatever it takes to keep everybody fat and healthy. I feed four times a day from flakes to pellets to dried plankton, sinking spirulina, to frozens. No dosing, no Neptune or Apex monitors. Just a two part sump with mesh socks and skimmer. Chaeto and cotton candy algae wall than dc return. 25% water change every for weeks.
free tank and sump. Bought 100 pounds dry rock. 50 pounds sand. RODI and salt. Overflow box. Dozen fish at a time. 75 corals. Killed, lost into the rockwork , or withered away regardless of where you put it, another 100 coral. So....How much? Oh yeah two total tank failures after nice setups achieved. Electrical issues. So 9000$ easy doing it on the cheap. But once the ecosystem is set up to handle your feeding 600$ of food a year. 300$ salt. 100$ testing stuff. Beautiful day and night. Your piece of the ocean no one will appreciate the four times you had to move a Coral to get it happy

your next project - make a mix reef tank in the shape of an audi r8

 

[neo1738]

My wife just calculated the other day, she missed some but still got like 5500.....

 

[Thetankdoctor]

I refuse to answer this question in the grounds that I am married, and want to keep it that way.

 

[Macbalacano]

Wow, hadn't been keeping an eye on this thread and blows me away that 70%+ of people answered over $5K and 45%+ over $10K.

I think if my LFS told me that before I decided to pull the trigger, I would've walked out empty handed LOL

 

[ApoIsland]

Wow, hadn't been keeping an eye on this thread and blows me away that 70%+ of people answered over $5K and 45%+ over $10K.

I think if my LFS told me that before I decided to pull the trigger, I would've walked out empty handed LOL

A good comparison would be years in the hobby vs $ spent. Most people who have been in the hobby for 5 years will have close to $5K spent just on added electric costs alone.

Of course I had to answer $10K plus because I have had the tank for 10 years. Including electricity/coral/fish/equip depreciation I would say the hobby costs me about $1600 per year for my 120g tank. That is only about $130 per month. $1600/year or $130/month are easy to justify and a lot cheaper than most hobbies for adults.

 

[jkcoon]

First rule of fight club: we don't talk about fight club..... especially never in front of the wife

 

[sp1187]

First rule of fight club: we don't talk about fight club..... especially never in front of the wife

my wife has a "don't ask don't tell" policy. she doesn't want to know. in fact if she is the room and someone asks she puts her hands over her ears and starts chanting la la la la la so she doesn't hear the answer.

 

[sp1187]

$5k+ before water ever hit the tank. 2 1/2 years in, don't think I'm over 5k on livestock and upgrades..... yet.

 

[dantimdad]

IF you don't count opening a store, going in debt and having COVID kill it, then I have probably spent 50K+ in the last 32 years. But I have probably made 50K+ not counting the store. So it's a wash.

You don't even want to know what was lost in 5 months on the store.

 

[dantimdad]

my wife has a "don't ask don't tell" policy. she doesn't want to know. in fact if she is the room and someone asks she puts her hands over her ears and starts chanting la la la la la so she doesn't hear the answer.

Same here. Mine just leaves the room. LOL

 

[Macbalacano]

IF you don't count opening a store, going in debt and having COVID kill it, then I have probably spent 50K+ in the last 32 years. But I have probably made 50K+ not counting the store. So it's a wash.

You don't even want to know what was lost in 5 months on the store.

brutal, I'm so sorry to hear that!