Cost for Your FW Setup

[packagerat]

I have at the moment around $800 for my 72 gal bow front. This is without fish ! My wife and I have always wanted a tank and started out looking at 10 gal. tanks and we just got caught up in the moment. We saw a tank at Wal-Mart for $200 a 46 gal. kit. The associate happened to be into the hobby and actually persuaded us not to buy this because it was not that good of a tank. So off to the pet stores. After seeing the 72 gal. tank I just had to have it. Price was $400 for tank and stand $150 for Eheim 2217 cannister filter and the rest was in accessories.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

55G Long $550.00
26G Bowfront $425.00

 

[mr funktastic]

55 gallon kit brand new from big als. 199.99 plus tax. this included a penguin 350 biowheel filter. a 300 watt marineland heater and 2 18" flourecent light hoods(i will be buying a dual 48" light strip in the future) then i bought sand, food chemicals etc... about 75 bucks. all together 275. not to shabby. and that canadian to.

 

[CGGorman]

I'm a little scared to add it up!

Let's see...
55, iron stand, cover, lights = $200
Fluval 304 = $120
Filter Media = $50
Hydor ETH Heater = $50
Gravel (3mm quartz) = $50
Bog Wood = $50
Fish = $75
Plants = $50
Timers/cords = $75
Moonlights = $30

55gal total = $750


70gal Marineland bowfront corner tank w/ stand = $600
Rena Xp3 = $125
Filter Media = $50
HydroKable + HydroSET = $100
36" 2x96w Orbit and a new Sunpaq lamp to replace the included Actinic = $250
Hydor ETH 300w = $50
Bog Wood = $50
Flourite and sand = $150
CO2 system = $300
Timers and cords = $75

70gal total = $1750 (and still cycling)


OOPS...I forgot the Vortex and assorted maintenance items (mag-cleaners, nets, food, test kits, fertilizers, etc.) That all comes to another $200 or so.

That brings my house total to about $2700 (so far...My kids both want tanks, too... resistance is futile).

I need help.

 

[CGGorman]

It's considerably more expensive than watching TV, chess or writing a novel.

...Unless your TV is a full-fledged home theater (not a little HTiB). PLEASE, don't make me add that one up. Cost of obsolescence alone would give me a heart attack.

 

[weldon]

$59 10 gallon Top Fin kit (Petsmart)
$15 15 lbs of colored gravel
$3 Aquasafe Dechlorinator
$3 Siphon / Gravel cleaner
$1 Thermometer
$20 Decorations
$10 Fake Plants
$12 5-in-1 test strips (wasted money)
$8 Ammonia test strips (wasted money)
$14 Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit (not wasted money)
$3 2nd bottle of Aquasafe Dechlorinator
$4 four Leopard Danios

$152 TOTAL

I'll probably spend another $5 to get a Dwarf Gourami and then supplies to maintain the tank after that.

 

[jadefoodog]

10g, 5g, 5g,

tanks free
stands (free they are sittign on counters and tbles and stuff)

heaters (1 free, 1tank sits at room temp near laundry room so its bassically tropical, and ones heated by a 60w incandecent and lighted by a 14 inch floro)

lighting 1 free , 1 8 inch floro 12 bucks 1 14 inch floro free
12 bucks

substrate 2 bucks for 40 lbs of sand
2 bucks

not counting fish thats 14 bucks

i also have another 5g bowfront that was like 50 bucks for the whole kit

and im planing on a 55 for my bday

 

[pentiumburner]

125 Gallon FW Set Up (Acrylic)

Tank, custom pine stand,wet/dry filter, rainbow lifeguard modular filters, UV sterlizer,Quiet one pump, lights 600.00

Add ons I wanted to do another 350.00

950.00 Total

 

[GodFather]

I am up to about 300 bucks, and I got my 55gal tank for free. This is an expensive hobby

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Redone.

75Gal tank - 99$
glass tops - 25$ (don't use anymore)
garbage substrate - 60$
Driftwood - 75$
Whisper 40 & 60 and media - 115$ (don't use either anymore)
Fish - 300$
Plants - 150$
Co2 equipment - 300$
Reactor and Filter - 140$
Fluval 304 - 110$
Powerheads - 40$
Lights - 300$ (with bulbs)
Canopy - 55$
Heater - 35$
Skimmer attachment for fluval - 25$

And there is so much more like food, meds, fertalizers and test kits.

Total 1789$.. it's an expensive learning curve, I could have done it far cheaper doing it right the first time.

 

[StngStr]

Oh geez...lets see...

10 gallon basic kit from walmart: $27
colored gravel: $6
fake plants: $6
fake log: $7
gravel vac: $10

total for 10 gallon: around $60

55 gallon from ebay: $66
twin strip 48 in light from petsmart: $80
oak stand: $120
non-colored gravel: $25
fake plants: $15
net: $4
Coralife thermometer: $8
200w heater: $18
Aquaclear 110: $40
fake driftwood: $30
various water treaters: $10
AP Master Test Kit: $25

total for the 55 gallon: around $450

fish in 10 gallon: 4 fantail goldfish from walmart: couple bucks each
fish in 55 gallon: 4 cichlids at $8 each, 1 pleco at $2

 

[jcarlilesiu]

56 Gallon Freshwater Planted

Tank/Stand/Glass Top/Current USA PC lighting - 550.00
200 W Heater - 25.00
Marine Land HOB canister filter - 89.00
Fish - 80.00
Plants - 25.00
Substrate - 40.00
Decorations (Rocks Driftwood) - 130.00
Supplies (Food, Flourish, Net, Timers, Powerstrip, test kits, ect.) - 90.00

Optional:
CO2 Regulator - 89.00
10 lb. CO2 tank - 75.00
CO2 Reactor - 45.00

algae - free

Total - $1,238.00 (a bit high, but i live in chicago, and things are a bit mroe expensive, plus im fully stocked with fish decorations and plants)

 

[newfound77951]

Hmmm...this is interesting. My target budget for this was $600. Let's see where I stand.

55gal + sedona stand and canopy, set up for 2 96w PCs... $250 on Ebay
2 96w 6500K bulbs plus shipping... $65
80 lbs EcoComplete @ 25% discount from LFS (nice guys!) $90
2 Orders from Big Als for filter, heater, 2 CO2 reactors, test kits, etc... $115, free shipping
Fertilizers from Greg Watson... $25
Plants... about $70 estimated
Fish... about $60 so far, I got a bunch of store credit for fish that I gave them
Extras, probably $50 or so.

I had all the miscellaneous little stuff from my old tank (nets, food etc)

Total: $725 so far.

 

[noteworthy]

Redone:
oak stand - free
125 gallon tank - free
glass tops - free
two power heads - free
two fluval canisters not used - free
cascade 700 canister not used - $70
mag 7 pump - $65
rio hf12 pump - $40
two via 305 pumps - $20
diy skimmer - $80
160 lbs base sand - $3
50 lbs live sand - $60
220w vho - $110
3 daylight bulbs and 1 actinic - free
led moonlights - $12
salt mix - $50 to get started
overflow box - $25
hydrometer $10
70 lbs live rock - $280
50 lbs dead rock - free


total without fish $825 YIKES
hrmmmm still need more stuff

what will i do with myself...

 

[zachxlutz]

29 gallon tank: $40.00 off ebay
Penguin 350 filter: $56.99
CO2 system: $49.99
150w heater: $39.99
2 bags onyx sand: $43.98
______________________
total: $230.95

still have to add driftwood, plants and FISH.

 

[JCatania43]

new

don't have one yet...these prices seem to range greatly is it from the brand, or just the size of you setup, do better models of certain things work better....if so what is should you mainly focus on...new to the hobby...thanks in advance

 

[newfound77951]

I think the differences are mostly in new vs used equipment, particularly for the big stuff (tanks, stands etc) and online vs brick and mortar shopping...online can be much cheaper.

Also, what type of setup folks are trying to do...a basic, stock tank is going to cost a lot less (generally) than a high-light, planted tank.

 

[tbonem91]

it seems to me that new prices for tanks follow a general rule for target setup cost (no fish)


basic FW - $7-10/gallon

fully planted FW - $15-20/gallon

SW FOWLR - $20-25/gallon

SW Reef - $25-30/gallon


at least these are my observations and what I am budgeting for once I get my own house.

 

[Elmware2000]

I just recently bought a 20 gal. starter kit with HOB filter, flourescent light hood with light and a 100 watt heater for $133 at PetsMart.

I also bought a 24" wrought iron stand that holds two tanks from Paul's Aquarium for $67.

The gravel costs about $20 at PetsMart.

Plants were on sale at Paul's at 3 for $10.

somewhat big castle on a cliff ornament with air stone inside normally $40 was on sell at PetsMart for $17.50.

Small air pump for ornament was $10 + about $2 for tubng at PetsMart.

Prices indicated are CAD and does not include the 7% GST and 7% PST.

 

[Burks]

10 Gallon:

Deluxe Kit from Wal-Mart $20 on sale (hood, tank, light, tank, filter, heater)
Gravel $15
Fish $14
Stand $0 (built from scrap wood)
Tests: $15
Total so far: $64 and rising.

I really wanted to get a 55gallon but apartment and wallet size kept the size of the tank small. For $20 I couldn't pass up the deal, dad even bought one too! He already has 4 tanks plus a Koi pond.