Cost!

[Lloydxmas]

No I'm pretty excited that I am finally piecing together my set up but I have multiple people calling me stupid cause this hobby will cost my thousands of dollars a year. Any truth to this!?

 

[dragonfisher33]

No I'm pretty excited that I am finally piecing together my set up but I have multiple people calling me stupid cause this hobby will cost my thousands of dollars a year. Any truth to this!?

a little sight into the setup that you're thinking about would be nice. otherwise we can only guess what you're going to do. furthermore, if you think about it, any serious hobby, ie photography, football...etc, can all cost serious money year round.

 

[Lloydxmas]

I am doing a 75 gal corner flow with a ruby 36 sump. I know the initial set up cost will be big. I just want a few fish but mainly reef.

 

[dragonfisher33]

everything is relative. some hardcore hobbyists do spent thousand or so in their reef system since they want top-of-the-line everything. IME and IMO, it's more or less a few hundred dolloars. definitely not the thousand dollar range if you still want some basic equipments with easy livestock.

 

[dragonfisher33]

but my friend, there's never enough when it comes to this hobby. one day i want this coral, the next day i want that fish, and the next month i would love to upgrade my equipment. so in the end, you will spend more money than you would want to. but if you keep everything to a minimum, then few hundreds is what i say the most money you will spent. you have to take into consideration the cost of salt, ro/di water, lighting bill, and fish/coral food at the bare minimum.

 

[dragonfisher33]

also to keep the wallet happy, i would suggest look into Craigslist and local reef club as they generally have discounted items (or items without retail mark-ups) ranging anywhere from equipments to livestocks.

 

[Mebbid]

No I'm pretty excited that I am finally piecing together my set up but I have multiple people calling me stupid cause this hobby will cost my thousands of dollars a year. Any truth to this!?

Thousands per year? maybe if you go with a 500ish gallon tank.

Most of the cost is start up which I'm not going to lie is very expensive. BUT, who cares? If this hobby makes you happy does it really matter? People spend their entire life working for money; whos job is it to say they shouldn't spend it on what they enjoy?

 

[Sniperhank]

Keeping my reef tank running is less expensive than it is keeping my dog. If you set up a new tank every year then maybe...

 

[Lloydxmas]

Is there websites to look at for reefing clubs and such things? Like I said I am well aware of the cost up front. That doesn't bother me in the least bit. But thousands a year would get old real quick!

 

[Mebbid]

General maintenance for my 20g is probably $200 a year at the high end.

 

[huma-huma]

budget for my 125 and a quick breakdown.
filter kit for RODI unit- $25 (replace once a year)
600g of salt mix (20% bi-weekly)- $170
2 new 96w PC bulbs- roughly $80
2 new 24in T5 bulbs for refugium- $40
food (hard to calculate)- prob $100
so all in all, im looking at roughly $415 per year for my 125, that's not including the extra electricity, water consumption and minor odds and ends (meds if needed, sponges for cleaning, etc). now granted I run a fairly simple setup, I don't have any reactors or excess equipment running, so my cost is a bit lower than most, but still, not even close to thousands of dollars a year.
now the money ive setup on the tank itself (new equipment, new fish, etc) im prob somewhere between 4-5g so far since I bought this tank, however it is a 125 and I tend to ignore pricing when it comes to fish.
also id just like to say that once it graduates to an obsession (which it will, don't worry) money isn't even a factor that you'll be concerned with. instead of "wow I spent how much money already?!?" youll be saying "how can I free up more money to spend??"

 

[Lloydxmas]

budget for my 125 and a quick breakdown.
filter kit for RODI unit- $25 (replace once a year)
600g of salt mix (20% bi-weekly)- $170
2 new 96w PC bulbs- roughly $80
2 new 24in T5 bulbs for refugium- $40
food (hard to calculate)- prob $100
so all in all, im looking at roughly $415 per year for my 125, that's not including the extra electricity, water consumption and minor odds and ends (meds if needed, sponges for cleaning, etc). now granted I run a fairly simple setup, I don't have any reactors or excess equipment running, so my cost is a bit lower than most, but still, not even close to thousands of dollars a year.
now the money ive setup on the tank itself (new equipment, new fish, etc) im prob somewhere between 4-5g so far since I bought this tank, however it is a 125 and I tend to ignore pricing when it comes to fish.
also id just like to say that once it graduates to an obsession (which it will, don't worry) money isn't even a factor that you'll be concerned with. instead of "wow I spent how much money already?!?" youll be saying "how can I free up more money to spend??"

That's Alot better of a price range that I would be OK with. Even a grand a year isn't bad. But unfortunately I am pricing my setup together now. I will be a little bit before it's up and running

 

[Datreeferman]

No way you can easily set up a 55 gal for around $800 while only spending around $300-700 a year. Salt, food, maintenance, supplements ,etc.

 

[JsQuid]

It's hard to truly say. I just set up a 40 gallon breeder with a 20 long sump and I'm surely heading toward the upper hundreds for initial setup. Here's a simple list off the top of my head 40 Breeder 60$, T5 light Fixture W/ 4 Bulbs 50$, Stand 210 $, Salt Mix 25$, Dry Rock 105$, Dry Sand 30$, 20 Long Sump 22$, Mag 7 Return Pump 75$, Flex Spa & Miscellaneous Return Equipment 25$, Coralife Skimmer 90$, Overflow Box 99$, Other Equipment 40$. That's where I'm at right about now, as I'm still cycling. Hopefully I could be of some assistance !

 

[Lloydxmas]

Thank you everyone for reassuring me that I'm not crazy!

 

[Sniperhank]

Thank you everyone for reassuring me that I'm not crazy!

Oh no, we are.

 

[dragonfisher33]

Thank you everyone for reassuring me that I'm not crazy!

everything is relative and a matter of time the hobby is sure addicting and not for the sane mind

 

[Spotted]

+1 Huma Huma & SniperHawk
We are totally crazy, but well worth it. Your major expense will probably be time. Time spent mostly just staring into your little piece of ocean. I know I spend countless hours a month staring into my tank.
I probably spend about 300 a year on regular maintenance not including electric and water.
Problem is there's always a new gadget or something that I just gotta have!! Gotta upgrade my lights!! Gotta get that controller to make it all easier to run. What? I need that for my controller too!! Oh yeah, I gotta start that coral farm I've been dreaming about. It'll help offset the cost of this hobby (Right)

You think you can control it, but it controls you!! You'll see and welcome aboard this crazy train!!

So yeah I can see spending thousands a year for this hobby, just not for regular maintenance.. LOL!!