Sure adds up

[JTL]

When I got back into the hobby a few months ago after a 3 year hiatus I decided to keep track of all of my expense, live stock purchases and params. I just hit the $7000 mark. This includes about $1500 in corals. I built my own stand and shopped sales and bargains but purchased everything new. I don't have expensive high end hardware, my lights are Photon V2, my return pump is a Jebao, I don't have a controller. If I had gone upscale with say a Red Sea 450 which is almost identical to what I put together and added a higher end pump and lights I would be at $10,000 for a 100g tank with a 50g sump. The little things, like test kits, small mixing and reactor pumps, rock, sand, media, ro filters cost more than one sometimes thinks. The good news barring a tank crash I have a very short list of purchases, only a couple of fish and of course the ongoing supplies.

 

[Dmorty217]

This hobby isn't for the faint of heart or a light wallet. I don't keep track of what I have spent since it would just be disappointing to know the tens of thousands of dollars I have spent.

 

[MrsReefK]

I'm so happy we didn't keep track with our build (total water volume 625 g). It is definitely a hobby that's not nice to the pocketbook.

You're right, sure adds up!


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[sde1500]

Congrats! lol

I refuse to add things up, ignorance is bliss

 

[JTL]

I have had many tanks over the years and never kept track of all of the incidentals. I could remember the costs of the big things but when I decided to keep detailed records this time I was surprised at how much the little things added to the overall cost. For example the basic tank, stand, sump, return pump, lights, sand, rock and skimmer amounts to $3000, what I consider the basic stuff, the other $4000 is everything else, including corals. I am not complaining I went in knowing I was going to spend at least this much and to me it is worth it. I know I could have saved money going used but I like new.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Well, I've had 4 tanks for about 6 or 7 years now and I'm scaling back to 2 at the most due to a 1hp chiller killing $400+ in livestock and $1000+ in sps corals.