No Money, Honey: How do you feel about the cost of starting a tank?

[AlyciaMarie]

Starting a tank is all rainbows and butterflies until you step up to the cash register. Although there are ways to get more bang for your buck, there is no denying that our tanks are investments of time and definitely investments of money. But how much money? When you consider the cost of the tank and stand itself, and then factor in sand, salt, rocks, lights, test kits, water filtration, livestock, and all the other stuff you need to start an aquarium...

How do you feel about the cost of starting a tank?

 

[Reefer Matt]

The initial investment for the first tank can be a little intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be bought all at once. I’ll spend as I go and work overtime to pay for it. The tank can sit and cycle while the budget builds for future purchases. It just takes discipline and patience. My last frag tank cost me about $350 total because I traded coral for the tank itself and already had the lights and coral.

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

There are some nicely priced AIO tanks out there. For getting your feet wet they are not a bad way to go. The smaller size also means less equipment is needed so that keeps the cost down too.

 

[exnisstech]

I voted other. The word investment is probably the last word I would use to describe anything in my reefing hobby. This is especially so when I consider coral purchases. I look at buying corals a bit like playing the lottery. If I can't afford to throw the money in the trash and still be able to meet my financial obligations then I can't afford the coral.
I do not propagate to sell and I've killed a lot of corals through the years

 

[GatorGreg]

Here’s how I justify it.

I’m not here for a long time. I’m here for a good time.

 

[shakacuz]

definitely expensive, but that's the name of the game.

 

[AlyciaMarie]

I voted other. The word investment is probably the last word I would use to describe anything in my reefing hobby. This is especially so when I consider coral purchases. I look at buying corals a bit like playing the lottery. If I can't afford to throw the money in the trash and still be able to meet my financial obligations then I can't afford the coral.
I do not propagate to sell and I've killed a lot of corals through the years

That's so true; it is a lottery. My tank is the centerpiece of my living room and the first thing people see when they walk in my front door, so when someone shows interest or thinks it's beautiful, that is what my investment was for.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I also tell my wife that my tanks are my “Corvette”. (I’m at that “middle age” and my neighbor has one he loves to show off). She likes the tanks better because she knows where I’m at, in the Reef Cave. Lol!

 

[RV Reefs]

It’s an expensive hobby. I few the price is fair for what it is. There are options and ways to minimize the price, but if you are willing to work, then there are ways to get into the hobby. I have definitely had a few fish/corals die, which hurts my wallet, but in my opinion, that’s unfortunately what can/will happen in this hobby. It’s our job to minimize the deaths, and provide the best care we can, and that’s sometimes all we can do.

 

[Dburr1014]

Prices have gone up faster than inflation in this hobby.

You really need to do research to find the deals and DIY.
For the new people, they might not understand the ins and outs and end up wasting a lot of money.

Electricity now went up in Connecticut for the people that didn't pay thru covid and the costs of programs. September 1st we get hit with another fee for EV stations. It's literal insanity. I don't drive an EV and have to pay road tax on my gas. They don't and I have to pay for them to charge free at parks. Oops, to far off topic. Sorry.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I have a problem with the prices of new coral. I get it, supply and demand. Zoas shouldnt cost 100 pp though.

Equipment, yes, very expensive with inflation. I dont know if any of these companies are borrowing money in this environment, but the Fed is cutting rates next month, so I wonder if that will help with companies that are in debt. Inflation is under 3% now, so there'd better be some improvement.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

That's so true; it is a lottery. My tank is the centerpiece of my living room and the first thing people see when they walk in my front door, so when someone shows interest or thinks it's beautiful, that is what my investment was for.

definitely, and something that you work hard to keep. This goes back to the whole education topic.

 

[Cool tangs]

It can be as cheap or expensive as you want. You can buy secondhand tanks and equipment for such a tiny amount. And I highly recommend starting out with secondhand gear. Then you don't break the bank, you get your hands wet and see if the hobby really is for you. Once you understand marketing of products vs what's actually good, getting into brand new or a higher end reef. The value is actually great for the products. It just really depends how you look at it. I personally put away into a savings account for maintenance so I have the money at hand to buy things in bulk or when specials come up. I've saved way more money buying in bulk vs buying as I go.

I think it's pretty fair pricing. These kit tanks you get off the shelf now look amazing are are pretty cheap to some custom tanks, and would actually argue look better at times.

You can also save money on wave makers, get some jebao pump they will last ages! They are so much cheaper and would argue high quality vs ecotech or maxspect.

Lights on the other hand in my experience, this is were you really get what you pay for and the difference is night and day. Black box vs a high end brand. The spectrum, the controllability and just the corals overall look. It's just so clear here

I'll always stand by this...

This hobby is expensive as you make it!
This hobby is as hard as you make it!
This hobby is as time consuming as you make it!

Happy reefing

 

[Gill the 3rd]

Its not going to be a cheap hobby, no matter what you do. However you can certainly get by with cheaper equipment and setups that will work just fine. There are plenty of budget friendly fish and corals that are colorful and cool to look at.

Another great way to save money is to look at used setups on marketplace. Around me there are numerous entire setups for sale for great prices. They pretty much cant give them away.

 

[Bpones]

I think it’s all about taking time to learn when starting out and not rushing. Any old tank will work if it holds water. Any light will do fine for a FOWLR. Stay on top of water changes and the filtration doesn’t need to be crazy. And from there, go slow, upgrade as experience increases. There are always a million deals for used stuff online.

When anyone ask me how much it would cost to have my set up in their home I tell them, “You want it up tomorrow? You’re gonna spend thousands. You want it built over the next 12 months? A few hundred.” That’s just how these sort of hobbies work. Hang around long enough and people will literally end up giving you more stuff than you could ever want/need. Patients pays off in dividends.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

It can be as cheap or expensive as you want. You can buy secondhand tanks and equipment for such a tiny amount. And I highly recommend starting out with secondhand gear. Then you don't break the bank, you get your hands wet and see if the hobby really is for you. Once you understand marketing of products vs what's actually good, getting into brand new or a higher end reef. The value is actually great for the products. It just really depends how you look at it. I personally put away into a savings account for maintenance so I have the money at hand to buy things in bulk or when specials come up. I've saved way more money buying in bulk vs buying as I go.

I think it's pretty fair pricing. These kit tanks you get off the shelf now look amazing are are pretty cheap to some custom tanks, and would actually argue look better at times.

You can also save money on wave makers, get some jebao pump they will last ages! They are so much cheaper and would argue high quality vs ecotech or maxspect.

Lights on the other hand in my experience, this is were you really get what you pay for and the difference is night and day. Black box vs a high end brand. The spectrum, the controllability and just the corals overall look. It's just so clear here

I'll always stand by this...

This hobby is expensive as you make it!
This hobby is as hard as you make it!
This hobby is as time consuming as you make it!

Happy reefing

good point

But then you get to the ongoing costs based of that tank, especially when you get into tanks that are 75g and larger. Especially if you go SPS which requires dosing and extra care, but I guess that falls under the "as hard as you make it" category

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I think it’s all about taking time to learn when starting out and not rushing. Any old tank will work if it holds water. Any light will do fine for a FOWLR. Stay on top of water changes and the filtration doesn’t need to be crazy. And from there, go slow, upgrade as experience increases. There are always a million deals for used stuff online.

When anyone ask me how much it would cost to have my set up in their home I tell them, “You want it up tomorrow? You’re gonna spend thousands. You want it built over the next 12 months? A few hundred.” That’s just how these sort of hobbies work. Hang around long enough and people will literally end up giving you more stuff than you could ever want/need. Patients pays off in dividends.

THIS x1000- couldnt have said it better.

Patience will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

someone was selling an Aquaforest 605, 114g tank brand new here, for a quarter of the price that it is on BRS. Tank, stand, plumbing, Sump, ATO, etc and other goodies included. These are deals that save you lots of money if you want to go a little bigger.

 

[jimfish98]

Every aspect of this hobby is hit with over priced goods. Most of it is a tiny bit of electronics and a huge amount of plastic being priced out at a cost that makes no sense in comparison to other goods. Volume of sales has an impact, but not nearly as much as we let vendors charge. Combine that with prices seeming comparable across 20+ vendors but knowing one vendor owns about 30 of the brands, you see them pricing the market to themselves. Coral wise is hit and miss as there is risk, operating costs, etc that are high. Some vendors however are shooting themselves in the foot and asking us to cover the costs in their corals. Local shop needs to clear $6k a month in rental space for a premium spot but if they had picked up shop down the road slightly, the cost would be under half of that. If everything was fairly priced, we would not see such a demand on reselling of equipment or buy/sell/trade of corals amongst hobbyists.

 

[RWReefer]

As someone new to this hobby and after finally getting water flowing, I would say this hobby is as expensive as you want to make it. There are plenty of tanks/equipment/substrates/stock that you could piece together and get yourself going for a pretty minimal start up. I went the other route and pieced together the system I thought would be best for my budget and for my long term goals, even if that meant spending a little more than originally thought. I also saved a bunch of money by figuring out the equipment I wanted, and then played the waiting game on the Marketplace to find a good deal or two. There are price points available in the hobby for all budgets.