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

[danreef55]

The unfortunate reality is most new entrants are out of the hobby after one year. I agree 100% they should have never gotten into it to begin with. I would venture a guess that the majority of short timers have never visited this site or done the proper research.

 

[ryanjohn1]

I’m in the process of starting a small coral farm. Between going through the whole business side of it and the tanks and equipment you have no idea how much money is involved. That’s without live stock. All the money.

 

[kre8tv1]

I have been in the hobby for years. The one thing I can offer is wait and get what you want. I have spent soooo much getting this because it will work for now and then because it was cheep and it last 6 months or so and quit. when I finally had extra I found a used Apex started with that then over the years keep adding to it.
The hobby can be expensive but if you look you can find deals.

 

[OrionN]

If one look at the cost of the animals, the cost of the tank is only a small amount of the tank as a whole.

This is an expensive hobby. There is no way around it.

 

[Tamberav]

Cost of starting a tank is better than ever!! So many options. Petco still has their sales, IM15g is a budget AIO, the used hardware is flooded.

We didn’t have all these options when I started. We didn’t even have Jeabo. I used Maxijets! And koralias! No leds then either! Your smatfarms? Viperspectra? Noops? Ya that wasn’t a thing. We are spoiled in options now.


Now corals… they are priced too high.

 

[tsharpe291]

I voted other, the hobby is what you make of it. every hobby has its high end and low end. it all depends on your budget and how involved you are in it.

 

[OrionN]

I got an offer I cannot refuse. Aquatop AIO 40 gal for 425, stand included. I just need to add lights. 425 does not go far in term of tank inhabitant's.
I did have to reenforce the stand to improve the shear strength so the stand does not collapse sideway, by adding the back panel to the stand. I put two holes in the back panel of the stand to pass various things through

 

[tsharpe291]

I got an offer I cannot refuse. Aquatop AIO 40 gal for 425, stand included. I just need to add lights. 425 does not go far in term of tank inhabitant's.
I did have to reenforce the tank to improve the shear strength so the tanks does not collapse sideway, by adding the back panel.

that is one thick sand bed, lol

 

[OrionN]

that is one thick sand bed, lol

My carpets going to need it.

 

[Silly clownfish]

Since my other hobbies include a horse and a sailboat, the cost of reefkeeping is relative

I’ve kept reef tanks for over 25 years, and definitely agree with the comments about starting slow, investing time in learning, not just trying to buy your way to success, and valuing your livestock as living things.

Personally, I’m saddened by some of the posts that are very casual about lost fish and buying things hoping they will survive rather than doing good research and prep. Yes, we all make mistakes and have casualties, but should try to avoid for the sake of the critters, not just due to cost.

 

[Reef Puncher]

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?

yall might like my avatar

 

[Hershingen Mosiken]

I've been keeping aquariums for over 30 years and there is absolutely a "reef tax". Sure, some of this equipment is expensive across the board in both freshwater and reef aquariums. This isn't a cheap hobby. And I'm glad the animals aren't cheap so perhaps the buyer will take a bit more care in their husbandry. But my latest case in point is a HOB refugium. What amounts to a plastic box with a pump and a light is hard to find for less than $300.
I'm only back to reefkeeping after abandoning it almost 30 years ago, and I'm glad to see many manufacturers offering economical equipment that's a whole lot better than we used to DIY in the '90's. So I'm hopeful that trend will continue and we'll see these boutique items replaced with quality factory built merchandise.

 

[Reef Puncher]

I've been keeping aquariums for over 30 years and there is absolutely a "reef tax". Sure, some of this equipment is expensive across the board in both freshwater and reef aquariums. This isn't a cheap hobby. And I'm glad the animals aren't cheap so perhaps the buyer will take a bit more care in their husbandry. But my latest case in point is a HOB refugium. What amounts to a plastic box with a pump and a light is hard to find for less than $300.
I'm only back to reefkeeping after abandoning it almost 30 years ago, and I'm glad to see many manufacturers offering economical equipment that's a whole lot better than we used to DIY in the '90's. So I'm hopeful that trend will continue and we'll see these boutique items replaced with quality factory built merchandise.

i made my refugium for under $50. the light was the most at $30. then i used an old plastic square bin, cut a hole in side, but a barbed fitting in the hole with a tube leading to my sump, and use a $20 pump off amazon to take water from my sump over to my refugium. it works great because if the pump ever dies and i dont see it, it wont overfill, its got a drain on it. DIY stuff really helps in this hobby. the lights i use are way overpriced, and the ecotech pumps i use are way overpriced. But i could have used cheaper alternatives.

 

[DeDoDo]

Although I'm still new at this, I think it's other. I'm a huge fan of taking something old and reusing it. I will break down old tanks, clean em and rebuild them. I will buy used equipment, because the fish, corals and some inverts are expensive enough. I can't imagine spending $1k+ on a 125 gallon tank, when I can go to petsmart and buy the tank and stand for $500, or look on fb marketplace. I do think that retailers are charging more than what they should when it comes to livestock. Local people have corals available, but that's it. Online retailers and LFS that all get their stock from the same places just overcharge. Here in NC, there's one spot 15 minutes from me that I bought 2 skunk cleaners from, paid $31.99ea. My salinity spiked, they died, so I replaced them. Went to a different reef store, 20 minutes the opposite direction, they were $22.99ea. Same with fish price difference. It can get costly, if you let it.

 

[Reef Puncher]

Although I'm still new at this, I think it's other. I'm a huge fan of taking something old and reusing it. I will break down old tanks, clean em and rebuild them. I will buy used equipment, because the fish, corals and some inverts are expensive enough. I can't imagine spending $1k+ on a 125 gallon tank, when I can go to petsmart and buy the tank and stand for $500, or look on fb marketplace. I do think that retailers are charging more than what they should when it comes to livestock. Local people have corals available, but that's it. Online retailers and LFS that all get their stock from the same places just overcharge. Here in NC, there's one spot 15 minutes from me that I bought 2 skunk cleaners from, paid $31.99ea. My salinity spiked, they died, so I replaced them. Went to a different reef store, 20 minutes the opposite direction, they were $22.99ea. Same with fish price difference. It can get costly, if you let it.

hey i live in raleigh! i thought about buying a cheaper petsmart tank, but those dont have overflows. i wouldnt be able to have a sump. unless i get good at drilling holes in glass, which i would rather not do. thats the only downside to petsmart tanks. overflows are so crucial for reef tanks. i do know they make some overflow kits, but they are not always sized for every tank. just easier to buy a tank with overflow already in it. but i agree they are ridiculously overpriced. i paid $1600 for my 70 gallon. crazy.....

 

[PotatoPig]

It’s definitely more expensive than I expected starting out… albeit I started with the intent of a FOWLR and then over a year converted to Reef.

If I were to build the same setup now knowing what I do today I could probably save ~30%, maybe more, through better focused DIY, buying some parts second hand, and knowing what equipment I really needed, but no real regrets - the lesson was in the journey.

 

[Northern Flicker]

overflows are so crucial for reef tanks.

 

[anything prints]

hey i live in raleigh! i thought about buying a cheaper petsmart tank, but those dont have overflows. i wouldnt be able to have a sump. unless i get good at drilling holes in glass, which i would rather not do. thats the only downside to petsmart tanks. overflows are so crucial for reef tanks. i do know they make some overflow kits, but they are not always sized for every tank. just easier to buy a tank with overflow already in it. but i agree they are ridiculously overpriced. i paid $1600 for my 70 gallon. crazy.....

they do make overflow kits with the wier and drilling isnt as hard as you would think as long as you go slow and find out if its tempered or not.ive got a local fs that gives great deals on tanks or i wouldnt be in this anymore lol.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

hey i live in raleigh! i thought about buying a cheaper petsmart tank, but those dont have overflows. i wouldnt be able to have a sump. unless i get good at drilling holes in glass, which i would rather not do. thats the only downside to petsmart tanks. overflows are so crucial for reef tanks. i do know they make some overflow kits, but they are not always sized for every tank. just easier to buy a tank with overflow already in it. but i agree they are ridiculously overpriced. i paid $1600 for my 70 gallon. crazy.....

Years ago, I used Glassholes.com for a drilling kit and overflow. I don't believe they are around anymore. I felt the same way about feeling nervous about drilling a tank. I carefully followed directions and it worked out great. So, not hard as long as you know the back panel can handle the drilling.

 

[DeDoDo]

hey i live in raleigh! i thought about buying a cheaper petsmart tank, but those dont have overflows. i wouldnt be able to have a sump. unless i get good at drilling holes in glass, which i would rather not do. thats the only downside to petsmart tanks. overflows are so crucial for reef tanks. i do know they make some overflow kits, but they are not always sized for every tank. just easier to buy a tank with overflow already in it. but i agree they are ridiculously overpriced. i paid $1600 for my 70 gallon. crazy.....

I paid $500 new for my 65g and stand years ago. It's been an angelfish tank gassed with co2, a regular guppy breeding tank, a shrimp breeding tank, now it's about to be a reef tank. I don't know anything about overflows, but I manually add top off water myself. Just because it's cheaper and I have my own rodi system. I try to do everything as cheap as I can tbh lol, I have 3 kids in school and a 1yo that take all of my money! I'm in SE Raleigh and I'll drive to Cary any day to go to fintastic over driving to Garner to go to reef keepers.