ot - how much have you spent on your tank?

[timsedwards]

Hi Friends,
Just thought I would ask a moderately depressing question! Out of curiosity really, how much have you spent on your current tank(s) setup and over how long? Im a university student so money is tight but is frightening!
I will start - I have probably spent about £2000 which is $3100.
Anyone else?

 

[timsedwards]

oops forgot to add, and thats in about 9 months.

 

[nm reef]

My wife bought me a 55 gal aquarium & stand as a Christmas gift in 1999. I've always had fresh water systems and she wanted me to explore the marine hobby with her gift.
I set the new tank up on the first day of January 2000....since then I've added a second 58 gal fish only system and gotten rid of all the fresh water stuff. Total spent is somewhere around $4000-$5000...and I'm looking at up-grades that will run a few grand more.
The wife got me a relatively in-expensive gift...not knowing how much would be invested to fully develope it.

 

[richard rendos]

120 gallon tank reef ready $210.00
stand $175.00
canopy $125.00
dual 400 watt retro kit w/20K bulbs $330.00
skimmer $300.00
140 pounds LR $300.00
sand $80.00
chiller $660.00
heater $40.00
sump $135.00
calcium reactor w/media/CO2 system $185.00
second chamber for calcium reactor $40.00
return pump $119.00
3 maxi-jet 1200's $60.00
wavemaker $179.00
corals/fish/inverts $1500.00+
mag float $25.00
misc plumbing $60.00
osci-wave powerhead oscillator $60.00
generator $300.00
GFCI outlets installed by tank $120.00
power strips $40.00
total is $5043.00 but most of these items were either bought at wholesale or used from ---- or other hobbiests. not counting all the changes I have made over the years...different skimmers, refugiums, sumps, light setups, etc. And that is just in the 120 gallon tank.

 

[tigerlover]

jeez, over about 11 yrs. ?????? you fill in the blanks

 

[elan]

i traded my friend some fishing rods for his tank. tank, stand and cannopy. and lighting setup.
since then, i have spent at least $3500... and still have about that much to go before i start on my next tank
I am thinking about getting a smaller tank and selling the 135... or turning it into a fish only.
but i come up with new ideas all the time.

 

[wrassecal]

My husbands daughter very sweetly bought him a 55 gal, with stand, Emperor 400 and 280 and NO output lighting for Christmas 2001. She got it for $400.00. Now if you add one more 0 to that amount you'll have pretty close to what we spent the first year on the 55 gal. Due to a house flood this Christmas season and the need to move the tank we ( of couse) decided to upgrade the tank to a 135 and have spent another $1500 or so in it. So in roughly 16 months we've spent about $5500.00 and we still need to do the sump/refugium for the new 135 I look at it this way. We could have taken one really nice vacation for that amount but nothing could have taken the place of the day to day relaxation and enjoyment we have gotten out of researching, planning, working on and just sitting and staring at the tank.

 

[ags]

My current set up, started December 2001, guesstimated figure of over $2500 for live stock, live sand & rock, and equipment.

 

[overanalyzer]

5 Gallon nano = $200
20 Gallon clown breeder = planning on spending around $400 (had tank for years not counting that into the cost) .....
My next step is either a 46 gal bow front or a 72 gallon bowfront. But I am making my own LR and using southdown for that one .... plus if it is a 46 gal it will have a homemade stand ..... but my goal is to keep the big one under $2000 for the 46 and under $2500 for the 72 Gallon.
I also have a budgeted line item so I get money form our budget every two weeks for my hobby (wish my wife would get into so she would kick in her "hobby" budget amount!)

 

[cboyfan2020]

oh about $3500 since 9/02 and I got the 55g tank and stand for free. I also got my 120g stand and canopy for free.

 

[frozenguy]

i have spent close to about 1500 on my 25 gallon since jan 10th!!!
i thought it would cost me a couple hundred, not really thinking about it!!!
but i gotta say, i really do love the hobby......
thats why i pay so much.

 

[scotts]

I don't want to know how much I have spent on my tank.
Scott

 

[phoenixrising]

It is a shocking figure. The system presently uses 23 feet of wall space. I actually went out and got a JOB (on-call) to help pay for it so my husband wouldn't have a stroke. I think the first 2 years were super expensive because I was buying all the necessary equipment. Hopefully, the cost will level out in future when only maintainance is required.
One consolation...it is still slightly less expensive than my first passion...gaited horses!!
And less expensive than my husbands passion...cars!

 

[krunk]

150$ on 330 watts VHO/PC lighting, Wet/Dry Filter, 40# LR, 3" sandbed, tank, stand, canopy, and a powerhead.
im thinkin i got one helluva a deal

 

[dattong]

this is the expense for my newly 100g set up
$290 for the tank
$680 for lights and reflectors
$120 stand and hood (DIY)
$800 LR and LS
$250 filter and skimmer
$150 mislc.
$130 additives and test kits
So the total is about $2420 to get started with no fish or inverts. I'm a student and almost go broke now. well, what else I can do
This is my first reef tank. Hopefully everything gonna be fine.
For my 30g FOWLR tank, I've probably thrown lots more than the 100g because of my stupidity. I wish that I found this forum 4 yrs ago. But in return, I've learned a lot of lessons, and Im having a beautiful FOWLR tank right now. I guess Im gonna stay away from mistakes by posting tons of questions for my reef tank.

 

[timsedwards]

thats what I have done! almost 1000 post of questions!
Nah im joking I like to think 1/3 of my posts are helping other people, but the more I know the more I can share!

 

[bdubbya]

Probably somewhere in the neighborhood $2500. Maybe more maybe less, I haven't really kept track. That is in the year and a half in the hobby. The best thing I've ever spent my money on. I don't care what my credit card company's say.

 

[michaeltx]

my first tanks were about $900 sold them when I moved to Texas kept most of my tanks and the LR and sand.
the current tanks.
lets see $2500 thats no filters no fish no corals
Ro unit $150
corals about $1000
fish about $500
inverts about $150
filters and such about $200
odds and ends additives and foods $300 or so
about $4800 for everything Reef related then there is FW and turtles and pond on that.
needless to say its expensive but would trade it for anyhting LOL
Mike

 

[bterry29]

I'm glad you posted this question because it will make me add up what I have spent, although I'm not sure I want my wife to see this.
Initial investment for tank/stand/light: $260
Filter/heater/live sand: $140
LR: $320
Powerheads: $50
Upgrade on lights: $225
Water test kits: $50
Fish: $150
Corals: $100
Cleanup crew: $100
Supplements: $50
So, roughly $1500 since end of November 2002 or about $350 per month which is close to my car payment. This is much more enjoyable!!!

 

[tygerfifteen]

since december
got a 68 gallon $600
livestock and everything else $500
light $170