All Told...counting everything you ever bought for Reefing....how much do you estimate you've spent?

[Don Lidtke]

I am one of “those guys” that has a spreadsheet that I have tracked everything I have spent. I am a details guy so this is just one of the details I keep track of. The number is shocking to me but I went with high end products and have no regrets.

 

[Oliver d]

Give me two/three days to dig out all the receipts for all the equipment I can answer as to life stock well no comment.

 

[HunterW]

So glad my wife doesn't know about this site! We have a running joke about corals and fish....they all cost "about $20". LOL

OMG...ROFLMBO

 

[HunterW]

I have it setup as a business, so losses are a write off. But still I've only been back 10/2017
And all I'll say it's in the very high $1000's. No return on investment yet, maybe 5-10 years?
Still been worth every cent. Wish I'd returned alot sooner. Bummer

Neat!

 

[Elliott Comans]

About 8 on this tank.
Apparently about to overtake our family car

 

[Lasse]

I have spent a lot on this hobby and even FW aquarium (start FW around 1974, SW as a hobby around 2006) - but it have given back too - most of my jobs have been connected to knowledge and interest got from the hobby. At 69 - I still have a part time job there I mostly use my knowledge that I gain in the hobby. It give me an extra income of around $7000 this year only. If I have not spend my money on aquarium computers - my last two jobs would not have exist today.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[sam.veilleux30]

Well, never fun to think that if i did not had this hobby i would have "x" money in my account.
But life does not work that way, i would have spend it on something else.
So been in the hobby more or less 13 years, first year easy setup, then first system with a sump (60g).
After that one a simple 50g, then in 2012 i went full sps setup 60g (and a 30g for a few months).
I kept that one setup for 4 years, then in 2016 upgraded to my present one (100g).
No plans for any upgrade, i like the present setup (space for fishs, some volume for stability and no high cost for maintenance).
I'm trying to keep reefing expenses under 200$ per month, so more or less 2k for 13 years (less the firsts years, more lately), do the maths...
I still like it and think it's good for me to take care of a living ecosystem, i never stop to learn and i can see myself doing it in my old days, can't say that about a lot of things in my life.
2007, second setup

2011, third one

2012 the 30g

2013 the 60g blau

2015 the 60g blau

2017 the 100g

2018 the 100g

 

[lakai]

I am afraid to look but for sure over 30 under 40 in the last 8 months. Buy once, cry once they say.

 

[lakai]

I am one of “those guys” that has a spreadsheet that I have tracked everything I have spent. I am a details guy so this is just one of the details I keep track of. The number is shocking to me but I went with high end products and have no regrets.

You are very brave.

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

I completely broke even on my first tank, so when starting my upgrade I kept a very detailed spreadsheet that details absolutely everything I spent on, its separated into materials, which includes food, and livestock, I'll be 2 years in November, total on material 6879.2 , total on livestock 3322.74. Now I have started selling some equipment and livestock back. My total goal is to again break even on this tank in the next 2-3 years. Which I think is completely doable, after that I plan on getting a decent size frag tank, and additional lights and starting a grow out tank. I attached my excel spreadsheet if someone really wants to see my data.
Here's my build thread to get an idea of what my tank is like and my progress.

Large Build - The Long Story of my 180G Upgrade

This is my introduction to this forum as well as a place to post my progress so far. I've always loved fish tanks, starting as a kid with gold fish, then older with some neons, and tetras, when I moved in my home after college a work friend gave me a used 45 gallon 4 foot tank. I successfully...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[acro-ed]

I'm at about $50k but I don't keep a spreadsheet. Doing the rough math it's about $15k just in electricity to run the tanks. For many of those years while I was younger/in college/poor I didn't have the ability to "spend" much.

If we're counting hobby profit and loss together I've probably only "spent" about $10k.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Don Lidtke]

Well, never fun to think that if i did not had this hobby i would have "x" money in my account.
But life does not work that way, i would have spend it on something else.
So been in the hobby more or less 13 years, first year easy setup, then first system with a sump (60g).
After that one a simple 50g, then in 2012 i went full sps setup 60g (and a 30g for a few months).
I kept that one setup for 4 years, then in 2016 upgraded to my present one (100g).
No plans for any upgrade, i like the present setup (space for fishs, some volume for stability and no high cost for maintenance).
I'm trying to keep reefing expenses under 200$ per month, so more or less 2k for 13 years (less the firsts years, more lately), do the maths...
I still like it and think it's good for me to take care of a living ecosystem, i never stop to learn and i can see myself doing it in my old days, can't say that about a lot of things in my life.
2007, second setup

2011, third one

2012 the 30g

2013 the 60g blau

2015 the 60g blau

2017 the 100g

2018 the 100g

I hope that my system will look as good as yours! These are great looking tanks!

 

[ca1ore]

Anything extrapolated across long periods of time ends up as a big number. I've been in the hobby since 1987 (less three years for an ill conceived 'retirement'). Over that almost 30 hobby years, it's well north of $100K but probably south of $200K (I did not include the cost of electricity). But, in that same period I've spent over $200K in groceries; $100K on records, laserdiscs, CDs and the such; $2k on toothpaste; and $60K on car insurance. So …….

 

[Greybeard]

Ever? You mean since my first marine tank, circa 1985?

Why would I even want to know the answer to that? Even worse, why would I want to share it!

Seriously... It's a hobby. I've never short changed anything more necessary, my family is fed, housed, and clothed... savings are at a level I'm comfortable with.

It's a hobby. I get a bit tired of hearing about how expensive it is... A serious hobiest in nearly _any_ field can spend as much as a nice reef will cost. Ask a serious golfer how much he spends a year. Hunter. Fisherman. Many are going to surpass what a smaller reef would cost. Huh. Talk to an amateur race car driver... sport pilot? You get the idea. There are many hobbies that make reefing look cheap in comparison.

If you are spending your rent and grocery money on a reef, or worse yet, maxing out your credit cards... STOP IT! Living within your means and enjoying the hobby? Cheers.

 

[300bowler]

I wish we could view who selected each category. Because I have spent 20 to 30 thousand and I felt that was alot at 22 years of age but the 2 people who have spent over $500,000, I would like to talk to them, because at this rate I'm sure I will be in that category at some point in my reef keeping career.

 

[JPergamo]

Not today IA....

 

[Richard Rowland]

In total between two setups I have probably spent somewhere near $3-4K or maybe a little more.

 

[pirate2876]

I'm easily in this for at least a German sports car. A nice one at that..

 

[Leslie Tabor]

Oooh this is that which we do not speak of...;Greedy;Greedy;Greedy;Greedy