ESTIMATE TOTAL COST OF YOUR REEF TANK!

[SPS2020]

How many gallons

IM EXT 100 gallon. Acropora dominant. Just frags and small colonies at the moment. I think the total is around 18k after doing some math. Some repurchases and superfluous purchases...we all know how that goes. Initially, I NEVER anticipated that kind of money in a tank. I've been in the hobby since the mid-80's and never saw this coming. LOL

 

[brandon429]

im now sure the sand rinse and tank transfer thread has protected against 1.5 million dollars or better in losses.

formula: average tally of costs per page here multiplied by 43.

 

[Freenow54]

Make that $650... 1k by the end of June??

You will love it. Watch Bulk Reef Supply videos, and have your mind expanded.

 

[Freenow54]

Under 20k on the new tank...so far. Sigh.

You do know we are not talking about tanks you can charge admission to see don't you ? lol

 

[PeterB113]

You do know we are not talking about tanks you can charge admission to see don't you ? lol

I'm at 8k in a 20g.... future doesn't look good lol

 

[James_O]

I'm at 8k in a 20g.... future doesn't look good lol

8k for a 20g??

 

[PeterB113]

8k for a 20g??

Yea lol I went really overboard with corals. I already need a new tank. It's only been 6mos.

 

[Rmckoy]

Need I say more?

When I first got Into this I was told you’re ready to reef when you can take a $100 and burn it without shedding a tear .
I had no idea what that meant at that time , it can’t be that bad right ?
That was in the 90’s when corals were cheaper .
Now that frags cost more than colonies did .
I still get a little emotional buying frags

 

[Jonas Bergkvist]

I got a 150g tank with a 40g sump and i think i spent around $8000 and i have just gotten started. Been running it for six months. When i get more experience i will go down the money drain called ”SPS” so there is easily another $8000 i guess

i don’t mind spending money on this because it’s the coolest hobby i had in my life!

 

[Alistairn1]

I Wanna hear your ballpark figures on how much you think you've spent on your reef tank so far. Don't tell the wives........ including livestock!

My ex wife decided to value it for me during the divorce! Greedy cow doubled the price of everything and only out of spite

 

[Sea escape]

108 gal Red Sea reefer 150 xl, with 38 gal sump. 35 plus coral, roughly 20 grand.

 

[Royalreef22]

Still setting up my 180g and my hope was, after the initial 1300 for a bowfront, to spend 1000 for everything else! Fish, corals, pumps, plumbing, aquascape stuff ect.

I was only wanting to spend about $300 for lights and ended up spending $1,300 for Hydra 32s last week! I did go cheap on powerhead tho with SLW-30ms. Fish has been no price limit almost and fish alone has been somewhere around $1,000+ (I haven't even gotten tangs yet). I am going to aquashella for possibly some Coral so we'll c how much I walk out of there with.

I have probably all together spent around 4k-5k with another 1k probably not far off. I am 17 and need to start saving for other things tho lol

 

[albano]

Almost 50 yrs of SW fish keeping… well into 6 figures!

 

[James_O]

Now my 29g is over $850... insane....

 

[Brady4000]

Biocube. 32

Around $1k’ish in tank and equipment and $600ish in fish, coral and invert.



Edit: just wanted to add, a lot of trading and only buying local went into my tank to keep cost down. Like $5-$10 zoa frags (not per head). All SPS I bought local for a package deal $75. Leathers I bought small first coral. Only two cheaper end clowns. Traded dry rock for some of the LPS and leathers. I got over 100lbs of Fiji dry rock for $200. Stocked two tank with my rock and traded for coral. I also buy small and let it grow, tank is 6 months old.

Example: I traded the dry rock for: two Japanese leathers, the large chalice, monti, 3 toadstools (green and gold) and a vary large zoa rock. I took the zoa rock and traded it for my Green two headed torch and sold one of the toadstool when it got too big for $40.

Just putting this disclaimer in here because I know my photos will get picked apart that it may be worth more lol.

I just live near awesome reefers, who enjoy selling coral out of their garages.

 

[Freenow54]

Still setting up my 180g and my hope was, after the initial 1300 for a bowfront, to spend 1000 for everything else! Fish, corals, pumps, plumbing, aquascape stuff ect.

I was only wanting to spend about $300 for lights and ended up spending $1,300 for Hydra 32s last week! I did go cheap on powerhead tho with SLW-30ms. Fish has been no price limit almost and fish alone has been somewhere around $1,000+ (I haven't even gotten tangs yet). I am going to aquashella for possibly some Coral so we'll c how much I walk out of there with.

I have probably all together spent around 4k-5k with another 1k probably not far off. I am 17 and need to start saving for other things tho lol

Well Prepare yourself for the cost of a Tang. I spent $300. The reason is the Hawaiian Govt stepped in Probably a cash grab, in the popular guise of being environmental

 

[Royalreef22]

Well Prepare yourself for the cost of a Tang. I spent $300. The reason is the Hawaiian Govt stepped in Probably a cash grab, in the popular guise of being environmental

Yeah I expect around $500-$600 for tangs lol

 

[PeterB113]

I see gem tangs listed at over 1k now and yellow tangs are going for 500 to 600 in my LFS

 

[adsf430]

Holy cow!!!! I’m probably at 2-3k at 1.5 years in and I’m 95% stocked and probably won’t spend much in the next 6 months!

Granted I don’t automate anything I just don’t see where you could spend 7k on a 20G unless you have a lot of high end corals.

Automating a 20 gal is about as expensive as automating any size tank haha. Have to if you want to ever leave the tank alone for more than a day.

 

[PeterB113]

Automating a 20 gal is about as expensive as automating any size tank haha. Have to if you want to ever leave the tank alone for more than a day.

Exactly lol I'm still doing weekly water changes instead of dosing as well lol