Hobby costs are soaring?

[Doompastew]

Tell us what it used to cost for equipment and coral Pre-2K. Do you think the current coral prices are fair?
I remember in the early 80s, putting a 55 with an iron stand and under gravel filter on layaway. I wanna say around $200. and it had everything included.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

 

[VintageReefer]

Jeez. My eBay doesn’t go past 2020

Well here’s coral prices I paid just 4 years ago

 

[AetherealKnight]

My first yellow tang in 2017 was $42, it was about (4 inches). So just compare that today's price..

 

[Tamberav]

Like $5 a head per hammer and entire rock of yumas for $30, entire bag of green banded gobies, like 8 of them for $50 direct from the diver. Honestly I don’t really remember but there was more variety of corals then but seems Fiji is open again now.


Yellow tang and election talk didn’t take long!

 

[Chrisv.]

Let's put it this way. I was once super annoyed to pay $34 for a kole tang when yellow tangs only cost $17 and the kole wasn't as colorful.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Back when I fought in the Great War, we didn't even pay for fish. They just jumped into our aquariums! Now get off my lawn!

 

[ptrusk]

Back when I fought in the Great War, we didn't even pay for fish. They just jumped into our aquariums! Now get off my lawn!

Thank you for you service.

 

[208reef]

Cheap powerhead ~$10
Good powerhead ~$15-25
Small HOB filter ~$10-15
HOB Protein skimmer ~$59-99
Cheap heater ~$10
Good heater ~$20
50/50 Coralife Fluorescent bulb ~$10-20
Live rock ~$2-4/lb
Dry rock ~$1-2/lb

Green chromis ~$4.99
Most gobies ~$8-15
Dwarf Angels ~$25-40
Large Angels ~$60-80

Soft corals were usually like $5 for a frag and $20-30 for a softball sized specimen.

 

[Reef-Mart]

There’s definitely some cool gear out these days but overall the costs are crazy high. So is everything else though!

 

[graihg]

Pre Y2K? How about pre-COVID... just divide by 2

 

[Chrisv.]

I bought a bubble coral colony for $42 in 1998!

Do keep in mind that fragging corals was blasphemy to most before 2000 or so when Leroy and Sally Jo Headlee went around the country telling people they could CUT their CORALS. a lot more of the corals came straight from the ocean back then.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

We had our roof done 2022 15k with new gutters and half the plywood replaced. My daughter just paid 32k this year and she lives across the street. Same size roof. The only difference was they replaced all of the plywood and adding insulation.

In 1986 Copenhagen cost .99 a can. Today 10.00. in 1980 a candy bar was a quarter today over 2 dollars. In highschool we would go to Denny's and get coffee for .35 and hang out until 2am . Today 3.00. in the late 80's, also in high school, a 12 pack of beer beer was 3.00 today 18.00. my family's first new car was 6500.00 that was 1984. Funny thing is, hotweels cars in the early 70's was a dollar. Today 1.25, kinda makes you go hmmmm

 

[PharmrJohn]

I can speak to two time periods. Approx costs

Early 90s

29g Tank ($30)
75g Tank ($50)
Undergravel Filter ($10)
HOB filter ($15)
Heater ($15)
Yellow Tang ($15)
Maroon Clown ($10)
6-line wrasse ($10)
Coral Banded Shrimp ($5)

Late 2000s to Early 2010s

75g Tank ($150)
90g Tank ($350)
20g Long Tank ($30)
Stand ($200)
LR ($3/LB)
E.T.S.S-400 Skimmer ($200)
Tek 8x54W T5 48" ($500 used, $700 new)
CPR Overflow with Aqualift air pump ($75)
Denitrator ($100)
Yellow Tang ($20)
Coral Beauty ($30)
Flame Angel ($30)
Sea Apple ($40)
12x8" Turbinaria ($80)
LG Zoa Colony ($50)
LG Kenya Tree or Pulsating Xenia ($20)
Med Frogspawn ($30)

The list goes on........

 

[CannaJake]

My first yellow tang in 2017 was $42, it was about (4 inches). So just compare that today's price..

I got my first yellow tang about 3 weeks ago. Its a baby captive bred... $250. I got one of the last 3 they had.

 

[CannaJake]

We had our roof done 2022 15k with new gutters and half the plywood replaced. My daughter just paid 32k this year and she lives across the street. Same size roof. The only difference was they replaced all of the plywood and adding insulation.

In 1986 Copenhagen cost .99 a can. Today 10.00. in 1980 a candy bar was a quarter today over 2 dollars. In highschool we would go to Denny's and get coffee for .35 and hang out until 2am . Today 3.00. in the late 80's, also in high school, a 12 pack of beer beer was 3.00 today 18.00. my family's first new car was 6500.00 that was 1984. Funny thing is, hotweels cars in the early 70's was a dollar. Today 1.25, kinda makes you go hmmmm

Hold on... Cope is now $10 a can?!

 

[bradreef]

Cost have definitely gone up but I feel like coral prices are coming back since the government pumped billions into spending. Shipping has gone up and stayed up, but we are seeing some relief in other things.

 

[Opus]

I will not get into costs, but lets just say the word "frag" had not been invented yet. Everything was a colony. I remember my LFS getting in elegance coral and only 1 would fit in the box.

 

[Doompastew]

I will not get into costs, but lets just say the word "frag" had not been invented yet. Everything was a colony. I remember my LFS getting in elegance coral and only 1 would fit in the box.

now they sell zoanthids "per polyp"

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Quality equipment at the cutting edge of design and technology pre 2000 was mostly European. I can’t speak for Nth American prices but if you wanted a Geissman light fixture, Knopp calcium reactor or Deltec skimmer you were reaching pretty deep into your back pocket.

I’d argue that quality equipment is now more widely available at more competitive prices.