How much did you guys spend on your first tank?

[PizzaIan339]

So I have got my first tank yet but I am planning on getting a 15 gallon innovative marine cube tank and am planning on spending about $445+fish on the tank total. I wondering how much other people spent on their first tank?

 

[Shaqs_Jumper]

Yeah id say i spent around 600-800 to start up my first tank but thats because i wanted the best lights and stuff depending on the light and filters i think you may be able to set one up for under 600 depending on what you get.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

... I plead the fifth.

 

[Shaqs_Jumper]

... I plead the fifth.

smart move lol

 

[Glenner’sreef]

My parents probably spent $10 in 1968. Christmas, I was 10 years old. So zero.

 

[Colton Yuchnewicz]

I bought a 10-gal peninsula IM. tank, sand rocks was about 260$.

 

[AydenLincoln]

It started out as around $500 for just my Waterbox Cube 20 and stand it quickly became A LOT more than that!!!

 

[Jedi1199]

Take your estimate today and multiply it by 4 or 5 and that should give you an idea of the ballpark you are considering playing in.

30 years ago it was a fair estimate to say $5-7/gallon for a saltwater tank. Today it is closer to $20-25/ gallon. Yes, you can buy used and save money. Depending on your budget and patience, that might be a good way to go.

Also consider that most start off with a small tank and then want a bigger tank within a year.

 

[Timfish]

Wish I still had a picture of it but maybe $200 including fish and test kits the first 6 months or so back in 1986. Have alwasy been a DIYer and I built the tank , stand and canopy with salvaged glass and wood. Salvaged fluorescent ballasts and egg crate, I had stumbled across a copy of Martn Moe's "The Marine Aqiuarium Handbook, Beginner to Breeder" and set up my first system with an undergravel filter like he used for breeding clowns. Bought new crushed gravel new bulbs and air pumps. Success was mixed but I did have a few fish survive several years.

 

[Lavey29]

Like a dollar and once that ping pong ball landed in the water that gold fish was mine.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

$250 ish

 

[Keybilly]

I’m gonna “say” $1,000

 

[saltienewb]

First freshwater?
Probably 300 dollars. 15 gallon Fluval flex planted tank.
First saltwater?
80 gallon system, with all the accoutrements: at around 4000 on just equipment.

 

[Uncle99]

$150 Cheap tank, $400 cheap lights, so $550

 

[Nemo&Friends]

The first 3 tanks were free, one 40g, was abandoned in a rental home we were managing, and one 125G, was put up on a curb side for the city to discard and one 50G was given to me from a friend who was going out of the hobby. That is tank itself, so I do not have any plumbing, refugium and all these fancy equipments most of you have. I have just plain tanks. I added LR , sand, fish and macro algae. No coral.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

$150 Cheap tank, $400 cheap lights, so $550

beautiful tank

 

[Uncle99]

beautiful tank

Thank you.
I appreciate that!

 

[CWalters]

Are you my wife? I cannot answer that question...

 

[zheka757]

$200/Month on electricity and maintenance only

 

[KrisReef]

My parents probably spent $10 in 1968. Christmas, I was 10 years old. So zero.

My mom gave me the blue chip stamps to redeem for my first tank. I think it was worth about the same as @Glenner’sreef posted, and the hood had a low watt incandescent bulb for lighting. I dont remember if the air pump and corner floss-Carbon bubble filter and air hose were included? We added a 10 Lb bag of colored dolomite gravel and a plastic plant and it made an instant guppy tank.