PLAN to spend the MOST MONEY on this!!

[revhtree]

When it comes to reefing there are so MANY ways to spend money and sometimes those expenditures are a reoccurring expense! Could be the equipment and technology, the corals, the fish and inverts, or perhaps the maintenance and water quality essentials or many other things etc?

Which category do you believe reefers tend to spend the most money on? VOTE ABOVE!

What about for YOU, where does the majority of your expenses add up?

image via @pusanpa

 

[CoralB]

Spouse bribery lol !!! Kidding !!! . Truth is now it’s money spent on water quality , maintenance, and food

 

[Reefer Matt]

I think which things get spent the most on depend on the Reefer's budget. Usually, from my observation, a Reefer with more funds will buy new, brand name equipment and tank. That usually adds up to more than the livestock, but some exceptions occur, I'm sure.

Those with smaller budgets tend to buy used equipment and tanks, but buy higher priced livestock in comparison to the tank, etc.

There are also those in the middle.

All methods above work though, and neither is better, imo.

 

[zoomonster]

Having a somewhat larger tank I have to say all the above. Equipment expenditures never really end with getting new, better or replacements for failed devices. In going on 10yrs of this tank I've gone through 3 main pumps, 6 heaters/controllers, several powerheads (and wetsides for current MP40's) and a junk gyre not replaced, 3rd set of lighting (MH, Kessil, Radion), misc. pumps like one about yearly for CaRx, on 3rd Apex (gold died, current, replacement head for current head that died, replacement for probes and EB832), replacement ozone gen, replacement ATO, hoses etc. and I added a chiller and bio reactor. Had a kalk stirrer but ditched that and the bio reactor is going soon. And of course, salt, testing, media, chemicals, food etc. are all expendables and really add up over time. Since the build just the tank, skimmer, couple EB8's and sump are original equipment mostly due to everything else failing over time.

Add up all that (no clue actual cost but I initially spent about 10k including some livestock 10yrs ago) and its probably more than the fortune I've spent on fish and corals. Just the past few months remodeling my tank and collecting new livestock I've spent thousands (mostly sucked up by Euphyllia). Good thing I love the hobby and have play money because it just never ends lol.

 

[paragrouper]

I just plunked down decent money for Orphek light bars and their new controller.

my next big spend is a new Baby Lock Solaris Embroidery Machine, or the wife will continue to veto my upgrade plans.

 

[SPS2020]

Tank, lights, gyres, powerheads, return and circulation pumps, Neptune goodies, chiller, dosing pumps, ATO, things you thought you needed but didn't, etc. All of these (for me) fall into the Equipment and Technology forum where I spent most of my $20k.

 

[o2manyfish]

I have a big system - 1500g. And learned a long time ago with this hobby, like most, that the more money you try to save the more it costs you. Spending the money for the better equipment will usually pay for itself in a short order.

Someone so proud they saved $X on buying Chinese pumps and then at the 12 month mark that pump seizes and the livestock lost can easily be 50X more than the value of the pump.

The bigger the system gets the bigger expense (or value) you have in livestock. Even if you don't buy the latest and greatest named rainbow colored stub of a coral, when you fill a big tank you still end up with alot of coral and alot of expense no matter how fortunate you are. (Fortunate being - friends in the industry, scooping up livestock of people breaking down tanks, generous friends who gladly share).

For me I can easily justify the cost of better equipment, because the risk to the livestock is so much greater. And for me personally it's not necessarily the dollars - but the time lost. When you lose 2-5 years of growth in a colony - you can't buy that back. So for me insuring the least chance of something going wrong - to protect my livestock is worth it.

I'm a long time hobbyist - my whole life with fish tanks, and 37 years with salt - the average lifespan of a hobbyist in this hobby is not that long - A big investment is made, a disaster strikes, a post goes up on marketplace to take it all. But I look at it from the long term perspective. I want my equipment to not be something to worry about at night, assuming I maintain it.

Dave B

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine goes to equipment which i find necessary to sustain fish and coral effectively and efficiently

 

[00W]

I finally got the skimmer I've always wanted so stopping on large equipment expenditures before my wife gives me the boot so besides stuff that breaks or stops working (which it always does) looking just to spend money on water quality, RO stuff, salt and food.

 

[MoshJosh]

I said equipment, though I could easily see that being overtaken by coral/livestock depending on the set up. . . but in general I say equipment. . .

 

[j.falk]

Other should be therapy for the addiction.

 

[RedReefer]

1st Equipment. 2nd livestock.

 

[snorklr]

the house i keep the tank in...

 

[revhtree]

Thanks for the input! For me I have to go with livestock because I’m always wanting more coral and a new fishy friend!