POLL: What Have YOU Spent the MOST MONEY on OVERALL for YOUR Reef Tank?

[Ocean’s Piece]

This thread is all about sharing what is the main blowtorch to your wallet! This thread asks what products you have spent on your reef tank overall. For example, if the most expensive purchase you bought was a tank that was $200, but you have spent $201+ on several buckets of salt i.e. that may have been less than $200, then you would put salt. I hope that makes sense. Anyways, share away! I want to see what has been the spear in the side of this hobby for you!

 

[RobB'z Reef]

critters critters critters. The pricing on some of these corals is retarded and it's still expensive even when you stay on the frugal end. I think the larger your tank the more the critters will overtake the budget vs a smaller tank that's outfitted for automation etc..

 

[ID-Reefer]

So far I’m guessing it was the tank and equipment (reefer 900xl) but the amount spent on coral and fish is catching up fast.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

My build lol. Getting close to getting my tank wet, but yea lol

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

critters critters critters. The pricing on some of these corals is retarded and it's still expensive even when you stay on the frugal end. I think the larger your tank the more the critters will overtake the budget vs a smaller tank that's outfitted for automation etc..

I feel like the tank is the cheapest part of the whole deal. I bought a 32 Gallon Biocube from Marine and Reef in a bundle with many things including a protein skimmer, algae magnet, and other misc stuff and that hasn't been the most expensive part about it. I don't have any corals in it yet (I just got a royal gramma a week and a half ago) and I have spent about 35% on the tank and 65% on everything else. That's before corals and other fish which is crazy.

 

[jassermd]

critters critters critters. The pricing on some of these corals is retarded and it's still expensive even when you stay on the frugal end. I think the larger your tank the more the critters will overtake the budget vs a smaller tank that's outfitted for automation etc..

Absolutely coral! I think I have more in torches than I paid for my tank... and you're spot on, the larger the tank, the more usable area and the more $$!

 

[ying yang]

I voted tank as £1200.00 in a sale that said quick grab this bargain as its £ 600 off so 1200 instead 1800 but 1 year later sale still same lol.
But i got stock protein skimmer,return pump,pipework,2 heaters with it,which may or not upgrade as time goes by.if it does the job then it stays,if it isnt upto par then will change,simple as that really.but im early in my saltwater journey but i doubt i spend on any one item costing more than probably £ 1000.00 as i think roughly costs £ 200 to buy protein skimmer/ pump/ 2 heaters to replace like for like with what came with tank.

 

[WVNed]

4 MP60s cost more than 2x4 foot Hamilton MH/T5 fixtures.

 

[BiggestE222]

My XR30 gen 5. But corals and fish are right there.

 

[Auquanut]

I voted salt. I initially bought the tank/stand used on craigslist. Since then I had some pretty pricey purchases, but have to say that I don't even want to know how much I've spent on salt over the years.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

4 MP60s cost more than 2x4 foot Hamilton MH/T5 fixtures.

its silly how much ecotech gear costs. Yeah it’s good, but sheesh

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Absolutely coral! I think I have more in torches than I paid for my tank... and you're spot on, the larger the tank, the more usable area and the more $$!

Going to be in the next few months. Torches are just too irresistible to not buy.

I voted salt. I initially bought the tank/stand used on craigslist. Since then I had some pretty pricey purchases, but have to say that I don't even want to know how much I've spent on salt over the years.

I feel like the first few years, most of the money is livestock, and then once the tank has matured and there isn't really a need to keep stocking, the money is sent more towards equipment and replaced items

 

[Beau_B]

Setup > inhabitants, but no single item of the build cost more than the whole of inhabitants. Tank itself is the single most expensive piece. Collectively it’s fish & coral.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

4 MP60s cost more than 2x4 foot Hamilton MH/T5 fixtures.

those things are brutal

 

[jassermd]

The way I look at it... 3 head HG torch = $1200... that's 20 buckets of salt which will last me about 2 yrs. And I haven't even considered the other torches, trachys, scolys or cynarinas... So, it will take years for the salt and the aging equipment to catch up.
But who's counting... my mom had a saying as I grew up: "the guy sitting at the bar getting drunk doesn't count shots, so if you're gonna be a drunk, why count?"

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Bump

 

[Joem820]

For me, fish for sure. Miraculously, I managed to keep all of my equipment expenses in the realm of semi-reasonable. Sure, I am now looking at the tank thinking, maybe I should upgrade this or that, but it increased the budget for fish that I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise.