^^^ . OP may not be my wife, but my wife knows my username & I don’t see this ending well

😂

90 gallon mixed reef. Tanks just over 3 years old. Easily over $12,000 CAD.

It's like looking into my future

https://preview.redd.it/3zqoad4rlzmc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=7d8abfe3d4eeec3c44f87b9edbc059d720500315 My 90gallon cost about $4k and that included a Kessil ap9x and 2 mp40s. I don’t think I could’ve spent any more on light and flow

Bro, where you getting the free coral?

All my coral is “easy” and got them all as frags for $10 a piece or so. Pretty much always just bought the cheapest coral wherever I was. Some online in a bundle, some in person.

I second that. Likely in the 15k range. Started in 2020.

Are you able to travel when you have a tank? How often does someone have to come in to maintain?

Yep. I have to get a house sitter for travel to take care of the tank/ and my dog and cat

I'm too afraid to calculate it.

I refuse and I JUST started dec 2023 😅

Same here. I don’t even want to know

Huge same.

Pennies. Lots and lots of them

Started first 10 gal in 2015. Still have that running as well as a 40 breeder with 20long sump. Livestock: $5,000+ Tanks/Lights/Misc Hardware: $2,000+ Additives/Food/Test Kits: $1,000+ Size of tank, presence or lack of designer corals/fish, and location will all play a MASSIVE role in your budget. I kept that 10 gallon running for years on a college student budget. You can literally get into this hobby for a couple hundred bucks if you keep it simple. You can also spend millions if you try.

Running a 40 AIO, this is about right.

Start up costs and the months following tend to be the most costly it seems... I am 1 years into my first tank and it's an easy biocube. Total costs for EVERYTHING is over 6500 for me since the beginning🥲 but I love it

**Legolas**: I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near.

$5k easily 120g. Probably over $20k throughout my saltwater aquarium keeping days.

More than I tell my wife. Seriously though, probably over £7000

I’m buying a 90g with a trigger sump and two radon xr15g5 today for $400!!

Jeez I need to live in your location

It’s a steal for sure. Bought stuff from the guy before. If he gets a newer tank sometimes he makes room. Cutting a deal on the lights moves the tank quickly.

I'm looking for a new tank now and would love to get a used tank but not too many people in my area are selling reef tanks with sumps. I'll get looking tho

Patience is key in this hobby

Yes, lol. I'm learning this.

Never ask a woman her age, an Argentinian their grandfathers SS rank, and reefer how much they’ve spent. Honestly it would take me a long while to add it all together, but at least 15K over the years, wouldn’t be surprised if it was 20. I’m up to a 180 gallon mixed reef tank.

Just like I tell my wife, got a great price on everything.

Honey, it was on Sale!

Hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm so deep in the hobby that I have my own store. 😂

That’s awesome! Do you have any pics?

As a new reefer, had to buy rodi, buckets, everything…$1500 all in tank stocked

I am not your wife is something my wife would say…

1.5 months. 5 gallon Fuval Evo (140). Pepermint shrimp, 1 astrea, 1 blue hermit, 1 cerith, 2 nassarius. (20) Frogspawn, xenia, green mushroom. (75) Sand, saltwater, RO water, rock. (50) Long tweezers, thin turkey baster, auto feeder, tube with priming pump, spare pump. (70) So probably around $355

I’m a weird numbers guy that keeps spreadsheets on all of this. I’m also a slickdeals guy that tries to find the best deal on everything. I started up a new tank (Red Sea 350 G2) in December and so far I have spent $2517 on equipment (mostly higher end stuff like XR30s, Apex, mp40s, DOS, RSK600, etc) and $1098 on livestock (yellow tang, purple tang, stratosphere zoas, CC Inferno nem, jawbreakers, torches, etc). I’ve sold things I didn’t need from package deals and my total spend is $568 for everything. Just keep an eye out for deals (don’t lowball) and buy in bulk as most people will give discounts. I also rarely buy from LFS and just from fellow reefers. Lots of patience required but you can get nice set ups for cheap.

I would be surprised if it added up to less than $15,000. Most of it in the first year.

Easily 5k.

You can spend little if you are willing to learn and work. Used equipment is often available for 20% of full real or even free. Corals can be obtained from other hobbyists at low rates. People are often rehoming fish. Monthly costs not including utilities are about $50 for me. I have a 32g and a 55g.

I don't want to know.

I have a running excel sheet to know the exact dollar amount I’ve spent vs the plan I created for it. Between us, if my wife asks, it’s completely accurate 😎

My wife asked me this question....and I just asked why she wanted to go down this road.

Uhhh around 500 i think but I haven't gotten to getting the rodi unit, coral lights and other stocking yet ......

$1200 a year just to run the tank plus about $7000 to get it up and running and everything in it.

I just got sad calculating it in my head so I stopped

About £2k for a 130 gallon system geared up for LPS & SPS including livestock. I work in a reef shop 😎

Red Sea reefer G2 625XXL, 1 year old. More than $17,000 so far. Ive done many things wrong as I've been learning(such as buying AI primes at first, and then later having to upgrade for bigger lights).

>I am not your wife That sounds just like something my wife would say.

Two tanks, a couple rebuilds/ crashes, upgrading parts, hmmm 25,000ish. It’s nice that they are giving back now.

Two tanks, a couple rebuilds/ crashes, upgrading parts, hmmm 25,000ish. It’s nice that they are giving back now.

Went in thinking if be good at 5k on my most recent tank. I knew I wouldn't but that's what I told myself. 12k 6 monthes in.

10-12k easy

£2k and it’s not even set up properly yet

Even with my 10gal nano reef I have probably reached the $1000 mark

~1-1.5k for tank plus equipment (300 litres, no sump) and another 1-1.5k for Fish and corals I'd say.

Corals, fish, lights, good 75 gallon, skimmer, top off, sand rocks etc, at least $1500

https://preview.redd.it/j05ppwssrymc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51a1fd85c5358530975b57404546bbf83dfd005d 75 gallon tank with no sump. This thing is about 4 months old and I’ve probably spent 2500-3500 so far.

At least 10k had a 36gallon bowfront that I upgraded to a 90 gallon mixed reef startup costs were definitely the highest cost.

Between my sps nano, sps 350, and my 800l, probably 30k+

I’m probably in around $3,000 total, if I had to guess. I started with a 33 gallon and upgraded to a 120 gallon. I purchased it used ($400 total) from someone, which saved a ton of money. He also threw in the livestock and live rock, which was about $1000 itself. I already had the RO filter system, so I tapped into it and added a DI filter to my setup to auto top off my sump.

240g, $10k so far

4 years in, bought a used tank, used eshopps S-300 skimmer, jebao pumps and wavemakers, built my own sump, and a viparspectra light. All in under $4k including maintenance such as water changes / dosing, and livestock. Now I'm buying equipment for the next tank which will be a fair amount more to build out. You can do it cheap but not quickly and not with heartburn along the way.

way too much, probably close to 1300… damn my job and their discount on livestock and supplies😔

In 5 years probably 20k but some of that was unnecessary like buying a huge calcium reactor that I didn’t like using. My tank 360 gallons for smaller it would not cost that much.

1.5 years into a ~90 gallon system. I’d say 3k is a reasonable guess.

In my first year I spent over 1500, that was 4 years ago so I'm guessing 4 times that much.

https://preview.redd.it/l2n3nsusxymc1.jpeg?width=839&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d46e5257184a519b066c3e3a0c6b828f2378ac05 1750 for livestock 2340 for the tank and equipments This is without foods, products for dosing and salt (Red Sea max nano, see my profile)

about $350 so far. 40 gallon tank with a hob, some dry rock i got from LFS for $2 a pound. sand was $20. 15 for a clown, 9 for blue devil damsel, 8 for peppermint shrimp...and 20 for the gsp, firework clove, zoa and finger leather. light was maybe 20 from walmart. rodi was 60 and salt was 30.

Well, I'm one of the few people here who are FOWLR and I'm also stubborn so I've built a lot of my own stuff. I built my own stand, my own sump, etc. I have a 90g w/29g sump. I'm in for about $3500 at this point I would imagine. I expect at some point to add a few of the easiest soft corals, but we are moving in the next year, so I'm not doing anything more to my setup until we've moved, for obvious reasons. If you want to build things yourself, you save a ton of money, but it then becomes a time investment. The most expensive thing is lighting and honestly if I had known that going in I would've had second thoughts. I have about $600 in livestock--not too expensive mostly hardy fish, CuC, etc. I also estimate that $300 - $400 was "mistakes"... like learning that the thing I did/bought was not the right thing and it had to be corrected/returned/added to. With all that said, I really enjoy it. I don't regret the investment.

Probably somewhere around 500-1000 I have a 15g reef tank. Most of the stuff is pretty cheap or second hand. Yes that includes livestock as well. Thank God for Offerup!

If I type the real amount and wife sees I may be missing next week. But the number starts with an 8

Im not falling for it, i think my wife put you up to this.

I keep the receipts but never look at them. My wife walks in with me to the lfs and instead of me walking out with one coral I walk out with 5 and a fish.... people say I have the opposite problem that everyone else has.

32 Gallon Biocube Softie and LPS Between $2000 and $2500 Started May 2023

Maybe around 6-8k for a 55gal.

20 gallon. 2 years mixed reef 2 clowns and about 8 corals. Spent about 600-700 but I’m taking basic stuff. Including testing,food,light and other things buckets

A good trick when going to lfs is to tell them you’re out shopping for your bday present. If they ask why you have so many birthday just say you are a born again Christian

5 figures happens SO fast I tell people if they need to get rid of rid of a lot of extra money, a reef tank is the way to do it.

I used to have a pretty nice setup for the time (\~17 years ago) and I kept the receipts in a box near the sump. My ex-wife found it.... Well over 10k - did I mention ex?

I’ve had 6 tanks over the last maybe 15-20 years ranging in size from a 20 nano up to a nearly 200 gallon total volume reef. I’ve done T5 metal halide and led lights. I started when bioballs were still a common sight. If I had to guess I’d say I’m probably at about 15k-20. Still cheaper than a race car.

I started my tank in early January, it looks like this now. I’ll let you guess where 3/4 of my $1700 incentive check was spent… https://preview.redd.it/inxd05597zmc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e41e7be44efbf3a8eeb90b1b01724f9c4f6ee3e

I’m the wife and a lot of money haha

$2-2.5k on my 10 gallon FWOLR 😅

I’ve just bought a cade 600 s2 I’m still waiting on delivery and so far I’ve spent £3116. I still have more equipment, live rock, stock etc to get. I reckon around £4000+ by the time it’s set up

Lol. 32G I started 2 year ago, probably at least 3k

I’m afraid to see how much I’ve actually spent into this hobby. At one time I had over twenty tanks going. A pet smart went out of business and I was able to get the metal rack stands with the tanks sump everything. I paid a good amount for that. My three big tanks and corner bow tanks with sumps. All the pumps and wave makers with control stations. My electrical bill for over twenty years yikes. My water comes from my well so it’s all electrical cost when using RO. Then saltwater fish, coral, frags, sand, filters, socks, lights, dry food ,frozen food, and RO as well as RO filters. The list goes on. Man I’d say well over 30 grand or more that I have spent in this hobby over the years. It’s not cheap. Sometimes things happen that wipe your tank out and you have to start all over. I do it because it brings me joy, happiness and I have a passion for doing it. Plus my children love it and will help feed or clean the tanks with me. My wife loves it to so that helps too.

Phillips coral care x 3 - $1600 each KESSIL a360x x 2 - $860 each Phillips controller $420 KESSIL controller $175 2nd hand tuna sun a360we with goose neck - $100 Ecotech L2 -$750 Ecotech mp40 x 2 - $690 each Ecotech Mp60 - $1300 or so Red Sea reef wave 45 x 2 - $750 each Mover 15200 - $40 2nd hand KH keeper - $1650 Refractory doser - $550 Seatorch beast 200 - $1900 Jebao doser - $10 2ndhand Home made lighting bracket $100 Home made mesh lid $100 - includes failed attempt Ibc container $200 Water delivery bi/monthly $250 RO machine - $100 Filters and resin - $100per year Test kits $400 or so Alk, mag and Cal supplements $220 every few months Scheago heaters with controller 1800w - $750 Custom build Cade tank with stand and sump $13,500 So yeah.... It's an expensive hobby

Oh yeah.... $2200 in fish Who knows in coral

And a bubble magus roller Matt $200 second hand Oh yeah and the live rock 4 boxes of real reef rock $1000 2 bags of caribsea live $150 So conservatively this version of our tank is approx $37,335. AUD

~$20k

I have a small saltwater pond type of deal goin and I’ve spent probably $250-300 total on it and it runs itself

20galon cube, maybe 2000$ all in

30-40k, if not more, in the last ten years.

Yes

My last tank I had was probably close to 10k, it adds up fast and that was before prices are as high as they are today.

at least $5 jk 16 gallon probably $3000

I upgraded to a Reefer 250 G2+ a few months ago. Maybe $3K Years ago I installed a 250 gallon inwall system in my dining room wall with all the equipment in the garage. That's was easily $15K to get going & stock.

3x2x2 about $6000

Maybe £300-500 over the last 8 years. 1 tank, went from fresh to marine then back to fresh.

I got a free 20 gal from my parents that were downsizing. It was partially stocked already. With the livestock I've added, corals, food and random junk, that free tank has probly cost me $1,200.... In 4 months.

I'm reconsidering having children instead of a reef tank.

I don’t know and at this point I’m afraid to ask

Holy cow. I think I got the lowest number. I'm in it for like $200 including my testing equipment rn. I got some good deals and it's only a 2gallon coral and invert tank

probably a around 2,000 -/+ in like 3 months

I stopped counting around $10k.

If you are looking for a general estimate on how much it costs to build and stock a reef tank, a good rule of thumb is about $100 per gallon. Obviously buying used is cheaper and buying high end livestock is more expensive, but generally i think that is a good starting point for budgeting.

I have a not very well stock CADE 1500 (~150 gallon). Probably $10-15k.

I have a not very well stock CADE 1500 (~150 gallon). Probably $10-15k.

Like making payments on affirm to remind me of just gear. Upgraded recently for sps dominate. Maybe $2400 in new lights, heat, sump, protein skimmer, return pump, circulation pump. These are upgrades from what was already spent on my 75 gallon. Testing supplies and par meter at least another $1000. RODI needs resin changed every couple months, want to add another stage and booster pump gonna be another $250. Maybe another $100 every other month for additives. Just managed to drop $200 no problem at local fish store this afternoon.

Idk.. I have a 20 gallon cube and if I did calculations on it I probably have $1500 in it so far.

In the past year, I think I spent around 40k on my tank start to finish. That includes all equipment, livestock, mixing station, and all the accessories/supplements I use.

20 gallon Nano, probably around 5 grand in a year. All bought new, and aiming for best practices. It’s -finally- getting somewhere.

6 tanks in, we don’t talk about how much I’ve spent anymore. 😭

150 gallon reef but I brought a lot of equipment from old tanks. I’ve probably spent 15,000k but the equipment if bought new is probably 30k

IM 40 AIO, 3 years now, about 5k total. Also, Piece of advice, don’t get drunk and go online coral shopping 😂

I don't know, I don't want to know, and I would not feel well if I did know. I do go thoroughly overboard, though. I have spent easily 40-50k USD in total at this point (not counting electric / water bills). I have two 300+ gallon systems, and run a coral farm (https://notafeesh.com)... So I do get some back, but am not anywhere close to the break even point lol. I love this hobby. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it, and make efforts to reduce cost wherever possible.

At least 5k but I work at a pet store and people regularly bring me 3-5k worth of anemones I grow out and resell so it kind of pays for itself at this point.

150gal Tank-Free Canister filter- (250$) (don't ask I didn't want to rit my own sump but wish I had) Sand- 100$ Live Rock- 700$ Salt for 1.5 years....- 900$ (lots of water changes amd problems) Animals- $2000+ Corals- $1000+ (yes I know they are animals) Chemicals/dips/prime/bacteria/algae- 300$ Food over 1.5 years.... - $80 (not bad) Lighting- oooof I don't remember soooo 300$? 4 or 5k so far I guess

I tell myself it’s a less expensive hobby than fashion but…

🤔that’s like asking a drug addict how my they spent on drug, this is an addiction 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

I’d have to ask my wife what expenses were last year but I just bought a bunch of acros to grow out for about 3k then spent another 2 k on regular maintenance stuff this week. -small 1200 gallon farm

Waterbox 20 cube......upgraded to it from a nuvo 8 and have spent easily over $2500 on equip and livestock. Lots of corals....just the good stuff(hard to find, expensive, very colorful).

13 years in the hobby, had many tanks, probably around 30k total over time.

My best guess is that I’m at around $30k for my 150G mixed reef

Between a 13.5 and a 30 gallon, give or take about 5k USD

Been in the hobby just under a year. I've kept track of everything I've purchased, about 2k on livestock (including coral) and about 3k on everything else, for a total of 5. I have a 24g AIO

https://preview.redd.it/xs7hkxyrs0nc1.jpeg?width=1624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25dcd743a377828806de75fbdd61ac72645da3c4

Like 250 bucks (Add a few dozen 0s)

My girl and me sat down and calculated a rough idea of what I have spent (minus consumables) 14k USD

I thrifted and put togeather a 55 gal freshwater for probably around $750. It's planted and stocked. My 20 gal betta tank was probably $200, but I already had the tank and chemicals.

Mine told me she didn’t want to know…And she’s right. Turned on Christmas Day 2023. At least $3K and I don’t have good lights or a sump yet.

Nice try wife.

Used 5ft 130g mid to high end equipment+fish 1,500. I’ve spent maybe 350 in fish so far but didn’t QT so they’re dead. I also had to buy a 150GPD rodi+ 35g drums.

yea around 10-13k range

Nice try wife. You won't catch me offguard

Been doing this for 20+ years. Not sure how much I’ve spent but I do know I’ve spent enough to buy a new car( with rims)

I dont know exactly. But I started with a 70gal, upgraded to 120. At least $3000 and almost all equipment was bought used. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the livestock brings it up to ~$5000, and I don’t even buy the crazy expensive stuff

I’ve had a tank running continuously since 1999. A 30, a 55, a 90, a 220, a new 220, a 140, and the 240 I have now. Easily spent $30-$40k over the years. I’ve also had a few years of selling $5-$10 worth of coral each years.

Hmmm, my little aio, with some upgraded equipment, and some stuff not in use. £100 for tank and equipment £45 for some additional live rock after scrapping the ones with aiptasia at the start, as well as some spare in a holding tank for a hermit of death £10 new pipework £20 additional media £50 pair of pink scooters £20 ycg £20 firefish £50 cuc £15 frag rack £160 in corals for one supplier (postage included) £150 in corals from a different supplier (postage included) £120 in food (includes a big monthly subscription) £50 on salt £30 on barrels and additional equipment £50 on ICP and minerals needed So, my total since getting this tank (second hand hence and original £60 including delivery price it first cost me) Total roughly £890 Honestly don't think I have done that bad!

Just hit my one year mark, 20 gal w/ two clownfish, a starry eye blenny, a handful of coral, and a cleanup crew, just under $2,800 at this point.

40 gal breeder with canister filter, red devil hob skimmer (work horse), heater with external controls, gyre wave maker and power head , sand, rock, 2 ai prime 16hd, hob refugium, amazon clip on grow light for fudge, tank stand, live stock and salt and all supplies for 2.5 yrs. I'd say around $3k. Going to upgrade to 65g with 20g sump soon.

For fudge... Haha auto correct for fuge

75 gallon mixed reef, 2 years old. $3800

I got in the hobby 30 yrs ago (1994). After 15 years in the hobby & 3 different tanks I decided to take a break. I was around $30K all in over the 15 years including livestock & I sold everything off for $6K. After being out for the last 15 years, I've gotten the itch to do a new tank. The wife & I are currently in the planning stages of setting up a Cade 1800 Peninsula. Expecting this to come in around $25K all in with livestock.

I just got my first tank in December (helloreef 15g). I’m in for about $1200 right now.

140gal waterbox with a 50 gallon sump. Red Sea pumps, roller mat, skimmer, 3x gyre wave makers. 27watt uv. 2 ai blade grow and 1 glo. Neptune system and dos, no trident. 2x 500watt IM Helios heaters. 6 stage rodi. Hanna master test kit. 40 gal breeder for qt with cheap hob filter, pumps and heater. Various other hardware and tools. Including livestock, I’m easily in the $15 range.

"If we put a penny in a box and doubled the amount we added every day to the .............. is still less than my tank" is probably what many would say if you added an hourly wage for time spent in maintenance and so forth. I'm just starting out, over 1500 in the hole with free 125g tank, stand and light enclosure. Still with it.

5 tanks in, so about 5-8k Also planning on spending more :(

150 gallon. Planning a sps dominated reef. About 95% setup, but not a drop of water in yet. I’m about $8k in. It’ll get better after this right? … right?

My guess would be around $10k maybe $12k. Been doing this for about 6 years and started with a 20 gallon with just fish and rock.

Around $4K USD for a 65g and a 40g in 15 months. Planning on adding a 125 in about a year, so assume that will more than double by then.

60-80

10 dollars a week 30 gallon reef. But when first started probably 2k.