How much ($ and time) you spent on this hobby?

[eddy planer]

Hi folks,

The way we spend on this hobby is farout! like installed the best chiller, best filter cansiter, best tank, best gravel,best lighting system and everything best for plants and fishes to live. My wife laments and keeping grumbling that those fauna and plants are living better life than my own family and me!

Oops, so i decided to keep low as possible....but still spend a hundred each month! hehehe! guess what old habits died hard!

[illumnae]

costs really creep up unexpectedly on you i find haha....when i set up my latest nano tank, i set myself a budget of ~$150 all in. but buying things separately, i tend to lose track of spending...it's like oh! nice wood and rocks...buy! ($~20 spent) oh! zebra otos and other nice fish! ($~40 spent)...after doing my personal accounting, i found i've spent >$200 and still want to spend more. and this is for just 1 nano setup

[mobile2007]

Wow... this thread still much in discussion.

So far so good, I'm doing it one step at a time. Keeping only cacatuoides now and didn't really cost much. Got so much fun in raising young caca fries now.

[Shaihulud]

I spent less than $2,000 on my 1 yr aquarium hobby thus. My biggest purchase was a one time 4ft tank $400+, my filter is ohf and cheap although filtration media is expensive but all less than $300 overall. The ADA substrates were expensive, $300+. My lighting, hood is all cheapo or diy. My most expensive fish purchase is an Odoe characin at $40+. This is still a lo-tech and cheapo hobby for me.

[michael lai]

YOU don't want to know!.....

[Ah_ZhaN]

But we Really want to know~~~

[fleekk]

I was once into planted tank but due to work commitment, I have chosen to stop for about 2 years plus. Recently, my kid has requested me to keep a planted tank for him and that has cost me a bomb to purchase all the necessary kit. As I have sold most of the stuff and due to inflation, rising material cost, i have to pay extra for items that I have in the past. Lesson to learn, never throw/sell anything away after you have quit.

No hobby is cheap. Enjoy within your means.

[o2bubble]

I think I nearly hit the 10k mark already just after 8 months and excluding the monthly utility bills. I made up my mind not to upgrade any equipments anymore. Just purely plants and some fishes/shrimps thats all for rest of next 2 years!

[cheetf]

Better ask the mod to hide this thread before the wives and girlfriends see it! Hahaha. Dangerous information.

[fleekk]

Let me be more specific here...
Never sell a Juwel tank that you get for a song!

Totally agreed.

How I wish I have a big store room to keep everything I ever own.

[mobile2007]

Then it sort of zero sum between two of you right? You fish she shoes?

BTW, wives and galfriends might be aquarists too!

[eddy planer]

Better ask the mod to hide this thread before the wives and girlfriends see it! Hahaha. Dangerous information.

there no need to hide...our expensive hobby is very obvious, the way we spend is obvious....they arent stupid as you think but they always keep mum and rather we to stay our beloved planted tank hobby for fear we change new hobby....you know what i mean.

[cwtan12]

I'm suprised at your self control considering that since you're in the forum, you'll probably read and see pics of all the beautiful apistos and setups and discussions on fish keeping, don't you feel ichy to make a comeback???

You can lower your cost somewhat by keeping things simple like going low-tech in planted setups, not having chillers, keeping fresh water instead of salt water etc etc......

I will definitely be back and on a larger scale. That's why I am still keeping most of my equipments. 6-8 tanks couldn't satisfy me.

[aquarius]

I will definitely be back and on a larger scale. That's why I am still keeping most of my equipments. 6-8 tanks couldn't satisfy me.

I can't wait for you to be back cause having 6-8 tanks, you'll have lots of biotopes and themes for all the tanks.... And also not forgetting pics to share with us.