How much a month do you spend?

I'm curious.. if you don't mind sharing!

How much on average do you spend on your tank with below considerations (please do not calculate electric as its different in each area!)

What size tank?
What type of water changes (Pre-made? Make your own?)
Livestock/Invert (And rock) addition a month?
Offer additional info to why your cost is higher/lower than average too please

Assuming you're not upgrading equipment either. I am curious to how much this hobby costs on average to a person and their size tank!

 

How much do I spend or how much do I tell my wife I spend????

 

13 years ago $1800 for my 125 G tank and stand also a cheap T8 fixture came with a wet/dry also
$250 for a Berlin Turbo Skimmer also 13 years ago.
$200 for a little giant pump

Fast Forward till now same tank. New skimmer $270
Live rock 100 lbs worth can't remember the price was like $3.00 a pound. Guessing $300.00
I bought the rock piece by piece.
Over the years many changes and upgrades so it adds up depending on the upgrades.
Went from MHx3 and VHO'sx2 (Bulb replacements and electric bill way too much $65 per bulb every 18 months $40 for the VHO's)
to cheap LED's and T5's ($35 per bulb x 2 every 18 months) Now I have Reef Radiance LED's paid around $550 x 3.
Reeflo Dart $350 now I changed it to a Waveline DC 12000 $270
Thinking of adding some T5's just for color.
Refugium build around $80
New Sump around $100 acrylic
Chiller freebie from my uncle the controller was $80
PVC plumbing over the years probably $500
Fish I'm guessing in the thousands since in the beginning I kept loosing fish due to not doing the research necessary
Fish food I find it's less expensive to make your own. Many recipes to choose from. Also some really great choices out there.
Monthly cost for me is just electric and water since I don't add much. Had the same 5 five for a couple years now. Lost a couple Engineers not to long ago looking to replace since I really like them.
Tunze 61?? something or other $500+ for the two and the controller.
I don't dose or buy any chemicals unless I have to.
I consider mine a low budget reef I only buy corals and fish when ever i do side jobs and get extra cash.

There are too many variations out there. Hope this helps.

 

In my build thread (which i desperately need to update) I have the cost break down on my 220 gallon that I am building. Im trying to do it for $10/gallon although I am well under that number at the moment. As for maintenance on my current 60 gallon, the cost is very low for general upkeep. Food and a bucket of salt every 6 months or so. Its the additions,up grades, must haves, new corals, new fish, new gadget etc that gets costly. Like any other hobby, most of us try to live within our means while occasionally stretching the budget for something special. It can be wildly expensive or very reasonable for the amount of enjoyment that we get. It s all just a matter of what you consider "worth it."

 

Currently in my 330g system my costs are very low for me . I'm over capacity on fish, my DT is overstocked with coral, my FT is full, and I've been simplifying my system from an equipment and additive perspective. There is no new equipment that I am looking to get anytime soon.

Avg per month :
$50 on salt
$30 on food (LRS, reef chili etc)
$10 on t5 bulbs (supplement only)
$11 on rox carbon
$14 on seagel
$7 on acropower
$9 on Rodi replacement filters
$6 on calcium reactor (co2 and media)
$15 misc (replacement nets, scraper blades, veggie clips)


Looks like about $160 a month in maintenence mode. I don't even want to think about what I've spent previously.

 

Man i have no clu. My 90 gallon I am currently building is already up there. I am well voer 2 grand between tank, wood for stand build, skimmer, reactor, return pump, rock, some sand, etc. I have vortech pumps I will be using from the other tank otherwise that would be even higher, still need lights, mroe sand, and all the plumbing pieces for the sump.

 

34g solana with 6 bulb t5, Reef octopus protein skimmer, and mp10w ~$530
I get my RO/DI and salt for free because i work at an LFS
no food cost because i only have a mandarin currently
supplements: get for free from tank break downs.
livestock cost per month varies; depending on what we get in, sometimes its $0, sometimes over $200, however i do not look at purchases as a monthly cost.
I guess replacing purigen every 6 months for 13.99, a little more than $2 a month

Ah i love the perks

 

Only have 2 30gal at this point and I am always buying something.
I have my own ro/di unit so make up my own water
I use 10gal a week box does 200gal approx so say 20 weeks per box at 55.00 so 2+ boxes a year so about 150.00 in salt a year
Food and additives a month say 20.00
Corals.. well depends on my mood. lets say I spent $500 or so last year. Running out of room.
Had a lot of major purchases also(lights, protein skimmer, fuge lights, apex unit, mp10.. god scarey how much I spent.

Since beginning of December I have spent 617.00 at bulk reef alone. A few corals so say couple hundred. Also just order a dosing unit and couple misc items for another $150

So lets just say 1000.00 since december. This is not completely normal but I really needed to replace all test kits and rebuild ro/di unit. Also bought an ATO for 1 of my tanks, kalk reactor etc etc.

So as you can see already from people responses it can be all over the place. Building up your system and upgrades is where you get hit. Until you have reached the total tank bliss stage and there is nothing else that is going to make your life easier then your costs are drastically reduced(until crap starts to break). This past year I have spent piecing together the tanks. This year coming up I suspect I will spend a lot less.

I have no problem setting aside 100.00 a month for my 2 tanks.

 

If my wife asks, I only spend $10 a month.

 

I'm $700 deep into a saltwater station that I think I have everything now and just need to start working on the shelving and then the actual build. Should be 35g saltwater and then 15g RODI.

Spent another $770 today on a carbon reactor an anemone and 2 corals. Also included were an elongated baster, scraper, and various live and frozen food.

Sis is giving me a 45g with stand and sump for my 14yo boy. He's wanting a setup in his bedroom and I think we're going to try seahorses.