|
09/03/2019, 04:52 PM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 7
|
Monthly cost
I am thinking about jumping into the saltwater hobby. I am currently a freshwater keeper. I have a 220 gallon. Aside from the equipment and the electric bill what are the average monthly cost of maintenance. Food, salt, additives ect. Just a story of what I am currently running on my child tank. I have a crystal reef sump, Neptune apex El, Neptune dos for water changes, ato, and dual wav pumps for circulation. I know I would need a protein skimmer and a ro system. Before I start research and planning I just want to figure out month to month costs when it is set up and running. Thanks for your help.
|
09/03/2019, 05:10 PM | #2 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 98
|
Not much a month besides electric
Box of salt 200 gallons is about 40-80 bucks Then you have 2 part If you brs it’s about 10 a month Then food and stuff maybe 10-20 a month So 60-110 a month The biggest cost of saltwater is initial setup cost Lights, skimmer, rodi unit. Powerheads Those can cost you over 5000 easy on a 220 tank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
09/03/2019, 05:10 PM | #3 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,148
|
For my 90 gallon I would estimate roughly $40-50 a month for all consumable things. That’s of course not paid out monthly. Just what I estimate it averages out to when all taken into account.
Co2 Calcium reactor media Salt Food Metal halide bulbs Co2 scrubber media Ect. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
09/03/2019, 09:25 PM | #4 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 435
|
Definitely depends, electricity is crazy, salt buy a box for 60$ be good for 3 months but the real problem is will you really go a whole month without buying new fish or coral or upgrades I know I cant
__________________
FoxFace RabbitFish For Life Everyone in this hobby has made a mistake at least once. Be smart and learn from others mistakes Current Tank Info: Reason I am broke as a joke |
09/04/2019, 02:04 AM | #5 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 277
|
Monthly cost
I am based in Sydney Australia, so obviously pricing will differ for you but for what it is worth here is my estimate for my 65g tank. I have not calculated electricity costs as I have a 6.4 kW rooftop solar system and will be adding a battery (or possibly 2) in the next 12 months. At that point I hope the electricity cost will be minimal. For now however it will not be minimal but I haven’t attempted to estimate it.
I run my tank on the Aquaforest range. My table below is using pre-mixed 3 part but I am about to make my own from the Components Strong which will reduce that cost to about 1/3 of the cost below. As you can see it is the largest of my costs. Sorry, I can’t get this to format well in Tapatalk. Item, Yearly cost, Comment Water, $2.54, 6-weekly water changes Electricity, $0.00, Solar PV array and (to-be) battery Salt, $60.84, 6-weekly 15% water changes Dosing fluid, $200.75, Aquaforest 3 part Test kits, $79.56, Weekly water tests for Alk, Ca, Mg, NO3, PO4 NoPoX, $0.00, Assuming don’t need to dose when stable Frozen food, $48.75 Misc supplies, $50.00 Total, $442.44 Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk |
09/04/2019, 06:09 PM | #6 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 57
|
hardly anything. I sell a few corals a month and that actually puts me well in the green usually.
|
09/06/2019, 07:58 AM | #7 |
Saltwater Addict
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vandalia OHIO
Posts: 11,624
|
Depends on lots of factors and varies depending on what kind of tank you're keeping ie fish only, mixed reef, or SPS dominant. The price goes up in the order I listed.
__________________
Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs |
09/07/2019, 05:47 PM | #8 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Medina oh
Posts: 1,782
|
I spend about $60 a month for my 200 gallons worth of tanks
|
09/13/2019, 04:07 PM | #9 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 82
|
It's an expensive but satisfying hobby for sure.
|
09/13/2019, 05:25 PM | #10 |
Crab Free Zone
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,906
|
|
09/15/2019, 08:57 AM | #11 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso
Posts: 505
|
Its a glass or plastic box of finely tuned seawater ( micro bio sphere that you control everything for life to exist), that you continually "throw money at" and do continual tweaking & monitoring with great expectations & hopefully satisfaction in the end if everything thrives not just survives. Playing biologist as the tank keeps evolving over time is a full time career.. err i mean hobby. Enjoy!
__________________
Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank |
09/15/2019, 10:29 AM | #12 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 814
|
Quote:
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk |
|
|
|