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#1
08-07-2007, 02:08 PM
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how about your wife, friends and personal life
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but what the heck do i know 
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#2
08-07-2007, 02:14 PM
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Well, you don't HAVE to spend five grand on a system. I guess it all depends on the amount of disposable income you're able to throw at it.
In the end, we all do what we can with what we have. There are a lot of items that people get to make things easier, though they're not *really* necessary.
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~Drew 10G Nano * 10G Sump * Deltec MCE 600 Skimmer * JBL Viper 150w MH * Zeovit * Vortech MP40W Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ~S. Ertz 
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#3
08-07-2007, 02:54 PM
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The hobby doesn't have to be overly expensive. If you have a limited budget consider buying used equipment. There are a lot of great deals to be had in the forsale section of this site. As an example I picked up a 75 gallon tank, 90 gallon tank, pc lighting for both and glass tops for both for $150.00. Just bide your time and pick things up as you can.
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#4
08-07-2007, 03:52 PM
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Most of the really nice big tanks come over time as well. People will upgrade to bigger tanks and re-use equipment. A lot of coral colonies start as little frags. Others will have dedicated frag tanks to grow them out and sell for cash to support thier hobby. There are losts of ways to do this on the down low without breaking the bank.
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- Greg 90G : Light - Tek 6xT5 | Skim - EuroReef RS135 | Flow - 2xVortech MP40W | Control - Reef Keeper 2
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#6
08-07-2007, 07:09 PM
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reply
I always compare my expenses to that of keeping other types of pets. I don't think it's uncommon for people to spend upwards of $600-$700 anually on a dog (not including the initial purchase). Which should be roughly what I spend a year on maintaining the tank. My initial cost can't really be pinpointed though, because I'm one of those who have slowly upgraded over the years. It's not those most ecomoical way to get a big tank, but it doesn't bite your wallet so hard right off the bat.
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THE BARQUARIUM: 55 gallon cube - 50 lbs LR - ASM G3 skimmer - 30 Gallon sump - 22 Gallon refugium / frag tank - 4x 24 watt HO T5's - Mag 9.5 return - Pin Point PH monitor - 400 watt XM 20K MH in Lumenarc reflector - Dual stage GFO/NO3 media reactor - 6 stage RODI auto top up -Wavemaster Pro running 3 Koralia 2's. Fully stocked with fish, corals and usually some fine scotch http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=55041
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#7
08-07-2007, 07:41 PM
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It's not the hydro, salt, additives & food that is the expensive part. It's the "oh, let's visit the LFS & just take a look" visits that hurt the wallet. Often find another fish, coral (especially) or invert that you suddenly just need to have. There are very few nice, colourful specimens you can add to your tank for less than $30, so it can get expensive stocking a tank real fast, unless you're patient enough to go the "grow-out your own frags" route.
Anthony
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