How much has the hobby cost you this month?

Nothing this month...except water and electricity. My tank is fully stocked and I have plenty of supplies for now. I might need more water conditioner in another couple of months....food in about 4 months. :rolleyes:
 
Leopardess said:
Aquariums is one of those high startup cost, low maintenance cost type of hobby.

This month I only spent whatever it costs to run for electricity. I believe it is around 18$ for all of the tanks...could be a little more though.

I will *not* add up the amounts of what everything was bought at because I don't want to know - I'd start feeling guilty!

Yeah, thats what I was telling my boyfriend. Right now I'm redoing the 20 gallon, finishing setting up the 45 gallon, and preparing to set up the 80 gallon. So its more than normal. An average month for me is 20 bucks.

I figured out that I couldn't afford to sell my car, so some of what was to be my down payment of my "new" car is going to the hobby, a little will go to make my current car a bit better, and most of it will be retained, for continued savings, so maybe I can get a townhouse after college.
 
I am at a positive cash flow for this month. At least I think the 10 bucks I got for some fish more than covers the electricity and water bills for the tanks. No purchases though.
 
Do I really want to know?
Let's see... this month wasn't typical, I spent much more than I normally would. In Canadian dollars, here are the approximate amounts (some are guesses):

$35.00 for 3 Singapore shrimp
$7.50 for a package of foam filter covers (for covering HOB intakes)
$12.00 for a large bottle of AquaSafe
$10.00 for iodide
$6.00 for filter media
$15.00 for Flourish Excel
$35.00 for 1g cube vase
$7.00 for substrate (for 1g)
$8.00 for decor (for 1g)
$12.00 for Anubias nana & Bacopa australis (for 1g)
$12.00 for Red Sea nano filter (for 1g)
$10.00 for 4 Amano shrimp
$12.00 for NO3 test kit
$13.00 for 2 types of food
$5.00 for sugar & yeast

TOTAL: $~200.00

Considering I set up a pico and a 10g shrimp tank as well as buying misc. supplies, I'm not too unhappy with this. Most months I'd say I probably need to spend less than $25.00 on supplies, plants, fish etc.
 
Tuolumne said:
However you look at it, fish are still cheaper to keep than children!
Oooh, I think once our nearly eight month old is out of diapers and my wife starts having baby-itis again I may use this one...

"But honey, why have a third child when we can get a 200 gallon or more tank full of lots of little ones to take care of for much much less? Honey? Why are you putting my pillow on the living room couch?"
 
Considering the electricity...

Which come's to about $18.00 a month extra. Food, I didn't have to buy any this month. But I sold 3 breeding pair of discus, and 2 breeding pair of black veil angels. Plus around 300 young angels, and 45 young discus. I actually made money this month. But that money will go to what ever I need for the rest of my fish, equipment maintance ect. for next month. ;)
 
Lol, Harlock, one day you will get a 200+. They say raising just ONE child can take out hundreds of thousands of your wallet until they grow up.... so I don't see the harm of getting a tank that can hold 20+. Luckily for me, I have parents who love aquariums and got the 240 but then I'm the one who has to take care of it and had to handle getting the filters and setting them up. Altogether my dad and I have spent about 4 to 5 g's on it and its money well spent :) . Another reason for you to get the tank would be this, "It'll be educational for the kids!" ;)
 
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