Our economy and hobby

[nanchil]

The economy is in deep s***. We are in recession, I am not sure how many invested in stock market, but that is sinking. Am wondering how this is going to affect this hobby. The small scale business related with this hobby. I see lot of forsale (whole system) thread now days. Does that is a concern? I read an article in CNN.com that this is the time to save every single penny.... How effectively we can keep our systems... Your opinions please...

 

[georgelc86]

I am downgrading for two reasons. space and equipment power cost. When I own a home then I will go bigger but not now. A 72 and 55 for me are not appropriate for apartment life.

 

[Killerdrgn]

I downgraded due to an accident. But also I haven't really made any real purchases recently due to the rising costs of companionship.

 

[georgelc86]

Companionship LOL

 

[duke62]

whoa

I downgraded due to an accident. But also I haven't really made any real purchases recently due to the rising costs of companionship.

whoa to much info :lol2:

 

[reefman]

its no doubt hard on hobbist. but can u imagine the toll on lfs. they r getting hit on both ends: shipping n overhead cost increases n low sales.

 

[junglebase]

I downgraded due to an accident. But also I haven't really made any real purchases recently due to the rising costs of companionship.

try inflatable dolls.... j/k....

 

[Tangs Rule]

I actually was speaking to my lfs about business the other day, and he said they've had 14 months in a row where they haven't made as much $$$ as the year before. Sales of fish are down, sales of tanks are down, and weekly / maintenance is down. Anyone see a trend developing?

 

[georgelc86]

I cant speak for anybody here but I think the downgrades may be more electrical based maybe. Running huge lighting systems are just not worth it anymore. A lot of folks have had children and many people have seen an increase in their time at work that it is robbing them of their time with the hobby. A lot of people have moved too.

 

[georgelc86]

Tangs, I think the trend is not only the hobby but in the luxuries of life in general. Auto sales are down as well but bike and motorcycle sales are up. Its all relative.

 

[NYreefNoob]

Really The Majority Of People On Here Have Good Jobs And Make Decent Money, It May Cause Some Of Us To Not Buy As Much, But Are Still Buying,

 

[leoskee]

All of this is relative to everyone's situation. A young person making decent money with no other responsibilities will be able to spend. On the other hand, someone with kids making decent money will have to cut back on spending because kids are expensive. The latter is my case. I have a 10 month old with twins on the way in Jan. I had plans of setting up a 180 reef when I moved into my house 2 years ago. I have yet to start and probably wont for a while. When you add to this the tens of thousands that I have lost in investments over the last 4 months Im not sure if I ever will get to set up my tank.

 

[Killerdrgn]

try inflatable dolls.... j/k....

Hey i'd rather have a warm body. But yeah seriously all costs are going up, taking out dates is getting tough. Dinner, movies, transportation costs, etc. Even dolls would cost more money! :splitspin

 

[LeslieS]

I am hoarding cash and waiting like a vulture to snap up really great tanks cheap. Then I am going to cram them all into my small Manhattan space and wait 20 years for the tank market to recover so I can sell them for an enormous profit!

Muhhhahhhhahhhhaa

Not really

 

[duke62]

all i know is that i have a trip to illinois coming up and i still owe 1800 dollars.i am not making any purchases for my tank till after the holidays .my union hall is getting slow and i cant take a chance of not working in a month and look back and ask myself why the hell did i buy all that stuff for my tank.thats why im waiting for people to buy my damn equip so i can start adding with the money from that. :lol2:

 

[joseney21]

I am hoarding cash and waiting like a vulture to snap up really great tanks cheap. Then I am going to cram them all into my small Manhattan space and wait 20 years for the tank market to recover so I can sell them for an enormous profit!

Muhhhahhhhahhhhaa

Not really

LMAO!!!! not if there's a tank bubble and your reef tanks are overvalued....

 

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

Hi Everyone ;-)
Well the "Fan is spreading the crises everywhere" so as far as I'm concerned I'm preparing a new system of 100g (350~380 litres) which receives direct natural sun light early in the morning (when there's no clouds and/or rain) during some one and half to two hours every day, perhaps reduced to one hour in winter (we shall see). If needed I can have it receiving 4 hours or more, but so far this is part of the plan. In addition to that I'm about to order this solar pump for my KOI carp pond for try-out, already having in mind this heavy duty solar pump from SHURflo to replace the conventional Eheim pumps that I use in the marine systems. Well this off course leaves behind so far the skimmers, heater and the lighting system of both tanks for the most part in one of them and so far completely in the other, but a window can be opened and then sun light will lit it as well. Any way I go step by step to make sure the thing works, and if not, then I'm able to perform the necessary adjustments, on a money wise/cautious application. With this I plan to reduce energy costs, provide the corals and fish some natural source of light and progressively change for alternative renewable energy sources where possible to apply. It'ill take time and things are not becoming easy economically and environmentally speaking, but will find a way, I try to think a bit like Asterix and Obelix the famous Gauls do

The worst thing that can happen to us, is the sky falling on our heads, but since today it is not the eve of that day, will be all right

...I hope...off course the world changes and it hasn't been always as we know it, and there was a time, four times to be more exact, that coral skeletons changed from aragonitic to calcitic and back again in relation to high or low CO2 levels in the atmosphere, as so well Ronald Shimek explained us here in Portugal recently in his presentation of The Rise and Fall of Coral Reefs, which I hope to bring here to Manhattan Reefs (I have it in my computer, 41.5 MB file, but must have permission form the author Ron Shimek to divulge it here).

Cheers
Pedro Nuno ;-) ...and may the force be with you, us all

 

[georgelc86]

Nice one Leslie.

 

[Keith P]

All of this is relative to everyone's situation. A young person making decent money with no other responsibilities will be able to spend.

Thats me. Young, I live in a small home, drive a humble car, have almost no bills.
I think 1/3 of what I make each month goes to my hobbies (pets, fish, bikes, etc)..

I keep hearing we are in a recession. I work in manufacturing. We haven't slowed down one bit. Recently, our biggest customer are gun mfg, followed by auto mfg. It seems the economy is scaring a lot of people into "arming up".

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Thats me. Young, I live in a small home, drive a humble car, have almost no bills.
I think 1/3 of what I make each month goes to my hobbies.

Ah yes I remember these days