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[ARFF fireman82]

So this may be considered rude, if your offended please don't respond and accept my apology in advance. I'm in the military and wondering how some of the people out there afford such an expensive hobby. Do you have several jobs? One good paying job? What is your job?

As some may know I'm in the planning stage of converting my 55 gallon over to salt water fowlr and I'm doing as much DIY as I can but its still coming out to a pretty penny. Before I lived at home and didn't have to worry about bills too much. Gave my parents a $100 a month for electricity when I could afford it, however, now that I have a family I'm just wondering if there is some big secret I don't know about as to how people are able to afford such awesome tanks. Ontop of the initial expense of hardware and equipment then there is the increase in electricity bill.

So whats the secret guys and gals?
maybe I need to sell the family and move back in with mom and dad LOL :twisted: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Stay in school and stay away from religion.
_________________
Stress Forum

 

[Anonymous]

I did everything I could to cut costs but before I had my first reef tank where it needed to be, I had put about 2K into it.

Even going the cheap route in this hobby is not cheap. If you want to do it on a budget then buy live rock a piece at a time and then if you join a club or society people will usualy give you mushrooms, I still love them and I still give them away local.

If Ranger ever posts again he can tell you, we both started in this hobby about the same time, both met on the brutal Rec. boards and tried all the DIY route to cut cost. LOA lights and everything. You can spread it out over time but it will still cost you.

Don't be alarmed when this thread gets moved to a more appropriate forum.

BTW, never tell the wife the exact cost of things, no good will come of it.

 

[Anonymous]

Join your local reef club for help with DIY, for money saving tips. and for frag swaps. They're also a great source for used equipment.

 

[Anonymous]

I am in directional sales motivation.

I stand on street corners with a big arrow directing traffic into condo sales offices.

I moonlight as the guy who drives the machine that paints the line down the center of the street.

I pull down 98k a year plus medical/dental and a 401k

hank.stamper

 

[Anonymous]

Don't smoke,don't eat out, don't date,don't drink. I got the first three down.

 

[Anonymous]

Dont have other expenses, like absurdly high mortgages and car payments, get a good paying job, buy into the money market periodically (like bonds and that other thing I cant remember the name of right now), and invest in Papa Johns or a smallish start-up company thats under good management.

Oh, and DIY is good, but sometimes you can get something free from another reefer thats exiting the hobby (Ive gotten stuff that way before! :mrgreen

HTHs!

 

[Anonymous]

Join your local reef club

'
Fish? You people have fish? That's sick.

Hank.Stamper

 

[Len]

moved to the General Reef Discussion forum.

 

[Anonymous]

moved to the General Reef Discussion forum.

Whaaaaaaaaaaat :?:

 

[Anonymous]

moved to the General Reef Discussion forum.

AAAAGGGHHH! You tricks us! Sneaky, sneaky hobbitses tricks us topside. too bright up here, we hates it.... must go back into the dark... We likes fishes...mmmm, yum, fishes....

smegol

 

[ZOOLANDER]

As a super-famous male model, money's no longer an object for me. Now, my life's work is to help papagate corals that can't papagate good in the wild. I do my best to help them develop interesting shapes and colors that help compliment the owner's features. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, anyway... You might want to get a Prius and leave the Humvee in the army days!

Solar power/water heating, smart decisions about equipment and resources (like where you get your water from, in the long run), and enough start-up cash to get you rolling, as well as reefer-buddies, would probably set you amongst the many that have somehow ended up stirring salt in buckets and staring at big containers of water for hours on end. :wink:

 

[Scoopy]

Stay in school and stay away from religion.

Dont mean to make this a debate, but this is probably some of the worst advice I have ever seen. It is great to stay in school and be successful, but religion has nothing to do with it. You can be a Christian, have a good education, have a great career, have plenty of money, all the hobbys you want, and still get the great afterlife. I just dont see why it was even brought up as part of advice about money. The really truely happy people are peopel that are rich in family, and spirituality. Not money. Money doesnt make you happy, it just makes you think you are, and it doesnt last. Many rich people have killed themselves.

Rant over. Sorry for anyone else that had to read this.
Scoop

 

[Anonymous]

Budget. Ask for fish stuff for birthdays, and other giftgiving holidays. Swap fraggs. Buy used gear. I think the key it to set up a tank you can afford. Not everone has the funds for a 500 gal SPS tank. If you plan ahead you can start with lower demand coral and add equipoment and more demanding corals as your budget allows.

 

[Anonymous]

Joining a Reef/Fish club is a great idea...i got most of my Corals and my MH lighting from a fellow reef club member.
Fish only is a much cheaper rouote than reef...cost depends a lot on what you want.
Always DIY your own canopy..saves a bundle. If your good you can DIY your own stand.

 

[Anonymous]

A 55g salt fowlr can be set up and thriving for about $150-200 plus the cost of the tank, stand, and hood. And that is at full retail prices with new equipment.

I also agree with the local club idea. Frag exchanges can sure save a lot.

 

[K]

Go second hand whenever possible, it has saved me loads although you do have to make sure that the stuff actually works

 

[SnowManSnow]

im kinda in the same boat.. as some have sayed it will cost in the end... but dont feel like you have to dish out all the $$ in the beginning. that being said, i do recommend getting high end components...WHEN you upgrade in a few years youll be glad you have stuff you can still use

once you get past the skimmer rock and lights youll find it isnt REALLY all that expensive BTW.. sometimes you can buy stuff on ebay for a good price... I just got a PC lighting fixture for almost half off what the LFS is asking.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Anonymous]

I buy things incrementally. Little here, little there. In the end I have spent more on livestock (most expensive specimin only $35) than I have on setup. My wife is quite understandign about it, and is prolly glad I have a hoby that actually helps reduce the stresses of work and home (that way she can work me harder without my noticing )