Running Costs

[JohnDyer]

About how much does it cost to run an aquarium, in terms of water, electricity, food, dechlorinator, etc, after everything is already set up? I realize this will vary greatly depending on tank size and how many extra features such as extra bubblers, light time, room temperature, CO2, and it may not be possible to get even a general idea, but something like tank size/approximate cost per month would be great.

I am thinking of setting up another tank, but would like to know whether I'd be able to afford it. I had just moved when I set up my current tank, so I'm not sure how much it raised the bills by. More specifically, what would be the running cost of a 55 gallon tank with an appropriate heater, filter, lights, and nothing extra?

Sorry if my question is impossible to answer, I'm more than a little drunk, which may be affecting my judgement

 

[turtlegirl]

About how much does it cost to run an aquarium, in terms of water, electricity, food, dechlorinator, etc, after everything is already set up? I realize this will vary greatly depending on tank size and how many extra features such as extra bubblers, light time, room temperature, CO2, and it may not be possible to get even a general idea, but something like tank size/approximate cost per month would be great.

I am thinking of setting up another tank, but would like to know whether I'd be able to afford it. I had just moved when I set up my current tank, so I'm not sure how much it raised the bills by. More specifically, what would be the running cost of a 55 gallon tank with an appropriate heater, filter, lights, and nothing extra?

Sorry if my question is impossible to answer, I'm more than a little drunk, which may be affecting my judgement

Its kindof hard to answer, I have a 40g with a turtle in it and that costs almost nothing to run as I only have a filter and a basking lamp on it. I have a 20g planted tank with bells and whistles which costs much much more.
What do you want to put in it?

 

[JohnDyer]

Just regular fish and easy plants, maybe some shrimp. Nothing that takes a extra, like higher temperature or more filtration.

 

[turtlegirl]

Just regular fish and easy plants, maybe some shrimp. Nothing that takes a extra, like higher temperature or more filtration.

My turtle tank costs less than $50 a month to run NOT counting water costs. That includes using Prime, salt, filters, bubbler, basking lamps and a UV light. Like I said, not including water costs.
HOWEVER, the first few months were more expensive, tinkering with things.

I am however dreading the cost of a 300gal stock tank for the little monster

 

[Moby-Krib]

Running cost... Hrmm.. great big sink hole of a question..
I would say given your ideals of the 300 gall around ( not including feeding the stock) close to maybe $10 a month.. at best.. if not less.
your electricity is your biggest but most lvl cost if you don't go ape on it...

Given filtration, heat, now we look at the rest...what are you keeping?


Never-mind I'll say without calculating an excess of choice never ever beyond $45 and that is a high cost of a live feeder. most under $15 fully stocked at a peak

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I buy a huge container of water conditioner rather than small bottles and that last mean far longer and saves money... for me, that is the thing that costs the most... food and all that is pocket change really.

 

[sadguppy]

My best advice is that this is not a cheap hobby, at all. Obviously you can get pretty good deals on second hand equipment and fish themselves aren't expensive however if you are worried about bills etc then maybe delay until you have some spare cash. If the tank cracks or something goes wrong you'll need to have an emergency fund! I reckon in my first few months I spent well over £1000 on my fishes including tanks, electric, water, nice decor etc.

 

[JohnDyer]

If I'm understanding this correctly, turtlegirl says $50 for a 20g turtle tank, while Moby Krib says $10-15 for a 300 gallon tank?
I do have some money to work with. I suppose the question isn't so much whether I am able to afford it as whether I want to cut that much off of my drinking funds
sadguppy, iirc, you got like 5 tanks in your first months, right? I'm not planning nearly as much

 

[turtlegirl]

40g tank but electricity is high here though I do agree. It's an expensive hobby. If you are asking I venture to suspect you see not in a place to start another tank.
What if your filter goes out? If your tank leaks? If your fish get sick?

 

[JohnDyer]

Honestly, I've never treated my fish with meds. I quarantine them at the most, feed peas for constipation, but the fish I keep are much cheaper than a dose of meds, and I don't think I'm experienced enough to be sure what is wrong with them.
Anyways, looking at the wattage on the stuff in my current tank, I THINK I'm spending roughly $10 a month on it, mostly electricity. 50 gallons of water is worth almost nothing, and a container of food/dechlorinator can last a year easily.
I'm not dead broke, I've got quite a bit saved for general emergencies, but $50 a month is more than what I spend on gasoline, although quite a lot less than on alcohol
I suppose you guys are right, I'll think on this more before I go buy something I can't keep. Thoughts are free, after all
Thanks for all of the advice!

 

[sadguppy]

If I'm understanding this correctly, turtlegirl says $50 for a 20g turtle tank, while Moby Krib says $10-15 for a 300 gallon tank?
I do have some money to work with. I suppose the question isn't so much whether I am able to afford it as whether I want to cut that much off of my drinking funds
sadguppy, iirc, you got like 5 tanks in your first months, right? I'm not planning nearly as much

Haha not quite, I just started off with too small a tank and ended up two or three months in upgrading! I did have three tanks (two in use) at that point. Maybe a few more now though... The cost doesn't bother me as I think it's definitely worth it but I just wouldn't like to mislead people that fish keeping is a hobby that can really be done on the cheap.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The cheapest way into the hobby (after buying a bargain second hand tank and a filter) is to stock with fish that are comfortable at the temperature of the room the tank is in, heating is by far the most expensive long term cost. Those in the UK might remember the bitter winter 2010 we had, <5C from December through to late February 2011, well my 500W of heater in the uninsulated garage 5x2x2 seemed to be constantly on trying to maintain sub-tropical 22C (even with layers of blankets, bubble wrap, condensation trays etc.).

There are loads of hobby fish happy in heaterless tanks, including...

• Redline Torpedo Barbs
• Rosy Barbs
• Chinese Barbs
• Weather Loaches
• Empire Gudgeon
• Three-lined Corydoras
• Peppered Corydoras
• Bearded Corydoras
• Paradise Fish
• White Cloud Mountain Minnow
• Zebra/Leopard Danios
• Red Shiners
• Some goodeids including Ilyodon furcidens/xantusi
• Barilius (now all reclassified to Opsarius... I think)

As you can see, keeping temperate/sub-tropical fish does not mean "boring" colours, some of the above are the most spectacular coloured fish outside the Malawi cichlids!

 

[MBOU]

So realistically... buying a fish tank could save your life

Save your liver, buy a fish tank!

They cost to run about as much as you are willing to spend on it, spend the money buying all the decent equipment in the first place, have a much better filter than you need and keep up with regular maintenance. Keep feeding to sensible levels and lighting to sensible levels. Water change regularly. Then without a build up of dirt and nitrates etc in the tank, it will stay cleaner and fish less likely to pick up diseases.

Electricity and water consitioners should realistically be your only running costs and not really bank breaking... if you have one tank already, a second tank is less difficult as you just use the same water conditioners...

That said... thats how I ended up with about 20 tanks, then I was horrified to realise how much it was costing me I miss the fish.. but not the costs!!

 

[soundteaser]

For a medium-large filter pump running 24 hours a day and 100w of lights running 10 hours a day, 365 days a year, works out at between £50-60 a year. On top of this you have to add on heater running costs (which depend on how hot your room temperature is),food, medication, filter media, fish, wave makers, air pumps etc. I think you would be looking on average between £10-15 per month.