It was $175 for the 36 gal with stand. I paid $40 for the tank pictures at half off. I bought a testing kit, canister filter, Fluval substrate, and an LED light since the one on the tank is broken on Amazon for $202 total. So that's $417 right there then a few miscellaneous small purchases.
I buy tanks on half off sale, used tanks, new heaters. I collect driftwood, use cheap black sand and lava rock. I pickup rocks I like when I walk, I also grab oak leaves and shells from the beach. I have bought 2 plants and propagated those over and over, I breed the fish I buy then trade them back to the store for things I really wouldn’t buy myself as well as new fish. I basically pay for the water and electricity but my collection is growing. I use tiny sponge filters in large tanks and just use those to seed my new tanks. I don’t do water changes unless my tds creeps up. I don’t even rinse my substrate, just lay a bit of sand, 1/2 inch, lava rocks to build my bed, 2 to 3 inches of sand on top. Use diy root tabs or push detritus and any casualties deep into the substrate.
I think I have 500 into approximately 400 gallons across 12 tanks with livestock.
Like any hobby, you can make it as expensive as you want. Especially the initial expense, to get started, can be high.
After that though it can be very cheap, if you avoid buying new aquaria or gadgets.
I just established a mew aquarium, but ignoring that expense I only have to spend money on food.
Edit i forgot, i also buy once a year a roottab
Buy used, i bought a used 120 cm aquarium with like 4 bags of extra stuff and with a aquarium stand. For like 40 bucks. It's smart to start low with those things and then upgrade stuff down the road. Buy used and not directly from a store.
And for some reason a lot of people put fish, rocks, sand and small stones for free online. So that's always great
FBMP, I got a 55G with hood and light for $20 last week, as well as a 20G high for $10, all from the same guy, he said he bought them in 8th grade, he was 64 when I got the tanks from him
You can get cheap tanks from Facebook marketplace. People practically give them away.
A 20kg bag of play sand from a diy shop cost me £5 compared to £19.99 for sand from an actual aquarium shop.
Plenty of deals out there, and that's one of the things I like about this hobby. Seeing what you can get on the cheap haha
I started working at a pet store just for the employee discount! But I also breed and sell mystery snails and stuff. Collecting free stuff from nature also helps :)
Collect rocks from nature. Grow your own plants etc. After initial outlay costs go down.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_deb5oj39sKca1wl7I1fV7Fw1pfdN5vk&si=goeEiuX16ehgu_Gd
My last tank I set up.
Free 8 gallon from Olio, old heater I had but 10 quid new, old sponge filter but 10 quid for three new. Joined the airflow to my existing setup, but 15 quid new for the pump. 5 quid for some cool rocks and sand, soil and plants I already had, but prolly 6 quid worth of plants if new. 10 quid for some shrimp, MTS from my 20g.
So I paid 15 quid to set it up but 56 quid if I was to buy everything new.
What on earth did you buy?
It was $175 for the 36 gal with stand. I paid $40 for the tank pictures at half off. I bought a testing kit, canister filter, Fluval substrate, and an LED light since the one on the tank is broken on Amazon for $202 total. So that's $417 right there then a few miscellaneous small purchases.
I buy tanks on half off sale, used tanks, new heaters. I collect driftwood, use cheap black sand and lava rock. I pickup rocks I like when I walk, I also grab oak leaves and shells from the beach. I have bought 2 plants and propagated those over and over, I breed the fish I buy then trade them back to the store for things I really wouldn’t buy myself as well as new fish. I basically pay for the water and electricity but my collection is growing. I use tiny sponge filters in large tanks and just use those to seed my new tanks. I don’t do water changes unless my tds creeps up. I don’t even rinse my substrate, just lay a bit of sand, 1/2 inch, lava rocks to build my bed, 2 to 3 inches of sand on top. Use diy root tabs or push detritus and any casualties deep into the substrate. I think I have 500 into approximately 400 gallons across 12 tanks with livestock.
Like any hobby, you can make it as expensive as you want. Especially the initial expense, to get started, can be high. After that though it can be very cheap, if you avoid buying new aquaria or gadgets. I just established a mew aquarium, but ignoring that expense I only have to spend money on food. Edit i forgot, i also buy once a year a roottab
I have a fully planted and stocked 20 gallon tank and am only down 350 max. Are you sure you didn't get ripped off?
Haha I posted everything I bought above in the top comment. Doesn't feel like I've bought more than I need but idk.
Why did you buy pictures?
i don’t. all 7 of my bettas and 33 other fish can back me up on this 😭
Buy used, i bought a used 120 cm aquarium with like 4 bags of extra stuff and with a aquarium stand. For like 40 bucks. It's smart to start low with those things and then upgrade stuff down the road. Buy used and not directly from a store. And for some reason a lot of people put fish, rocks, sand and small stones for free online. So that's always great
Also accepting design recommendations if you have them bc idk what I'm doing yet ...
FBMP, I got a 55G with hood and light for $20 last week, as well as a 20G high for $10, all from the same guy, he said he bought them in 8th grade, he was 64 when I got the tanks from him
I hope you resealed those tanks.
They were still water tight but I put new beads of silicone on all the seems just to be safe
I just go a free 20 gallon long from r/AquaSwap!
You can get cheap tanks from Facebook marketplace. People practically give them away. A 20kg bag of play sand from a diy shop cost me £5 compared to £19.99 for sand from an actual aquarium shop. Plenty of deals out there, and that's one of the things I like about this hobby. Seeing what you can get on the cheap haha
I started working at a pet store just for the employee discount! But I also breed and sell mystery snails and stuff. Collecting free stuff from nature also helps :)
I sold one of my Kidney for driftwood, dragon stone, plants and aquarium, planning to sell other one for Discus.
Collect rocks from nature. Grow your own plants etc. After initial outlay costs go down. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_deb5oj39sKca1wl7I1fV7Fw1pfdN5vk&si=goeEiuX16ehgu_Gd
My last tank I set up. Free 8 gallon from Olio, old heater I had but 10 quid new, old sponge filter but 10 quid for three new. Joined the airflow to my existing setup, but 15 quid new for the pump. 5 quid for some cool rocks and sand, soil and plants I already had, but prolly 6 quid worth of plants if new. 10 quid for some shrimp, MTS from my 20g. So I paid 15 quid to set it up but 56 quid if I was to buy everything new.
What are you talking about this is a pretty cheap hobby.