# How do you afford this hobby?! :)



## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

I cannot stop buying/upgrading things for my tanks. LOL! I thought it was a beginner thing initially, but I can't seem to stop. It's not even fish, which is what I would have expected wanting to keep buying. It's equipment. It's deceptively addicting! I can't be the only one who does this.... right?

I think if my husband ever sat down and added up how much money I've spent on my 2 tanks and all that's gone with, he'd collapse. Not that he even knows what I've bought, but still. It's staggering. :lol:


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

Very, very addicting to be sure. :thumb:

...and so you just never sit down and add the numbers up. That's my solution. :wink:


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

durby said:


> I cannot stop buying/upgrading things for my tanks. LOL! I thought it was a beginner thing initially, but I can't seem to stop. It's not even fish, which is what I would have expected wanting to keep buying. It's equipment. It's deceptively addicting! I can't be the only one who does this.... right?
> 
> I think if my husband ever sat down and added up how much money I've spent on my 2 tanks and all that's gone with, he'd collapse. Not that he even knows what I've bought, but still. It's staggering. :lol:


I didnt have my 55 gallon tank up a month before I was upgrading. Within a week of adding the fish that would fully stock my 55, I got withdrawal symptoms and was on craigslist. Since then, I have bought a 125, just finished decorating it, waiting on the filtration and then start the fishless cycle. I dont know what I'm gonna do when I buy that last fish. I'm not one that gets enjoyment out of upgrading equipment... there's just something about walking into a fish store and falling in love with one and being able to buy it.

My husband is tolerant, but doesnt share the addiction. However, like you, he'd probably pop an aneurysm if I showed him an exact amount I've spent on this "hobby".


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## ChoxRox (Sep 8, 2011)

It's bad when you have a partner who is also addicted...


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

Not as bad as when you have a partner who just doesn't get it!


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

durby said:


> I cannot stop buying/upgrading things for my tanks. LOL! I thought it was a beginner thing initially, but I can't seem to stop. It's not even fish, which is what I would have expected wanting to keep buying. It's equipment. It's deceptively addicting! I can't be the only one who does this.... right?
> 
> I think if my husband ever sat down and added up how much money I've spent on my 2 tanks and all that's gone with, he'd collapse. Not that he even knows what I've bought, but still. It's staggering. :lol:


It's called MTS - Multiple Tank Syndrome .

FYI - Craigslist is your huge friend regarding Aquarium equipment if you are not already using it.


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## kenko (Jan 19, 2012)

JAyliffe said:


> Not as bad as when you have a partner who just doesn't get it!


Haha - thought the same thing at one point. Even thinking it would be great if she shared my hobby and understood my mindset, and can take some of the water changes or feedings, and share in the fun at the swap meets, etc... (We did attend some GCCA meetings together long ago.) Then after thinking, it has been my life long hobby, and my section (1/4) of the basement plus 2 show tanks upstairs are my little ways of de-stressing - a little retreat away from the wife and kids if you will. If I need to relax, I'll go change some water, or sit and watch... Works for us and we've found a good balance. Plus I can use the kids as an excuse to go to a swap or to the LFS. And works for me more that I can obtain the species I want and not have to negotiate. Heck, it takes us weeks to pick out a new paint scheme for a room, and can't imagine if I had to go through the same with fish.



GoofBoy said:


> FYI - Craigslist is your huge friend regarding Aquarium equipment if you are not already using it.


Or worst enemy.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

She picks paint, I pick fish. :lol:

Just wish I had a dollar for each instance of

1. It's just a fish!
2. You're obsessed...

I'm sure there's other phrases those of us with MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) have heard more than a few times


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## Labenator65000 (Feb 28, 2012)

I'm beginning to get that anxious feeling that I cannot add any more fish to my tank and don't really need any more equipment. Rearranging satisfies the itch somewhat.


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

JAyliffe said:


> She picks paint, I pick fish. :lol:
> 
> Just wish I had a dollar for each instance of
> 
> ...


1. "If you devote more space in our home to them, are they going to pay us rent???"
2. "What's wrong with all the other ones you already have?"
3. "Why don't you just get one of those screen savers and call it good!?"
4. "I can't see my walls anymore...I liked my walls."
5. "The wood in the house doesn't like you. The doors are starting to stick."
6. "We have a TV, go stare at that for awhile."
7. "We're outnumbered as it is. We need more on our side."
8. "Will you please stop calling the fish "the kids". I played no part in creating them."
9. "You can't have it. I don't want it."
10. "They're happier in the ocean ("...but they come from a lake!"). The lake loves them more than you do. Are you really going to take them away from the lake?? ("they're not wild caught...they came from a breeder who kept them in a tank.") The breeder needs them more than you do."

:-? I really don't understand the lack of comprehension here.  But we're learning how to compromise.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

In the last 5 months I bought my 1st tank... I since have bought my 2nd... and last weekend picked up my 3rd (not counting qt and hospital tanks.

The 3rd is going to be SW... cichlids are cheap next to marine tanks.

LFS has a couple of Gem Tangs mebbe 8" long ..... $2399.00... each! and someone has already placed deposit on one of em..


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## kenko (Jan 19, 2012)

LOL @jay & river! My response to those are, "You like looking at the fish don't you?" She won't admit it, but she would surely miss the tanks if gone.

Is Cichlidiot synonymous with MTS??? I think I suffer from both.


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

JAyliffe, going through that right now as I'm redoing living room. I tell the only reason I go to the paint store is to be her pack mule. That way I can get some of what I want in the tanks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Just make sure your significant other has a hobby that is more expensive than yours. :thumb:


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

DJRansome said:


> Just make sure your significant other has a hobby that is more expensive than yours. :thumb:


Now THAT is a good idea. :lol:


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## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

DanniGirl said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Just make sure your significant other has a hobby that is more expensive than yours. :thumb:
> ...


Luckily my husband is equally obsessed with Music and recording equipment. But yes, craigslist is AMAZING for this stuff. I got my 150 tank, stand and canopy for $300 (about 2 months after I got my 55 gallon stocked) and it's GORGEOUS. And if nothing else, I go out and find some new holey rock and change that up at least once a week. My stand storage is mostly decor and equipment i've since upgraded, lol.

LOVE that I'm not alone in this!!!

:dancing:


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

DanniGirl said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Just make sure your significant other has a hobby that is more expensive than yours. :thumb:
> ...


 

...That's why DJ is a moderator. Among fish wisdom, there's sound relationship advice too.


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## JackDeez (Feb 28, 2012)

I guess I'm lucky.

My roomate is my best friend. We've been living together for over 6 years and he has MTS prolly worse then I do(ok Im lying its me). We're a pair of dedicated bachelors. Our show tanks have proven time and time again to not only be major focal and conversation pieces in our place for parties and such but our female guests seem to be more impressed with our tanks then all the fancy expensive electronics or furniture.

We tend to keep each other in check in various aspects. I make sure were picking proper stock and the needs of the fish are properly met in each tank. He is habitually worried about running out of something so constantly buys food and supplies so were always stocked for any issues that may arrise. He always asks if we need this medication or this and that. His vice is wanting to overstock a tank with fish that catches his eye. He also has a thing for decor so we got a closet full of extra stuff, which ends up being cool cause I can re-do the tanks periodically to keep things fresh. My vice is always wanting bigger and bigger tanks (Im sure Im not alone in this here  )

Somehow it all works out and were not up to our eyeballs in fish induced debt


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## kojak76 (Feb 13, 2012)

To get started I sold a bass boat that I rarely used anymore due to me buying a pontoon. My wife's hobby is scrapbooking so its comparable in price when she stocks up. I have yet to add water or fish to y tank and am about 1500 dollars into it, that's shopping on craigslist. I knew a 55 would get too small fast so I looked into 125s finally settled on a deal I found on a 240 gallon with stand and sump. I'm sure its only the tip of the iceburg so to speak.


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## poseidons minions (Dec 1, 2009)

Electric bill 500 dollars water bill 300 dollars monthly filter media 200 dollars fish food and chemicals 200 dollars sometimes I wonder what the **** am I doing in this hobby but after long day in the office ill sit down in my fish room and it's all worth it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Use pot scrubbers for media and skip the chemicals. :thumb: My water is free so that IS an advantage.


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

kojak76 said:


> To get started I sold a bass boat that I rarely used anymore due to me buying a pontoon.


Do you know the acronym for boat; *B*ring *O*n *A*nother *T*housand. 
Good plan to trade out a boat for the fish hobby. :thumb:



DJRansome said:


> My water is free so that IS an advantage.


Talk about lucky. 
Do you know how much water horses can consume?! :roll: 
I guess I'm lucky that this is the least expensive of my hobbies but I'm sure if I sat down and calculated it, (cost of fish and shipments alone) I'd faint. :lol:


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## S14Swap240sx (Jan 3, 2011)

business write off =) gotta decorate


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

I love that you all are making me feel better about the money I spend. Some of you have it worse than I do!


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## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

lol, i just brought home another 175lbs of holy rock. super cheap, but still... it's an addiction. :lol:


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

durby said:


> lol, i just brought home another 175lbs of holy rock. super cheap, but still... it's an addiction. :lol:


I was looking at that stuff, found somewhere that looked cheap then I saw shipping  guess I should have realised with the weight it wouldn't be a cheap shipment. I'm trying to work out just how much of that stuff I would need for a good aquascape in my 250 gallon


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## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

JAyliffe said:


> durby said:
> 
> 
> > lol, i just brought home another 175lbs of holy rock. super cheap, but still... it's an addiction. :lol:
> ...


Did you try your local landscaping place or stone yard? I live in Texas, so it's readily available all over here. But I got to my local landscaping supply store and buy it for 12 cents a pound. The have huge pallets of it and I just pick through it and grab the best pieces. I spent about $20 on the 175 pounds I got today. Anyway, you might be able to find a business of that sort around you that sells it cheaply like that.

I have a 150 gallon and i keep about 220 pounds in there and around 150 pounds of rock in there. But I also have some other decor type things in there, too.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

This hobby can be expensive if you choose it to be. Used stuff tends to go very cheaply and club auctions are great places to get plants livestock and equipment. My set ups are simple and inexpensive (literally). It is of great interest to me to find inexpensive (sometimes alternate) ways to do things. Being in a club helps with that also. People who keep large numbers of tanks (20 to 600+) find cheap and easy ways to do things. before i would spend $200 on a cannister filter I would buy a new 75, sand, lights, and filter, and still have enough money to buy some stock.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

durby said:


> Did you try your local landscaping place or stone yard?


Haven't tried there yet, I know my LFS want over $3 a pound  :x :? for their stock, I guess they have to maintain their fish habits too  Actually I think they charge more for the holes than the rock bit :lol:

I'll try the landscape yards, otherwise the next trip i make to TX I'll be looking for a place along the way :lol:


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## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

JAyliffe said:


> durby said:
> 
> 
> > Did you try your local landscaping place or stone yard?
> ...


They sell them for that here, too. Which is dumb because we can just go find it and dig it up ourselves. :roll: and you're right. the rocks with more holes and tunnels are more expensive... unless it's a landscaping place.  they don't care. i've found lots of great ones there with tons of holes and some with small holes that i made bigger with a drimmel. if you ever come through plano (northeast of dallas) let me know and i'll tell you where my place is.


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## kenko (Jan 19, 2012)

So jealous... A few months ago I was in Austin for business and ended up with some free time, so I went to play some disc golf at Mary Moore Searight. That place was littered with holey rock...in the ground, piled up, scattered on the green, in the fairway, you name it. And all sizes. There was this perfectly shaped one - one with no breaks, nice tunnels, big holes, little holes, etc. that probably weighed 50 pounds sitting right there on the green. And there were more perfect ones all around. Couldn't believe my eyes.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

durby said:


> if you ever come through plano (northeast of dallas) let me know and i'll tell you where my place is.


Whenever I head to TX it is almost always to the northeast of dallas  I'm sure I'll be there in the fall if not sooner so yes, I'll be asking


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Wild caught rocks.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

DJRansome said:


> Wild caught rocks.


You must be an expert rock trapper as well as fish keeper :lol:


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## durby (Mar 4, 2012)

kenko said:


> So jealous... A few months ago I was in Austin for business and ended up with some free time, so I went to play some disc golf at Mary Moore Searight. That place was littered with holey rock...in the ground, piled up, scattered on the green, in the fairway, you name it. And all sizes. There was this perfectly shaped one - one with no breaks, nice tunnels, big holes, little holes, etc. that probably weighed 50 pounds sitting right there on the green. And there were more perfect ones all around. Couldn't believe my eyes.


Yeah, Austin, San Marcos, really anywhere in the hill country it all over the place.


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## kojak76 (Feb 13, 2012)

Sold another boat...... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Vadimshevchuk (May 23, 2009)

imagine being a high school stundent :? Best way that i survive in this hobby, is that i bought a 90 gallon saltwater tank for 300 bucks. Sold of the fish, lighting and liverock for 400 so i madde a hundred and i have a nice newish 90 gallon tank with stand and canopy. Now i need to find another hundred to order rustys and hara :x


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## r-fishies (Jan 2, 2012)

LOVE the wild caught rocks! My tank is full of them too. Mostly granite around here. (I confess to absconding with a 'few pieces' from the miles of roadsides on a back country road the county put out there) What a great selection you have! Must go rock hunting...also an addiction, but FREE !!!! I just scrub them really good with only hot water & my dedicated non soap fish brushes. Friends come by & I have rocks on towels all over my counters lol. Sundays find me on my ladder hanging in the 30" tall tank cleaning & playing with rocks. Still looking for a good system to reach everyplace to wipe the acrylic down-any ideas? Especially the bottom in the back, I almost have to swim lol.
Tanks-yes been in the hobby for almost a yr. now, went from a 10(left here by my daughter), to 55(given to us-we added accessories) then jumped right up to a 300(found deal couldn't pass up on CL). Thought that was IT, and we love it a LOT, but there is this empty corner space.... lol yeah, definitely addicting. Haven't ordered fish ....yet... running on ones found locally in so far 7 lfs's. As I type, my male 6-7 inch Borleyi is flirting with a barely 2" female. Cute lol.She is the size of his head! 8' of fish to watch next to me, how can anyone NOT fall in love with these?? On free rocks, I work at a construction company so bring home broken pieces of slate which is fun to build with too. You can ask at some roofing companies for broken slates, most likely give them to you. Luckily have well water which is free and they love it right from the tap with no treatments needed. My kids, love em :fish: :fish:


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## r-fishies (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh, and I have taken quite a few fry to my lfs for credit, I joke taht they are supporting the dog! :lol:


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## AulonoKarl (Mar 9, 2012)

Just this week I've upgraded my lighting, painted a background, and bought a new water changer. 
 Just found a landscaping company that has the rocks I want. Hopefully for cheap!

In this hobby, there is almost always something better than what you've got. 
I more or less got into it, because I like to keep busy with things. When I run out of regular maintenance work, it's time to change something, or I get bored.


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

I've developed a taste for macaroni and cheese and Spam.


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

Mike_G said:


> I've developed a taste for macaroni and cheese and Spam.


My kids enjoy oodles of noodles too!


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## TrashmanNYC (Dec 10, 2007)

All of my hobbies are expensive.  
Fish, motorcycles, guns, tattoos....


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## Ragincajun (Nov 29, 2011)

Sent you a pm durby. Need 150 lb +.


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