Thinking about getting into fishkeeping. Would like estimates of the likely costs.

fastzander

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Hey, folks. Noob here. I'm considering getting into aquaculture/fishkeeping as a hobby, and have started out by reading a few books, subscribing to a few forums, YouTube channels, etc., but before I spend time and money conducting more in-depth research, one of the first things I want to ascertain is the likely monetary expenses and time commitment involved, so that if they're out of my range, I can veto the prospect at the start.
The space (and it's the only viable space I've got) where I'd place the tank is 101 centimetres in width and 43 centimetres deep. Assume I get a tank of those dimensions plus 40 centimetres in height, and thus 45.8 gallons (at least, according to this: https://www.firsttankguide.net/calculator.php). Three questions:
  • What would be the price range to purchase all the initial equipment for a tank of this size (i.e... a tank itself, a cabinet, lighting, a sump, a heater, a protein skimmer, a return pump, live rock, substrate, the stock itself, etc.)? Assume decent quality equipment. I'd rather do this correctly or not at all.
  • What would be the annual price range to purchase all the ongoing supplies for a tank of this size (i.e... food, water testing kits, calcium, etc.)?
  • What would be the weekly time commitment range to maintain a tank of this size?
Any estimates re. these matters are appreciated. If this is not the correct venue to ask such questions, could anyone here redirect me elsewhere?
 
Off the peg tanks come in set sizes, though I don't know what those would be in Australia. There are companies which build tanks to a customer's specification but they are usually more expensive.

Freshwater or salt water? Your list of requirements sounds like salt water as freshwater tanks don't use protein skimmers or live rock.

Setting up is the time consuming part. A tank needs to be cycled. I know little about salt water but with freshwater this means using ammonia to grow beneficial bacteria before fish are added, or growing live plants before fish are added. For freshwater, here are the various methods in more detail https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/
If you want a saltwater tank, we have a section for saltwater aquariums where members have more knowledge than me :)

Once the tank is cycled and fish are in the tank, weekly maintenance is done, which involves changing the water, pruning plants etc. This can take an hour or two depending on how it's done. Siphoning the water out into buckets and refilling using buckets takes longer than removing water and refilling with a hosepipe.

Don't forget to include the cost of electricity and water (if you are on a water meter) as part of the running costs along with water conditioner, fish food etc.
 
I'm in Canada, and went hunting for sponge filters yesterday. In our market of 38 million, they cost twice as much as in the US, an hour away with ten times our population. There are lots of factors like that.
Locally, there are lots of really nice set ups being sold as the pandemic quiets a bit and people dump :mad:the pets they took on when lockdown was necessary. The various online venues for sales are full of tanks, and there is good equipment to be found for good prices.
 
I agree with all of the above....and will add that the costs of buying the aquarium, stand and equipment can be a minefield especially when completely new to the fishkeeping addiction.

Be very careful when you choose your equipment. I am not saying every shop will do this but you need to be aware that you will be offered wonderful sounding aquariums and fantastic filters etc only to find that they are totally unsuited to each other.

Sadly, as with everything, there are some who see a new fishkeeper walking through the door and all they see is their commission on a big sale....

You go ahead and buy what the person in the store recommends, get it all home, set it up and the filter might be too weak or too strong and with limited adjustment, the heater is the wrong wattage for the volume of water....then you find that the fish you were considering won't fit or are not suited to a community type aquarium.

I would suggest that you hunt down an aquarium that you feel is right, then ask questions about it on here and as to a suitable filter - internal, external, hang on the back (HOB) and heater. You do not necessarily have to buy the most expensive on the market cos that could be alot of money wasted if its not right for the chosen aquarium. You do not have to stay with one manufacturer for all the equipment.

The only time I would stick to the same manufacturer is when you buy the aquarium and stand, especially for the larger sized aquariums. Reason for this is that should the worst happen - such as the aquarium being damaged or leaking - and you need to claim on the 2 year warranty that the aquarium comes with, it can be revoked if the aquarium is standing on something other than the manifacturer recommended stand. There is also a reasonable chance that your home contents insurance will not pay out for damaged flooring and furnishings if the aquarium leaks or breaks and its not on the proper stand. That is something to consider when shopping for aquariums.

The most important thing is that you buy the most suitable aquarium and equipment for the fish that you are thinking of keeping. Don't make the easy mistake of seeing an aquarium, buying it and then discovering its not suited for what you want to put into it.

Fishkeeping can be a very big investment initially, so it pays to ask questions about specific aquariums and equipment before you buy them, and the best place for asking questions about suitability of aquariums and equipment is on a site like this where you will find people with experience of the type of aquarium and equipment that you have your eye on buying. Reading member experiences here is better than reading aquatic vendor website reviews cos they can be dishonest (as in done by the vendor themselves to tweak sales). People here will give you a warts and all account of their experiences and that will help you in making the vital decisions easier.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

In Australia we have a standard size tank that is 3 foot long x 14 inches wide x 18 inches high. We also have 3ft x 18in x 18in. The next size tank up is 4 foot long x 14 inches wide x 18 inches high. We also have a 4ft x 18in x 18 in and 4 x 2 x 2ft. The 4 ft tanks won't fit in your space so a standard 3 ft tank or a 3 x18 x18 would work.

If you get a cabinet it will add several hundred dollars to the price compared to a standard metal stand. Hoods will add to the price as well. If you want a marine tank, then either avoid a hood or get a hood with an open top so the heat can come out. Light units can heat up underneath an eclosed hood and raise the water temperature in the aquarium. If this happens when it's hot outside, the water temperature can get too hgh for corals and cause them to bleach and die. It can also kill fish if the temp gets too high. Victoria isn't too bad for most of the year as far as temperature goes, but it can get hot in summer. If the house is air conditioned, then heat is less of an issue.

If you go for a full coral set up with all the fruit, you could spend $5 - 10,000 on setting it up. However, you could do it a lot cheaper if you collect your own sea water and live rock from the ocean. And if you keep a few small corals and let them grow. Lighting is a major cost after the tank and stand/ cabinet. Good light units will set you back a couple of hundred dollars. You can spend more if you want, but there are plenty of good brands that are significantly cheaper than the top of the line models, and they all do the same thing.

If you have a fish only marine tank, or fish and live rock, you would do a water change every 2 weeks and clean the filter once a month. Protien skimmers should be monitored because they can produce a lot of gunk suddenly. Some protien skimmers can have a hose attached to the collection cup and run into a 10 litre bottle or bucket so they don't need to be monitored as much.

If you have a coral tank with a couple of small fish, you might do a water change once a month and you would have to add supplements like calcium, strontium, etc, a few times a week. This can add to the maintenance price.

Setting up the tank is the same as for a freshwater tank. Fill the tank with sea water, get the filter running and add a source of ammonia. Let the tank run for a month or so until the filters have developed the beneficial bacteria, then add some fish and corals.

You can run coral tanks without a filter. These tanks have lots of live rock and a 4-5 inch thick layer of sand on the bottom. You add the live rock and a few days later, add some corals or fish if the water is good. Keep the feeding down and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels. The beneficial bacteria on the live rock consumes the ammonia and converts it into nitrite and then nitrate. The anaerobic bacteria inside the larger pieces of live rock, and in the sand, convert the nitrate into nitrogen gas and remove it from the tank. This type of set up can go for months or even years without a water change but you have to top up the tank with distilled or reverse osmosis water. And you have to add minerals on a frequent basis (usually several times a week).

Regardless of the filter or fish vs coral set up, most marine tanks do better if they have a refugium attached to them. This is usually located in the sump underneath the main tank and contains macro algae that help remove nutrients form the water.

Unfortunately most of the people on the forum do not live in Australia and won't be able to help you with prices because the dollar isn't worth the same around the world and different countries have different tanks and set ups. Your best bet for prices is to ring around a few shops or go to them (depending if you want to brave the covid front) and make a list of things you want and get quotes for them. Then compare prices online and to each other. You might even be able to find a cheap tank secondhand on eBay or Gumtree or somewhere like that.
 

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