How do you afford so many tanks?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Skimp on everything except education. A sheepskin will get you a better-paying career. Then you won't need to sacrifice so much to keep your hobby flourishing.

A military pension and 6-figure occupation help me greatly with my hobby.
 
Buy used is my best advice! I'm only 19, a full time college student and have a 75, 30 and a 10 gallon going. You can find great deals on craigslist. The cost of a 55 gallon tank is roughly 5 dollars a month as far as electricity goes so I have been told.


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Talk to friends and coworkers, my old manager gave me a 90 gallon tank and a sump for free.
 
Here's a tip that I hope those who live near me don't see. I advertise in the local classifieds around the holidays and tax time; "Aquariums wanted, 100 gallons or larger. No breaks, some cracks considered. Paying $1/gal."
More than 1/2 the tanks I got were full setups for a buck a gallon. I check the dimensions before paying and argue the size if the tank is smaller. A few times, I got a larger tank for the cost of a smaller tank because the seller didn't know his 180 was actually a 240 or a 250 was actually a 300. And, frequently, sellers would agree to sell me a tank provided I also take every other smaller tank for free. I donate the small tanks to the local elementary and middle schools.
 
i made a rookie mistake with my first tank and bought it from a petco. my second and current tank i found on craigslist. its a 72 gallon bowfront and it came with a stand, lids, 2 lights, and a fluval 405 filter for 250 which i still think is a really good deal. im 18 right now and one tank is good enough for me but once i buy my own house i want to be able to afford to build and run monthly a tank or a pond that can hold a redtail catfish, tiger shovelnose, silver or jardini or both if they co-exist. we are probably talkin two thousand gallons or more. my brother plans on movin soon and once i save enough for materials i plan on building a tank atleast big enough to house a tea cup sting ray and others. i was thinking around 175 gallons
 
Make small sacrifices in some areas in order to be able so splurge in others.

Small expenses over long periods of time can add up to pretty large sums of money.

A few examples:
I eat PB&J's for lunch versus going out everyday- Savings over 10 years = $15,600
I use an old "dumb" cell phone with no data plan- savings over 10 years = $8,400
I give myself haircuts - savings over 10 years = $4,000
I never order soda and rarely buy alcohol with meals when I eat out (I typically just have water) - savings over 10 years = $2,500

I can go on and on; you just have to identify what you value and make sure your money goes towards those things and not frivolous stuff.

One of my favorite quotes in regards to finance:

“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”

-Benjamin Franklin
 
people always say to me that with the way I look and the stuff I use, I never really spend any of the money I made. But, I'm broke.
 
The 6 figure job helps and keeping it simple helps in affording nice setups.
 
I'm not sure how other people do it but I do it by simply saving. I don't mind waiting if I know that one day I will eventually have it. I'm currently saving for a discus 180g tank. Not going to the extreme to like not buy toilet paper but rather telling my friends I'm not going out with them that night, etc.
 
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