I’d be lying if I said the current economic struggles have not effected me. I find myself cringing at the word tranche. I am in dismay at my savings and investments. I’ve watched many of my closest friends and peers be laid off. Those are just a few, but I could go on and on. From [...]
I’d be lying if I said the current economic struggles have not effected me. I find myself cringing at the word tranche. I am in dismay at my savings and investments. I’ve watched many of my closest friends and peers be laid off. Those are just a few, but I could go on and on. From Wall St. to retail, to marketing… it’s a very difficult time for nearly all industries.
The swings and changes we’ve seen over the past few years are astonishing–we are truly wading our way through uncharted waters… and it’s not going to get better any time too soon. At the end of the day Reef Aquaria is a hobby and a luxury, making large purchases difficult during trying times.
As I too have become more frugal in my reef related expenditures I find myself resorting back knowledge I gained from my early years in this hobby. At the age of 10 I secretly set up a a 10g nano reef in my bedroom while my parents were at work. (Yeah I was sneaky one, I’ll have to tell that story another time.) Drawing from my early experiences as a young kid in an expensive hobby, here are a few suggestions to make your dollar stretch farther.
Lighting
While still far from generally accepted, aquarists are starting to see that they do not need to light up their entire tank. It’s the corals that need the light, not the sand, glass, or overflow. By sizing lights appropriate to your rock work/corals, and not the overall dimensions of your tank you can typically use lower wattage bulbs and/or fewer of them. A great example of this is a local aquarists and friend mcliffy2. Rather than stretch T5s over his entire tank he went with a smaller unit to allow adequate high and lowlight areas for this corals. To the casual viewer you would not notice his light is shorter than his tank.
Heating
Most fish and corals can handle sub 75F water. For those of us living in cooler areas, take a look at your heater settings. Heaters use a tremendous amount of electricity, but if you’re animals can take a few degrees cooler why waste the energy? Finding a balance between the heating of your aquarium and your home can shave some $$ off your utilities each month.
Feeding
If you feed a lot, frozen food costs can accumulate quickly. Rather then buy pre-made food, try making your own. Not only is is much less expensive, it is often more nutritious than store bought brands. If you’re lost on where to start, the book Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman has a very popular recipe. Just make sure you don’t buy any Borbonius at the seafood market…
Equipment
As much as I love new equipment, second hand is not a bad thing either. Equipment junkies often upgrade for no good reason, leaving perfectly good and high quality pieces up for sale. If you’re looking for something in particular, reach out to your local club. Odds are someone has something lying around.
Corals
Coral fragments are one of the best things about reef aquaria. Although the hobby as a whole has drifted from the trading mentality to a buying one, if you reach out you can likely find a group of aquarists who are interested in trading regularly. This is a terrific way to add diversity to your reef with out spending $$. Additionally selling fragments can also help support regular purchases like salt & supplements.
DIY
Recently there has been a surge in high quality DIY projects. (Take a look at this & this) If you have the ability go for it. DIY projects can save a considerable amount of money and best of all can be tailored to your exact needs. If you’re like me and cannot match the ability of the above two projects, find someone that can– It’s still usually cheaper. Reach out and find the who’s who of reef DIY in your area.
Has the economy effected your purchasing habits? Feel free to add your own suggestions as we all tough it out during these financially dismal times. As always I look forward to hearing your feedback and stories.
Happy Reefing
