Do you fib on aquarium expenses?

[Mike]

For those of us that have to manage expenses with someone else.... are you completely truthful with the amount of money you spend on the hobby?

For most purchases I'll tell it like it is, but I have been known to round the price down a little if asked on some of the more expensive things like the protein skimmer or lights. Eeek.

 

[FinalFins]

Pffffft,

No.

Mother still doesn't know that I spent 55 dollars on shipping fish, when 40 dollars for the fish is already a *wow* moment. hilarious

 

[Mike]

Yeah I forgot that sometimes I mentally block out the shipping costs too! :/

 

[Mhamilton0911]

Nope, not truthful at all. I usually admit 50% of actual cost. It's not the dollar amount that is the issue, I could spend it on anything. It's that "it's just fish" thing, so that means everything must be cheap/inexpensive, duh. My logic is, Hobbies get expensive, if I got into any thing, it takes money to get it going. At least with fish, others can view them and enjoy it too.

Yeah I forgot that I sometimes mentally block out the shipping costs too! :/

C'mon we all know shipping doesn't count!!!

 

[StarGirl]

I do for the most part. He doesn't ask very often unless I buy a light or filter.. something big. He just says ohhhh noooo fish store again?

 

[Demonskid]

What is this shipping you speak of? >w>,

I don't really share expenses with anyone, but I do take care of a physically disabled mother, and she just has to know everything I do/spend money on. I .. omit some things.

 

[blennylover2323]

Lol, am never truely truthful...
But if anybody comments I just say that “it was the only one left and I didn’t want it to be lonely”...

 

[Wrench]

I show no shame in what I spend on this.
I have all my receipts pinned on my wall for everything I have bought, I added it up......I shouldnt have but yeah.....its over 2,000 bucks....

 

[mattgirl]

As long as hubby doesn't ask I don't offer to put a price on anything I get for my water pets. Fortunately I pay the bills and he has never asked It goes both ways though. If he wants something and we can afford it I just say go for it. Last month it was a very nice metal detector. It was a bit more expensive than most of what I have spent on my tanks and fish over the past year.

 

[flyinGourami]

My parents know what I'm buying and how much it costs, but have never added it up. Trust me if they did I wouldn't be here posting this right now.

 

[RyanC14]

I wouldn't say I lie to my mom, but I don't tell her about everything I buy.

I just hope she won't question the new 20g or any of the new fish in it

 

[faydout]

My wife isn't a fishkeeper anymore, but she's had a few monster fish (Oscar's and Arrowana) so she knows what's up. We don't really bug each other about our hobbies at all, and I spend way less on fish than she'd be okay with me spending. I'm the one that does the self regulating, and it isn't because money's tight. I just don't like feeling like I'm spending money frivolously, so I give myself a rough limit on what I can spend every payday.

 

[Utar]

I have to answer to myself about how much I spend on my fish keeping hobby. I sometimes take forever before deciding to pull the trigger and order a new light, or filter. I really enjoy diy on as much of this hobby as I can, stands, etc. In doing so, I feel I am saving myself money, instead of buying a new stand. I also feel the stands that I build for myself are much better, stronger, and last longer than then buying one.

OH and I do lie to myself about how much that new filter cost me, yeah I can do without eating ribeye steaks for awhile. Instead I will eat chicken, to cover the cost of that new light.

 

[MrsPancakes]

My husband has no problem spending money/ time on his hobby of bowling. Still, he gets exasperated by the insanity of my aquarium tinkering, although I spend less money than him. He acts like anything I do with my fish is somehow is a bunch of unnecessary work (it's not) that involves him (it doesn't). Drives me nuts.

 

[faydout]

My husband has no problem spending money/ time on his hobby of bowling. Still, he gets exasperated by the insanity of my aquarium tinkering, although I spend less money than him. He acts like anything I do with my fish is somehow is a bunch of unnecessary work (it's not) that involves him (it doesn't). Drives me nuts.

As far as my wife and I go, we're both working professional adults. She doesn't need me to parent her, and vice versa. Bills, food, and mortgage come out of a joint account, money automatically moves to savings every 2 weeks, and after that and for everything else... she's a grown adult with her own money.

 

[Fishproblem]

As far as my wife and I go, we're both working professional adults. She doesn't need me to parent her, and vice versa. Bills, food, and mortgage come out of a joint account, money automatically moves to savings every 2 weeks, and after that and for everything else... she's a grown adult with her own money.

Same! My girlfriend and I split rent and bills in fair relation to our individual incomes, I pay my own student loans and car expenses, and we've both committed to individually beefing up our savings accounts and investments for upcoming major expenses. Anything outside of that... we can do what we want with. She also knows how much I love my tanks, and really appreciates having them, so no desire to lie about price tags here!

This means I benefited from the added sense of camaraderie when we came to the mutual, mortified realization that I'd blown past the $500 mark on my recent nano tank setup.

 

[KribensisLover1]

I get great deals by using chewy, yet it’s not cheap and you usually get what you pay for in terms of price equaling quality. Imho.

 

[Rcslade124]

Saltwater isn't cheap let's say that

 

[MrsPancakes]

As far as my wife and I go, we're both working professional adults. She doesn't need me to parent her, and vice versa. Bills, food, and mortgage come out of a joint account, money automatically moves to savings every 2 weeks, and after that and for everything else... she's a grown adult with her own money.

Don’t get me wrong, I do what I want. My husband is a simple man who asks for very little and is not big on change. I bring the chaos to his life. I’m colorful, social, and love constant change. I like to describe our relationship as I’m the gas and he’s the break. Both play an important part and provide balance.

 

[Cheesecake]

Didn't think the 5th commandment talked about aquarium lies but I guess times change.

 

[RyanC14]

Didn't think the 5th commandment talked about aquarium lies but I guess times change.

I think it refers to the 5th amendment.

 

[ProudPapa]

I haven't lied to my wife about how much I spend on my tanks. She doesn't ask, and I haven't volunteered any information about it.

 

[86 ssinit]

Funny thread . I filled and set this tank up on fri without saying anything to the wife. Bought 8 more discus without saying anything . Than today when the fish are to be delivered I ran out and bought a 90g from a guy on letgo . Called her on the way to keep an eye out for the incoming fish. She got them made sure they were alive And when I got home before she could give me lip about the fish I had her help me get the tank out of her truck . Good day .

 

[Rcslade124]

Next Tues I will be like I have 100$ in corals being delivered. Need you to get them and float the bags I'll be home at 4.

 

[david1978]

I plead the 5th on both my tanks and truck. Thinking about it i guess I dont have to worry about that any more now do I.

 

[smee82]

The equipment here is cheap cheap like a chicken and i buy everything with my wife so she knows exactly what it costs.
Its like when i got the 110g made the price wasnt a problem, it was the size she didnt like. So i had to get 10cm taken of the length and width but after it was made, delivered and planted she agreed we should of got the bigger one.

 

[YellowGuppy]

I don't pay for this hobby - it pays me! I keep immaculate accounts of how much I've spent, and to date, I've made ~$1.70 back for every dollar I've put into my aquarium. As a result, my wife gets informed every time I sell something: "Oh yeah, I just sold another $10 worth of plants. By the way, do you need cash for anything?"

 

[Cheesecake]

I think it refers to the 5th amendment.

I was kidding lol.

 

[smee82]

I don't pay for this hobby - it pays me! I keep immaculate accounts of how much I've spent, and to date, I've made ~$1.70 back for every dollar I've put into my aquarium. As a result, my wife gets informed every time I sell something: "Oh yeah, I just sold another $10 worth of plants. By the way, do you need cash for anything?"

but are you adding in your water and electricity bills??????

 

[trahana]

I lie about how much the Betta's I buy cost. $40 betta, nope, I don't own any bettas that expensive...

 

[YellowGuppy]

but are you adding in your water and electricity bills??????

Water, no - but I have a small tank, so water changes are roughly the same water usage as flushing a toilet once more per day, which is negligible.

I've never taken the time to calculate electricity usage costs, but I'm comfortable assuming that my 100w heater (on maybe ⅓ of the day), 14w light (on for about ¼ of the day), and HOB filter cost less than the average $50/month that I'm bringing in, so I'm still in the black.

 

[BlackOsprey]

We got a nice "don't ask don't tell" policy around here. My tanks look pretty, I pay with my own money, and I chatter enthusiastically about them so that's good enough for my family. And, they probably think that it's a more respectable hobby than video games.

 

[smee82]

Water, no - but I have a small tank, so water changes are roughly the same water usage as flushing a toilet once more per day, which is negligible.

I've never taken the time to calculate electricity usage costs, but I'm comfortable assuming that my 100w heater (on maybe ⅓ of the day), 14w light (on for about ¼ of the day), and HOB filter cost less than the average $50/month that I'm bringing in, so I'm still in the black.

My water and electricity are my biggest costs. I change about 130+ gallons every week but thankfully my wife never calculates thats so im safe. Although she does always complaim when the bills come in and im only allowed one light on at a time.

 

[YellowGuppy]

My water and electricity are my biggest costs...

When I just started out, I was worried about how much I was going to have to spend on food. That, it turns out, hasn't been much of an issue; half a dozen guppies and a handful of grazing shrimp and snails only eat so much!

 

[smee82]

When I just started out, I was worried about how much I was going to have to spend on food. That, it turns out, hasn't been much of an issue; half a dozen guppies and a handful of grazing shrimp and snails only eat so much!

I spend $1 every 6 months on food here, Thats blood worms and dry feed. mind you I also catch live daphnia myself and have microworms and vinegar eel cultures plus i have 1000,s of shrimp in my tank for them to hunt. I only feed my fish 3 or 4 times a week and could probably get away with less but its so fun to feeed them.

 

[Platylover]

There’s no reason to fib if you just don’t say anything...

 

[CHJ]

I don't pay attention to what I spend. Problem solved!

 

[NBettas83]

The 5th Commandment talks about the Sabbath, the 5th amendment states you won't be held for trial at the capital unless you are held in trial at smaller courts or something like that. I'm confused.

My parents don't really care about the amount I've spent on my tank, my dad even buys some things I was planning on paying for because he supports the hobby a lot.

 

[YellowGuppy]

The 5th Commandment talks about the Sabbath, the 5th amendment states you won't be held for trial at the capital unless you are held in trial at smaller courts or something like that. I'm confused.

The 5th commandment is definitely about honouring your parents; and I'm not American, but I believe "pleading the 5th" is generally more about the bit in the amendment where you can't be called as a witness against yourself.

 

[NC122606]

Nope, no lies here. Bought my Discus for 540. Haha

But... You are not a true fish keeper until you have lied about stocking. Haha

 

[Rcslade124]

I never had to lie with freshwater because it was such lower amounts. But saltwater is a new animal.

 

[MoshJosh]

I can neither confirm nor deny. . .

I definitely tend to round down

 

[Ptera]

As far as my wife and I go, we're both working professional adults. She doesn't need me to parent her, and vice versa. Bills, food, and mortgage come out of a joint account, money automatically moves to savings every 2 weeks, and after that and for everything else... she's a grown adult with her own money.

My husband and I see things similarly. We don't have a joint account, but so long as we can each pay our half of bills, the rest of our money gets saved/spent however we each want to.
He knows I spent $150 on the perfect pieces of driftwood for my aquarium, he was with me when I found them all. Sure, he is interested in the hobby too, but it is this way with our un-shared hobbies as well.

 

[NBettas83]

The 5th commandment is definitely about honouring your parents; and I'm not American, but I believe "pleading the 5th" is generally more about the bit in the amendment where you can't be called as a witness against yourself.

I think we're reading different versions.

 

[JamesVader]

I just bought $85 in plants and said it was only $50 lol so I guess I’m a yes

 

[Mike1995]

Maybe kinda sorta I round prices down...

 

[Cheesecake]

Maybe kinda sorta I round prices down...

Remember. You round by the nearest ten, not 50.

 

[JuiceBox52]

I dont lie about it....I just say "well, when you think about it it's not actually that expensive..."

 

[NBettas83]

I just blew $70 on plants.

 

[FinalFins]

I just blew $70 on plants.

We are in the same boat then. I also bought plants.

"hey 50 dollars isnt that much..."