Aquascaping is a fantastic hobby to get into! It can be rewarding, and you can enjoy a living, breathing piece of artwork when you’re done. But one of the most common questions is whether this is an expensive hobby.
Chances are, if you’ve surfed the web, you’ll get answers all over the place. You’ll see people complaining that this hobby is a money pit. And you’ll also see people saying they were able to build their entire aquascape almost entirely free.
And both of these groups of people are right…
I know it’s confusing, right? But don’t you worry! I’ll explain exactly what I’m talking about down below…
Is Aquascaping An Expensive Hobby
Just like any other hobby, there are different entry points and starting costs. And with aquariums, this cost is reflected in the type of equipment, setup, and aquascape you want to create.
Aquascaping can be a very affordable hobby, or you can make it as expensive as you want. Getting started with an aquascape can be done with as little as $150-$300 if you are starting from scratch and don’t have any existing equipment. Also, ongoing cost and maintenance is very minimal.
There are ways to lower this cost even further. This is great if you want to get started on a budget and just want to test out the waters before investing hundreds of dollars into the hobby.
But at the other end of the spectrum. This hobby can get ridiculously expensive. There are tanks and stands alone that can reach thousands of dollars. Even fish can reach into the triple digits if you really want something exotic.
But the good news is the ongoing cost of maintaining an aquarium is very small. Most of your costs will come from purchasing the equipment you need to get started.
But I think this is what’s great about this hobby. There is a different level of aquascaping that you can enjoy. Whether it’s your first time and you are trying to stay within a small budget, or you’re an experienced aquarist building your 30th tank…
Below, I’ll list a breakdown of what you need to get started with aquascaping and also tips on how to find budget-friendly options for each of these things.
What Do You Need To Start Aquascaping An Aquarium
There is a bunch of equipment you can use in an aquarium. Some of the items you’ll need are necessary, and some things are optional, depending on your setup.
Here’s a full guide on what you need for aquascaping here.
You’ll learn the most basic equipment you’ll need to get started in that guide in greater detail. But here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need.
- Tank: This is obviously required if you are going to start any aquarium, even if you don’t plan to aquascape it
- Substrate: Another requirement. There’s a huge debate on the best substrate for a planted tank. I’ll leave that topic for another blog post. But the three most popular substrates are aqua soil, an inert gravel, or a capped dirted substrate. Each has its own pros and cons.
- Lights: Another requirement. Your plants will need a full-spectrum light source in order to grow. And it helps with being able to admire your aquascape, too.
- Plants: You’ll need live plants to put around in your aquascape.
- Hardscape: This will be the rock and driftwood you use to aquascape with.
- Fish or other livestock: This is optional. You can get started with just a planted tank, but most people end up putting livestock in their tank once it’s cycled and matured.
- Filter: This can be optional in a planted aquarium, but I recommend you use one if you are a beginner.
- Heater: This is another optional piece of equipment. If you keep your room heated and your take water temperature stays constant with what your aquarium needs throughout the year, then you can get away without using a heater. But if that’s not the case for you, then this will be a requirement, depending on what you keep in your tank.
- Aquascaping Tools: Optional, but they tend to help with planting and maintenance of your tank.
- Water Treatment And Food: You’ll need to feed any livestock you plan on keeping. You will also need a few chemicals like liquid fertilizers for your plants, root tabs, de-chlorinators for your tap water, beneficial bacteria starter (optional but helpful), and possibly other products to help you adjust your water parameters.
And there are loads more things you can buy for your aquarium, like CO2 injection, surface skimmers, auto feeders, full-on sumps setups, etc. But this list is the most common and basic equipment you’ll be looking at when first aquascaping your aquarium.
Now, let’s talk about what you can expect to pay for these items.
Average Cost Of Aquscaping An Aquarium
Now let’s break down a realistic cost of aquascaping an aquarium…
(Keep in mind I’m writing this with a beginner looking to set up their first tank.)
The first thing you want to think of is the size of the tank you want to use. This is a big decision because it will affect the rest of the cost of your entire aquascape.
A bigger tank means a bigger heater, bigger filter, bigger lights, and so on. That also means more money you’ll have to spend.
Not only will it affect your budget, but it will affect what you can keep in your tank. What types of livestock you can keep, and how many fish, plants etc.
I think a good tank size for a beginner is between 10-20 gallon fish tank. So, let’s talk about the average cost of what a 10-gallon tank can look like.
$0 to $30 Tank: A brand-new framed tank from Petco or PetSmart costs about $25. You can also wait for dollar-a-gallon sales or half-off days to save even more. And there’s always the option to look for a pre-owned tank on online marketplaces.
$10 to $30 Substrate: I personally prefer aqua soil. You can get an 8lb bag of fluval stratum aqua soil for around $24 dollars on Amazon. Or you can go with inert gravel, which will be even cheaper.
$20 to $40 Lights: You don’t want to skimp out on your lights. This is like the heart of a planted tank. Your lights will also determine what kind of plants you can grow. There are some great full-spectrum lights on Amazon that you can use to grow plants needing low to medium lights.
$15 to $40 Hardscape: You won’t be needing a ton of hardscape for a 10-gallon tank. I suggest finding your aquascape at a local fish shop for the best selection. I was able to aquascape my 10-gallon for around $25.
$5 to $10 per Plant: Plants can be costly depending on how heavily planted of a tank you want to go with. You can also grow and propagate your own plants over time, reducing costs, but you’ll just need a bit of patience. The best deals I’ve found on plants are from local hobbyists with extra plant trimmings they are trying to get rid of. This is a great way to get plants on the cheap side of things.
$10 to $25 Filter: There are plenty of different filters you can go with. Sponge filters, hang-on-the-back, or canister filters are the most common setups. Sponge filters are the most affordable, with hang-on-the-back filters coming in right behind them.
$15-$20 Heater: Plenty of great heaters on Amazon. And if your tank is in a heated room and can keep a stable temperature within the right parameters, then you might not need one.
$2-4 Per Livestock: Lots of people like to go with either a single fish like a betta, a small group of fish like guppies or neon tetras or create a shrimp tank with just shrimp. This is entirely up to you and what you want to keep.
This is what the setup of a new aquascaper may look like. This is great for low-tech plants that don’t require a ton of light or CO2 injection to grow. It gives you the option to stock your tank with a couple of fish if you want to.
And this is a great starting place for beginners just getting into the hobby…
So, what was the grand total when I made my aquascape?
Tank: $13 (half-off sale at Petco)
Substrate: 28$ Fluval stratum aquasoil
Lights: $16 Full Spectrum LED Light On Amazon
Hardscape: $20 for a good size rock and piece of driftwood
Plants: $35 beginner pack from buceplants
Filter: $20 hang-on back filter
Heater: $19 from amazon
Betta: $5 Local Pet Store
Water Conditioner: $15 for a de-chlorinator and bacteria quick start
Grand Total: $171
Now, this is obviously a beginner-friendly budget setup. This is great to get into the hobby and see how well you like it.
You can also save even more by buying used, buying local plants and hardscapes from local hobbyists, and more.
But this goes to show you that with a little bit of creative thinking and some deal-finding. You really don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to start aquascaping as a hobby.
What’s The Purpose Of Aquascaping
If you are still wondering why you should aquascape versus keeping a plain Jane aquarium, then be sure to check out this article on what is the point of aquascaping.
There, you’ll learn that aquascaping is much more than designing the look of your aquarium. Aquascaping can be a therapeutic hobby where you can express your creative side.
Not only that, but you’ll be creating a better and healthier environment for the fish you keep.
Conclusion To What’s The Cost Of Aquascaping An Aquarium
Yes, the aquarium hobby can be an expensive hobby. But it’s expensive to those who truly enjoy this hobby and want to create more and better aquascaped aquariums.
But that doesn’t mean that it has to be expensive. You can still get started and enjoy this hobby with a few hundred dollars.
You won’t be creating a contest-winning aquascape with a budget build, but you’ll still be able to get started and create something you can enjoy.
And that’s really the best part about this hobby. It is to be able to create a living ecosystem you’re happy to look at each and every day.