What will it cost?
Rough costs in Canadian dollars, before you commit. The price of the animal isn't included.
A fish-only tank
Saltwater costs several times what freshwater does, mostly in equipment and electricity. Buy the equipment once, and buy it for the tank you'll end up with.
- To set up
- $1,400 – $4,300
- Before it comes home
- Each year
- $650 – $1,650
- About $54 – $138 a month
- The first year
- $2,050 – $5,950
- Set-up plus a year of keeping
- Over its lifetime
- $4,650 – $37,300
- Usually lives 5 to 20 years
Before it comes home
- Tank, stand and sump$600 – $2,000
- Pumps, heater, skimmer and light$500 – $1,500
- Rock, sand, salt and test kits$300 – $800
Total$1,400 – $4,300
Every year after
- Salt and purified water$200 – $500
- Food$100 – $250
- Test kits and filter media$150 – $400
- Electricity$200 – $500
Total$650 – $1,650
These are rough guides for planning, not quotes. Prices vary a lot by region and by what you choose, and one emergency vet visit can cost more than a year of everything else. The price of the animal isn't included.