Is this hobby cheap or expensive?

[aquitori]

Is this hobby cheap or expensive? Should it be expensive or should it be cheap?

[Bern]

Who cares?

It is worthwhile!

rgds BERN

[johnsmith]

.It is kinda expensive. But unlike say boating/sailing, car racing etc it doesn;t look too expensive initially. I think the Brits know koi keeping is expensive compared to the initial understanding of their American cousins.

We tend to come to appreciate the costs as we taken 'step' moving towards the real hobby with each new pond we build.

With koi ponds one hidden expense initially is the utility costs associated with large ponds. Large ponds = large pumps, airators, lights, answer units, blowers, heaters, chillers, UV lights etc.
The increase in oil prices has had a direct impact on my/our utility prices! As if you didn't notice! LOLs. My last bill for electric was $370. Forget about my heating bill! This past winter the monthly cost of heating made me go out and check to see if I had a roof on the house?!

JR

P.S. speaking of the rising costs of life, have any of you been to this sight and appraised your house? I did and it is within $24,000 of an actual bank estimate. Spooky!

http://www.zillow.com/

[keokoi]

The Hobby is not cheap.. But I try not to think about it.. But then again I am not looking to buy koi every second I got.. I am happy to look at my chuppa and know they are healthy, happy and alive..

JR, that site it pretty darn close to market price.. Pretty scary..

Joe

[aquitori]

That site is the BOMB!!! 2 thumbs up!!!!

[Brutuscz]

I was in the reef hobby up until a month ago. That was more expensive to keep running. Added about $200 to my electric bill (halide lighting 1200 watts!!) I spent about $80 per month for distilled water alone. This hobby is not as expensive to keep up...but it depends what you want to pay for a koi....$100 or $100,000!!!

[Regenmeneer]

This hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you like.

If you have a simple, small pond with a few mutt koi bred locally, you can enjoy this relatively cheap.

If you build a regular koi pond, with some nice koi in it, price will go up.

If you build a large, state of the art koi pond, with show class jumbo, prices would go through the roof.

So in short, the hobby can both be cheap and expensive.

While on the subject. I really get annoyed by the way the media is covering koi shows over here. The Arcen show is coming up, and sure enough there will be tv stations and radio covering or having an item about the show. And the only thing they ever focus on is how expensive a winning koi is. They pick the GC, and tell the world what it's (over) estimated cost is. They never tell you that this hobby is also within reach of the common man. Especially when famous people visit a show, coverage rises and estimated prices go astronomical.

Sorry for rambling on.

[Joansmithe]

Well I was in marine fish/inverts from 1972- 1989 on a cazy mad level!! A 600 gallon, 2 X 240 gallons, 2 X 90 gallons and a 200 gallon cube! Here's the funny part----- it was so high maintenance and SOOOOO expensive ( some angels cost me $275 !! LOLs) that I got into koi in 1984 to make life simplier and to save ---- wait for it--- MONEY!!! NOW , one of my koi costed more than one of my xomplete 240 gallon setups- fish included! LOLs, JR

[keokoi]

JR, I always feel bad when I buy dog food versus koi food.. My dogs I get more of an enjoyment than my koi.. But the koi food is like quadruple of what the dogs eat..

I also was in reef hobby.. My first trip to Japan I sold my reef tank and that paid for 1 fish.. Most I have spent in that hobby for live stuff was those damn tridacna clams..

Joe

[Joansmithe]

Yep those clams are pretty pricey when you consider the cost of the ones in the clam sauce!

My most expensive fish were in the 600 gallon tank- all angels and tusk, a few heniocus and gaint butterflies. I think the Emperatus and the scribble were expensive ones? Or maybe the magestic, or blue face? I would shuck live clams , by the way, and they would go nutzzz pecking at the clam flesh.

But between the guilt I felt, especially after coming back from a dive trip and looking into a tiny 600 gallon 'box' and the ocassional death of a favorite, I just one day, couldn't do it anymore. Know what I mean? JR