I thought it might be helpful to new hobbyist’s to see what my expenses are for my 3 tanks that I have. Here are all of the expenses that I can think of:
Note: This is not including set-ups, costs of frogs or any of the first time expenses such as original fruit fly cultures, cups, springtails, etc.
Take a peek here for my set-up’s.
Electric (will vary based on your electric rate)-
(4) 13 W bulbs (I know the LED is less than a 13W bulb but did not actually measure it)
Each 13W bulb uses .013kW / hr * 4 = 0.052kw/h * 12 hours (length of light cycle) =0.624 kWh/ day * 365 days= 227.76kWh
WeEnergies (my electric provider) charges $.13110/ kWh
Total yearly added cost for electrical = 227.76kWh * $.13110 = $29.86 / year
Water (will vary based on water rate)-
(Monsoon Mister is what I use)
After looking at my water usage, I am going to assume 1 gallon per month for misting, cleaning glass & making cultures.
12 gallons of water = 0.0160416667 ccf (cubic feet is how the utility measures the water)
Utilities Fees:
Water= $1.97/ ccf * 0.0160416667 ccf = $0.0314/ 3 months
MMSD sewer treat = $1.37/ ccf * 0.0160416667 ccf = $0.0220/ 3 months
City sewer = $1.38/ccf * 0.0160416667 ccf = $0.0221/ 3 months
Total of all fees = $0.0755 / 3 months * 4
Grand Total =$0.302 / year
** actual water usage may increase depending on mister settings
Supplements:
$19/6 months = $38/year
($9 for calcium + & $10 for vitamin A)
Total = $38/year
FF Media:
based on Saurian media –
$25 for 40 cultures that will last me 10 rounds of making fruit flies. I typically make 4 cultures at a time and average 1.5 times per month.
So 40 cultures will last me around 6 months.
$50 / year + $20 to allow myself two times a year to quick run to petco/petsmart and pick up some extra flies
Total= $70/ year
Grand Total for 1 year = $138.17 for 3 tanks (1) 10 gallon, (1) 30 gallon tank & (1) 35 gallon tank
This is a good starting point. There is added cost for any plants or extra frogs you buy.
Today’s post is part of the #30postshathSept challenge, post #15!
Like “The Frog Lady” on facebook or follow aapanaro on instagram to get some sneak peeks into the frog lady’s frog room!
The Frog Lady 
One thought on “Yearly Maintenance Cost for tanks”