When I started I took water sample to my LFS and had them checked. They usually told me I needed a water change, as my nitrate or my phosphate were a little high. I complied.
But I realized that my fish were doing well, and my chromis were spawning many times a year, and therefore must be doing well.
So I stopped checking and just do water change around once a month and add MacroBacter7 on occasion.
I also do not have a skimmer. I use a good HOB filter (Tydal), a heater, LED light and a power head. I posted this mainly because I am often astounded by the number of equipment people buy for their aquarium. I personally think that the reason I succeeded though very ignorant at the begining, was that I had a ton of Live rocks and many, many hiding places for my fish, which prevented stress. I also realized, that corals must be harder to grow, and I am not going to try.
My tank is not a work of art, but I enjoy my fish and they seem happy. That is enough for me.
In a smaller 40G aquarium, I have started macro algae. The fish in it and the plants are doing well too, though It took a while before the macro took off. I now have enough to feed my rabbit fish and my angel fresh macro once in a while.
Same equipment, HOB filter, heater, LED light and small power head. These fish are 2 firefish, 2 pajama cardinal and 2 scissor tail gobbies. These are younger fish, as I had to rehome my 4+ year starry blenny to be able to have macro. So the firefish are only 1year, pajama 9 month and scissortail 6 months.
