Automatic vs Manual: Do you prefer having everything automated or doing it yourself?

[Gumbies R Us]

Over the past few years, we have seen many different products come out that have made some task for our reef tank automated, such as water changes, or even water testing. I was wondering do you prefer going automated or do you enjoy doing everything manually? Curious to hear what everyone says!

 

[CasperOe]

I work away for months at a time and my missus have a disability making her unable to keep up with most of the tedious tasks such as testing, water change etc. when I am not home. On that basis, automation is everything to me- without that I simply couldn't be in the hobby.

How, if I had the time I would do most things manually maybe minus the water changes to stay proper in tune with the tank.

However, for me to have stability and continuity I must splash the cash on toys and gadgets. What a shame!

 

[Glenner’sreef]

An automated mixing station is quickly on the horizon. Buckets must stop! Lol

 

[Dbichler]

Water changes for me are semi automated and auto top off. Everything else I like to do.

 

[RichReef]

Like I've said before and I'll say it again ....

The more you rely on electricity and printed circuit boards the greater your chances of failure.

It's not terribly difficult to add 7 half teaspoons of CAL and ALK a night. Test salinity once a week. Test ALK 2 days after a water change.

When I go away I have trusted people to handle everything. It's not difficult.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I work away for months at a time and my missus have a disability making her unable to keep up with most of the tedious tasks such as testing, water change etc. when I am not home. On that basis, automation is everything to me- without that I simply couldn't be in the hobby.

How, if I had the time I would do most things manually maybe minus the water changes to stay proper in tune with the tank.

However, for me to have stability and continuity I must splash the cash on toys and gadgets. What a shame!

Right there with you. I feel like I'm out of town all the time, so doing a mix of automation and manual works wonders for me.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I would prefer automation but I can't bring myself to purchase anything but ato and doser for ALK.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Both….in my younger days I loved being hands on so to speak. It was therapeutic to devote myself. I also am a tech geek so I dabbled in all the gizmos to nerd out while still maintaining a hands on approach. After awhile, I became less and less hands on as the gear made it so easy to skip mundane tasks. It also freed up my time, which as you get older you never seem to have enough of. I am very thankful that I was such a techno weenie as my tank is on full autopilot and when life happened to throw some curve balls at me it has been able to survive despite my neglect. You can do both. It really isn’t an either or situation. Or one is superior to the other. Being a nerd in either approach, or wanting to free up time, or being the type that really doesn’t care about anything other than the beauty of it and doesn’t want to get involved with the day to day.

 

[GARRIGA]

I’m lazy. I automate everything. Too much living to do that won’t happen slaving over nonsense that can be solved more efficiently

 

[iamacat]

I enjoy having the daily tasks automated. Fleece roller, skimmer swabbie and locker, doser. I didn’t enjoy the auto water change as i felt like I wasn’t as in tune with my tank as I am when I manually do it. Found myself less likely to stir the sand or closely inspect the inhabitants. I don’t have a large system tho, if I had a space for a 50+gallon mixing station and more than a 75g system I would AWC it

 

[CasperOe]

An automated mixing station is quickly on the horizon. Buckets must stop! Lol

.. and he never looked back

 

[CasperOe]

Like I've said before and I'll say it again ....

The more you rely on electricity and printed circuit boards the greater your chances of failure.

It's not terribly difficult to add 7 half teaspoons of CAL and ALK a night. Test salinity once a week. Test ALK 2 days after a water change.

When I go away I have trusted people to handle everything. It's not difficult.

As an offshore worker, it is rather difficult to rely on the kindness and skill of people around you half of the year! There's no right or wrong answer here, everyone's gotta do what works for them!

It has nothing to do with 'how difficult' it is or isn't..

 

[fish farmer]

As an offshore worker, it is rather difficult to rely on the kindness and skill of people around you half of the year! There's no right or wrong answer here, everyone's gotta do what works for them!

It has nothing to do with 'how difficult' it is or isn't..

I agree, my trusted cat sitter/tank maintainer leaves town just like I do. At least she moved back to her old apartment so she can swing by my place after work.

I have an ATO with mag addition and kalk on a doser, well fed light fish load that can handle a weekend without feeding. Timers for my lights.

 

[exnisstech]

To this point ato, heat (inkbird) and lights have been my only automation along with dripping kalk 24/7 with a dosing pump on a timer on one system.
I did just receive 3 kamoer f1 dosing pumps that I will be setting up to dose alkalinity. I have to dose 3 tanks but alk is the only thing I have to dose at this point so we'll see how it goes.
I don't travel but with family living out of state and elderly parents there's always a chance I may be called away for an emergency so I decided it's time for a little automation.
I have no desire for a full blown controller. Seeing post about having to basically write code for an apex to work just makes my head spin. I also do not want notifications. If a tank is crashing I don't want to know about it when I'm 8 hours away with no way to intervene. I suppose if I had someone local that could come over in a pinch I might feel differently I have auto feeders in a box somewhere but as fat as my fish are it would be quite a while before they starve.

 

[RichReef]

As an offshore worker, it is rather difficult to rely on the kindness and skill of people around you half of the year! There's no right or wrong answer here, everyone's gotta do what works for them!

Oh I completely understand why some would need it and some don't. My reply was for me and my situation and in the end it's just my opinion based on the level of risk I am willing to take. I don't think I could keep a reef tank if I wasn't around it everyday. That would be way too stressful for me but I applaud people who can handle that and keep a nice tank. I am sorry if I came off the wrong way. I'm not good at articulating through text.

 

[Northern Flicker]

Like I've said before and I'll say it again ....

The more you rely on electricity and printed circuit boards the greater your chances of failure.

It's not terribly difficult to add 7 half teaspoons of CAL and ALK a night. Test salinity once a week. Test ALK 2 days after a water change.

When I go away I have trusted people to handle everything. It's not difficult.

Is it actually greater, though? I've been hand-dosing my whole life, and I forget or mess it up quite often. A computer can do a much better job.

I would prefer to automate everything and just enjoy the growth, but can't afford it. I imagine most people would prefer it as well, long term.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Oh I completely understand why some would need it and some don't. My reply was for me and my situation and in the end it's just my opinion based on the level of risk I am willing to take. I don't think I could keep a reef tank if I wasn't around it everyday. That would be way too stressful for me but I applaud people who can handle that and keep a nice tank. I am sorry if I came off the wrong way. I'm not good at articulating through text.

Welcome to the club! My sense of humor…. Or lack thereof….. is completely lost on these forums. I swear, I’m funny. I mean people don’t punch me in the face at the bar, but here…. Different story

 

[RichReef]

Is it actually greater, though? I've been hand-dosing my whole life, and I forget or mess it up quite often. A computer can do a much better job.

I would prefer to automate everything and just enjoy the growth, but can't afford it. I imagine most people would prefer it as well, long term.

I think it's more work to have everything automated. It's not like it's automatic. It needs maintained as well.

There are a lot of things I don't have to do. I don't have to clean all those automated things. Or keep them full all the time. Or calibrate the probes that may or may not be involved.


I spend 15 minutes a day and a few hours every other weekend. Less than a dog. Less than a cat and it's easy.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I prefer automation for stability. That doesn't mean I can take a hands-off approach though because it requires regular vetting of those automated systems.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I m semi automated. I have timers on my halides and t5, I have a kamoer pump pulling water thru the calcium reactor. And 2 ato,s in case one fails ) I have my skimmer shut down with 3 levels of safety. First is air pressure activated. Second is an optical sensor and if those both fail a mechanical float switch. The only fears I have is running the sump dry or having my big quad Beckett skimmer decide to go nuts. When it does it can empyn5 gallons in a few seconds. And a litermeter pump on my kalk