Do you need all that stuff?

[Zuma]

My tank must hate me for using a api calcium test kit lol

Wurd!! Started with salifert test kits and picked up API CA, dKH and N03 test kits at the LFS and they seem just as accurate to me, not any better or worse then the salifert just less expensive.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

the good thing I guess is if they are off they are off big time so it’s an obvious error, not like reading 10 when you’re actually at 7.

Yea thats why when my API kit both dkh bottles read 9-10.. and the salifert read 16+ i was like no way that salifert is way wrong.. lol

 

[MARK M. DAVIS]

It's like any hobby! Buy what you want, take whatever risks you want, expend your time in what you think is necessary. I usually buy golf balls, and great clubs if I plan on golfing more than a few times a year. Everyone has their own perspective.

 

[kwirky]

It's like any hobby! Buy what you want, take whatever risks you want, expend your time in what you think is necessary. I usually buy golf balls, and great clubs if I plan on golfing more than a few times a year. Everyone has their own perspective.

Things don't die when playing golf. Due to the ethics of keeping animals the aquarium hobby demands a certain level of responsibility from hobbyists.

 

[aqua_code]

It all depends on your time and ability to keep the water parameters stable. Most of the extra equipment is to extend time between water changes, improve water quality, or promote fish/coral health. Everything can be done manually, but it's much harder to keep consistent parameters when you aren't automating everything. This is especially true for corals very sensitive to changes like SPS.

Also, a nano tank is even harder to keep the parameters stable with the low water volume. Here are a couple examples:

• if you are diligent about water changes and can keep phosphate low, there's no reason to buy a skimmer.
• if you are testing alk and calcium, and know your tanks upkeep on these elements- you can manually dose without a dosing pump
• Instead of buying expensive alk supplements, you can turn baking soda into sodium bicarbonate. This can be used as an alkalinity additive and increases ph.
• If you have the time to do ATO on your own everyday, no need to buy all the equipment. I don't recommend this with corals.
• etc...

Once you start doing all these things manually for years - you will want to buy the equipment to make the tank more self sustainable.

 

[Marie7]

Take this with a grain of salt because I'm new to saltwater tanks. But... do we really need all these expensive upgrades and equipment???

As I'm sitting here testing the water in my stock 32g biocube with my API test kit. (Which everything is perfect and right on track so far to my knowledge.) I can't help but question the forums and post that suggest you need to upgrade everything in your biocube and you also need the most expensive test kits. As a new person in the hobby it's a little overwhelming that this is suggested all the time as if I'm unable to do this without alot of $$$.

Honestly .... i dont do either those upgrades if my tank its good, so far mine is doing good too, i keep it simple, no corals except live rock and few damsels, check the main stuff and thats it, the least u monkey around with your tank as long is doing good the bettee to it, i believe that many. Of these upgrades its jusz to keep up with the latest tech and thats it.