Do you need all that stuff?

[Bleigh]

I don't think anyone was telling you you had to upgrade. These are just observation gained from lots of experience. I think Bleigh said it well:


I think all the fancy stuff (and Im a gadget guy so I have plenty) just make it a bit easier to keep track of levels and provide more information. Some have very successful tanks just by observing the inhabitants, but it takes some time to be able to recognize the signs of something going wrong before it gets out of hand.

This is very true. My first coral died without me realizing it was dieing. I said, this mushroom looks SOOOO pretty, and I felt accomplished by the color I had brought out of it. A week or 2 later it shriveled and disappeared. Now I see mushrooms looking like mine and realize immediately, it's bleaching. If you don't know what to look for, it's hard to diagnose through symptoms... My mantra is to post pictures of everything on R2R and I will get enough opinions that one should make sense.

 

[AiKkz]

Its a mixed reaction in this hobby BUT. . . .
In essence, you need the essentials:
Water movement
Good lighting
Salt mix
Filtration
Protein skimmer- in some cases not necessary
Reliable heater
Reliable test kit(s)

By salt mix you mean IO right?

 

[Sailfinguy21]

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

You be suprised how accurate api can be... My dkh reads 9-10 with spi.. on two salifert kits it read over 16dkh... in the 18-19 range... haha yea no way its that high..

I had another store test it with a red sea kit and it read 9.5 like the api kit was reading.

 

[AiKkz]

You be suprised how accurate api can be... My dkh reads 9-10 with spi.. on two salifert kits it read over 16dkh... in the 18-19 range... haha yea no way its that high..

I had another store test it with a red sea kit and it read 9.5 like the api kit was reading.

That’s rare! Salifert is usually spot on. It reads within .25 of my trident.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Store had two brand new salifert kits.. so they claimed.. and it read off the charts... there is no way my tank was that high not with all lps and sps corals.

If you look online other ppl habe the same issue eith salifert.. one guys kit read 10 thrn his other kit read 16 both salifert

 

[Zos4me]

I think it's like anything in life.the more you put in the more you get out. Money maybe but for most of us on this website it is an obsession not just a hobby.all in or all out

 

[AiKkz]

Store had two brand new salifert kits.. so they claimed.. and it read off the charts... there is no way my tank was that high not with all lps and sps corals.

If you look online other ppl habe the same issue eith salifert.. one guys kit read 10 thrn his other kit read 16 both salifert

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.

 

[Jay Z]

All the extras are not needed. But when you ask the question, it’s because that’s all you see now. The new this, the new that.

For some of us, the equipment and install is a major part of the hobby. I love to tinker. I have a mechanical mind. Sometime I get more enjoyment from my equipment than my tank.

Just depends on what the hobby interest you in. Fish, coral, inverts, plumbing, water movement or the physics of it, mechanical, electrical, shinny things, ohh a penny! I’ll be right back!

When we continue to purchase the latest and greatest, some one is developing the next latest and greatest. So it does move the industry forward for new/better products. Just look how the monitoring systems took off over the last year.

 

[Reklaw]

I'll say this in case it was misunderstood, I'm not saying API test kits are the end all be all but it's what I have, it's what my tank came with so I use it and it seems to work just the way it's supposed to. I'm just saying that maybe rookies need to use what they have if they can. It's hard to get advice like you need this, you need that you need to spend more $$$. When you just spent alot to get into the hobby. This hasn't even happen to me but I have noticed it as I look through the forum. I will say that this has to be the nicest forum on the internet. I was hesitant to join because of past car forums. The fact that I could speak this open-mindly and not get cursed out is amazing. Peace.

 

[Jay Z]

Beginner hobbyist. Experienced hobbyist. No try hard awards in the reefing game or participation trophies.

You can buy every top end piece of equipment out there and without knowledge and patience you will fail every time.

 

[Reklaw]

Now off to try to make this coralife skimmer work because it's what I got.

 

[Bleigh]

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.

/yeah, this makes me wonder if the employee messed up the test. They'd be running way to low on alk in their own tanks if their test was running that off.

 

[Bleigh]

I'll say this in case it was misunderstood, I'm not saying API test kits are the end all be all but it's what I have, it's what my tank came with so I use it and it seems to work just the way it's supposed to. I'm just saying that maybe rookies need to use what they have if they can. It's hard to get advice like you need this, you need that you need to spend more $$$. When you just spent alot to get into the hobby. This hasn't even happen to me but I have noticed it as I look through the forum. I will say that this has to be the nicest forum on the internet. I was hesitant to join because of past car forums. The fact that I could speak this open-mindly and not get cursed out is amazing. Peace.

I think it's pretty nice too. The car forum comment totally made me laugh!

Hey, we're really more of a support group... Like reefers addicts anonymous. We will support and encourage each other. If that encouragement is to buy bigger tanks, more corals, and better equipment.... well that's the kind of support and encouragement I'm okay getting Right @tdlawdo and @Hemmdog?

On a serious note, don't take anyone's advice as the gospel. If what you have is working, that's great. Use it. If you start running into issues, you can keep those improvements in the back of your mind to try.

 

[AiKkz]

/yeah, this makes me wonder if the employee messed up the test. They'd be running way to low on alk in their own tanks if their test was running that off.

Nah, usually LFS are accurate because they are testing so much, for example if they run through a bad kit it’s used up in a couple days. Also if it’s a good top tier lfs like yours then they know what their params are, so if they had a bad kit they would know immediately. I know my lfs test their water params multiple times a day.

 

[mileysmustache]

I am very new to this forum, this is like my second post, so it might bite me in the behind, but this thread resonated with me. I got into this hobby on a strict budget with a Fluval Evo. I ran everything stock for the first 6 months and only recently upgraded my lighting because I got a discount through work. I use API test kits. I don’t have a skimmer. My tank has been very successful, beyond my clownfish pair occasionally getting a little pushy. I’ve only had one loss and it was a Monti frag that I got for free because it was already bleaching. I think one of the plus sides of avoiding all the upgrades is that it forces you to really stay on top of your tank and hold yourself accountable. For the first year, I did my water changes religiously. For the last two months or so, it’s been very stable in there and I’ve just been topping up, dosing as needed, and watching my corals. I pay close attention to everything in there and part of me is relieved I’m not relying on ATO’s or automatic dosers/feeders because I have complete control over those aspects of my tank.

 

[Bleigh]

Nah, usually LFS are accurate because they are testing so much, for example if they run through a bad kit it’s used up in a couple days. Also if it’s a good top tier lfs like yours then they know what their params are, so if they had a bad kit they would know immediately. I know my lfs test their water params multiple times a day.

Lol... It might be my LFS that has me spoiled. I can't imagine them seeing an alk like that and not saying, "Wah, What? Let me test that again." and then opening a new test kit if it still showed that high. I mean, even I have added too many or too few drops, or mixed the wrong powder at times. Or perhaps they had used a syringe to add alk mix to their tanks and then used that same syringe to test the water... Which would explain the reading. I honestly don't believe the alk could have been 17. Had to be an error, whether by human error or test kit error. Super weird.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I'd say if your starting out with an all in one style tank, that normally comes with a pump for the filtration, a light and maybe a heater. The stock equipment will do nicely while your tank is cycling and even for up to the first year, while building confidence in keeping marine animals alive in your own home. Also if anything breaks within that time you should be covered by a warranty. But I'll warn you, while your getting the tank established and building your livestock up. You WILL be searching for people with the same tank as yours and what they equipment they have to make theirs look amazing, now you want to achieve the same results! But they have added pumps, changed this added that, this is where you have to decide if you want to buy all that high end equipment to try get the same result. Not knowing what their journey has been to get there or just upgrade things as you go and go on your own journey and bring us along on R2R by doing regular updates or a tank build.

I have had a few all in one tanks and ended up modifying and upgrading things, but still keep stock things as spares. I have 3 nano tanks and none have high end things on them, no sumps or skimmers. One is a stock fluval 13.5. One is a second hand £5 converted fw tank with a £30 light, in lid trickle filter and heater. My main tank has a black box led light. So no defo no need for high end. Would I like better lights, yes but i cant justify the price (yet)

 

[AiKkz]

Lol... It might be my LFS that has me spoiled. I can't imagine them seeing an alk like that and not saying, "Wah, What? Let me test that again." and then opening a new test kit if it still showed that high. I mean, even I have added too many or too few drops, or mixed the wrong powder at times. Or perhaps they had used a syringe to add alk mix to their tanks and then used that same syringe to test the water... Which would explain the reading. I honestly don't believe the alk could have been 17. Had to be an error, whether by human error or test kit error. Super weird.

Lol there’s several stories of Alk that high and gradually brought back down with no loss.. @melev had an issue a while back I believe! Maybe not 17 I don’t remember exact number but I remember at least over 12/14

 

[Bleigh]

Lol there’s several stories of Alk that high and gradually brought back down with no loss.. @melev had an issue a while back I believe! Maybe not 17 I don’t remember exact number but I remember at least over 12/14

Oh, I'm sure it can get that high. I doubt Sailfinguy's was that high if other tests was reading significantly lower was what I meant. ;Wacky

 

[vetteguy53081]

By salt mix you mean IO right?

Yes