Do you need all that stuff?

[ZoWhat]

Do we reeeeeeeally need all this equipment to keep a reef aquarium? Y E S

 

[tdlawdo]

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.

Probably used the 10ml instead of 5ml aquarium water or used the wrong chart or doubled the drops when they weren’t supposed to. And yes all the support here is great! Heck I went from a fish mostly guy for decades to double digit corals and part owner in a new salt water store!!! @Bleigh @Hemmdog

 

[AiKkz]

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.

no1 judges here. We were all new hobbyist at one point, and no matter what experience you have this is a hobby of continuous learning! unlike the other forum I came from R2R is about helping, not seeing who’s got the biggest most expensive set up!

 

[tdlawdo]

Frankly I did it on a budget with a biocube twice! Loved them both still have one. But if you have the $$$ and you want them by all means do it how you want! I don’t profess to be any kind of expert by any means. But I spent a year reading and talking and watching videos and then I jumped in and got all the gadgets I could. They allow me to travel with less worries about the tank and all the little lives I am responsible for supplying with the best chance for survival and thriving!

 

[Bleigh]

Probably used the 10ml instead of 5ml aquarium water or used the wrong chart or doubled the drops when they weren’t supposed to. And yes all the support here is great! Heck I went from a fish mostly guy for decades to double digit corals and part owner in a new salt water store!!! @Bleigh @Hemmdog

Congrats! Are you going to tell use which one? I may send you a pm with a guess.... cause I have one

I'd love to buy into a store. I've half considered asking one of the store's here if I can buy in.

 

[Peace River]

Congrats! Are you going to tell use which one? I may send you a pm with a guess.... cause I have one

I'd love to buy into a store. I've half considered asking one of the store's here if I can buy in.

...or a coral aquaculture farm or fish breeding operation.

 

[tdlawdo]

Congrats! Are you going to tell use which one? I may send you a pm with a guess.... cause I have one

I'd love to buy into a store. I've half considered asking one of the store's here if I can buy in.

@dantindad there is a new thread about it. No one saying you can’t but into this one!!

 

[Bleigh]

...or a coral aquaculture farm or fish breeding operation.

Oh,... if I was running something, it wouldn't be a store front. It would def be something that was growing out.

 

[tdlawdo]

Congrats! Are you going to tell use which one? I may send you a pm with a guess.... cause I have one

I'd love to buy into a store. I've half considered asking one of the store's here if I can buy in.

New LFS Build Thread - Lighting by Noopsyche!

I have signed the lease and begun work on my very own LFS! This has been a dream of mine for nearly 30 years. I have come close quite a few times but finally pulled the trigger. I have a partner in the store but not sure they will want to announce who they are so I will let them chime in...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Bleigh]

@dantindad there is a new thread about it. No one saying you can’t but into this one!!

I saw the thread when he first started it! Looks amazing! He said that there was another owner and was going to wait for him to chime in. I immediately thought of you. Either I have a sixth sense or I'm psychic. ;Wacky lol... maybe just good deductive reasoning.

 

[tdlawdo]

I saw the thread when he first started it! Looks amazing! He said that there was another owner and was going to wait for him to chime in. I immediately thought of you. Either I have a sixth sense or I'm psychic. ;Wacky lol... maybe just good deductive reasoning.

Well you are woman and a professor!!! Soooo I’m saying both

 

[EmptyWallet]

A car analogy - yes you can still drive around in a Toyota but if your really into cars and can afford a Ferrari go for it, the driving experience is much more enjoyable...

I'm away 5 days a week, and find comfort in the thought that my 'high end' equipment is reliable and shouldn't fail on me when I'm away. I 'cheaped out' just once with a Jebao cross flow and it just died after 1 year. For the 'critical equipment' my radions/vortechs/tunze osmolator/etc. haven't missed a beat 2 years on - quality = reliability and long life (generally).

If your a newbie and just want some clowns and a yellow tang, massive overkill to go high end and buy gadgets - manual dosing, top off, chinese blackbox LED, jebao pumps (which are good BTW, just the crossflow 'pulsing' 12hrs a day burnt the motor), carbon in a filter bag etc, even a second hand tank.

If you have wall to wall SPS, cheaper unreliable or shortlived equipment potentially leading to livestock loss, not a good idea unless you are home a lot and can react

 

[Bleigh]

Well you are woman and a professor!!! Soooo I’m saying both

You mean all 3 . I don't know why it amused me so to call a sixth sense and psychic powers two different things... but, it has been established that I am pedantic.

 

[tdlawdo]

You mean all 3 . I don't know why it amused me so to call a sixth sense and psychic powers two different things... but, it has been established that I am pedantic.

Indubitably pedantic...just sayin haha

 

[Peace River]

You mean all 3 . I don't know why it amused me so to call a sixth sense and psychic powers two different things... but, it has been established that I am pedantic.

Lol. I just assumed that your psychic ability was your 7th sense and the 6th one was already covered in a post that I must have missed!

 

[rushbattle]

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

It is one of the best Ca kits funny enough. And super cost effective.

 

[Bleigh]

Lol. I just assumed that your psychic ability was your 7th sense and the 6th one was already covered in a post that I must have missed!

Sure... let's go with that! ;Hilarious

 

[Bassmaster116]

One of my favorite LFS has a display that is absolutely amazing i believe its around 150-200g it runs with a hob skimmer. and a couple hydra 52’s jebao doser and occasionally some carbon. thats it. lots of rock, but done amazingly to the point its not just a big wall. it has caves over hangs and whatnot, he uses this tank as a grow out tank. So absolutely no you don’t need it all, yes some people do it to make maintenance easier but in the same respect it can also be one more thing to deal with anyway.

 

[Reklaw]

One of my favorite LFS has a display that is absolutely amazing i believe its around 150-200g it runs with a hob skimmer. and a couple hydra 52’s jebao doser and occasionally some carbon. thats it. lots of rock, but done amazingly to the point its not just a big wall. it has caves over hangs and whatnot, he uses this tank as a grow out tank. So absolutely no you don’t need it all, yes some people do it to make maintenance easier but in the same respect it can also be one more thing to deal with anyway.

I like simple!

 

[Bassmaster116]

I like simple!

ill be in there tomorrow and will take a picture or two it’s honestly my favorite tank.