Your worst and best purchases?

RickG · Mar 23, 2018

best-ati fixture, apex , jebao dosing pump, mp40

worst- pukani, cheap black boxes , jebao return pump(loud), used tank

learned that you should bite the bullet the first time in this hobby, you are usually going to end up buying the expensive option anyways

dsh92056 · Mar 23, 2018

worst: listening to internet reefers who swear by Chinese black boxes, Jeabo wavemakers, ect and buying on the cheap.
Best: Neptune Apex, Kessils, Ectotech MP40's, etc. you get the picture

Kengar · Mar 23, 2018

Far and away worst is the 25o gallon custom tank I got from coast to coast aquariums. Search for other posts I’ve made — too difficult to track them down on iPhone right now — and you’ll see how crappy the workmanship was. I would never recommend to anyone; very disappointed with the tank and my experience dealing with them given what I spent.

Pivitol · Mar 23, 2018

Buy far the worst purchase so far was dry rock, ran a ultra low start up and Hello Dinos!!
Best is a close tie, Lifereef Skimmer, or the BRS 150 gpd water saver upgrade kit.

fish farmer · Mar 23, 2018

Worst: 44 lb box of Haitian live rock from Live Aquaria....it was maybe 7 pieces, large and clunky, no life at all, except for the fruit flies.

Best: 20lb box of Uncured Fiji live rock from Flying Fish Express. It was as fresh as some of the Florida cultured rock.

Gareth elliott · Mar 23, 2018

Worst: either this hob skimmer rio? I think, useless, water level impossible to keep, requires cartridges, dont buy a cheap skimmers. Other choice would be not buying wire management when i started. Fixing that was several weeks of work lol.

Best: eshopps x160 skimmer, silent maintains skimmate with minimum maintenance.

guido5526 · Mar 23, 2018

Worst- ice cap optical ATO, kept over filling and sound alarm.

Best- SB reef lights 32" time model led light, acans and SPS looking awesome

Kengar · Mar 24, 2018

Here we go; this is why I am soooooo utterly disappointed with the Coast-to-Coast tank I bought

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...-or-coast-to-coast.298745/page-2#post-4133554

Go here and scroll up for full details

A Toadstool Leather · Mar 24, 2018

Best: Kessil a350 light. I have been really impressed with it so far despite it being a fairly simple light.

Worst: Coralife protein skimmer for my biocube. It was not bad, but my bioload was far too low to make it useful.

A Toadstool Leather · Mar 24, 2018

Best: Kessil a350 light. I have been really impressed with it so far despite it being a fairly simple light.

Worst: Coralife protein skimmer for my biocube. It was not bad, but my bioload was far too low to make it useful.

rock_lobster · Mar 24, 2018

best close runners up: JBJ frag tank, Jebao wave makers, inkbird temp controllers and wifi smart plugs

Worst: skimmers (aka reef tank killers)

Dr. Dendrostein · Mar 24, 2018

tank o tang said:
What is the worst purchase that sticks out since you started reefing? Your best purchase?

My worst is probably a prism skimmer (absolutely useless) that the lfs sold me as a newb.

My best are my mp40's. I hate seeing any wires in the display tank and love the flow.

My worst spending big money on a show piece dendro, and I killing it.
Best, buy good used 1/4 hp chiller $30. Still running.

wolfpackdl90 · Mar 24, 2018

Worst - Corallife Protein Skimmer and Wet/dry sump.

Best - Media Reactor, Apex, Reef Octopus Skimmer (Space Saver), and 29 gallon tall DIY sump.

fishybizzness · Mar 25, 2018

Worst- cannister filter! Should have just built a diy sump like I just did from the beginning!

Best- By far my tunze nano ato! Filling a 5 gallon bucket once every week and 1/2 beats trying to figure out how much water to add every day by far! I also just got a Apex but haven't set it up yet. I'm sure this will be another best purchase!