Only 100% necessary upgrade is the intank baskets imo. The stock sponge becomes a mess pretty soon. I cut mine up and used it as media in the baskets as well as filter floss, carbon, and the bio rings. Water clarity improved almost immediately when I switched it.
The stock light and flow were fine for me for a year and a half until I upgraded - as long as you don’t plan on keeping acros or other hard sps you’ll be fine.
The stock light and flow were fine for me for a year and a half until I upgraded - as long as you don’t plan on keeping acros or other hard sps you’ll be fine.