OK so I have been looking around and really, the old saying you get what you pay for is true and is wrong. Some of these expensive pieces we buy are good quality yes but there is some really cheap stuff out there that works. For instance, I have had a Jebao DC pump running my system for the last year since they came out and not a single problem. These are much cheaper then Neptune or Sicce or any other big names. There are controllers you can by on Amazon and yes I am a Prime member because dang there is some good ..... on there. I bought a controller that monitors my ORP, PH, Temperature, Alkalinity and Salinity for 200 and less. Sure they don't have the online computer monitoring but hey wait a minute. Are you guys looking for convenience or what are you looking for? Do you find that these products keep us out of touch with our reef tanks because they make it so easy? Taking down your own readings and calculating yourself keeps me in touch with my reef, makes me think about and I like that. Sure it would be easier but I'm not ready to hand the decisions about whats going on in my reef over to a computer. I keep in touch, i still feel the water with my hands and I can tell you I know how Alkaline and Acidic water feel like, there is a difference. You can do all these things without expensive equipment it just takes a little more work and some people these days are getting a little too lazy about it,
So if you can buy a Jaebo at the same "quality, efficacy, and longevity" as a Sicce, Ecotech, or Tunze, I don't understand what all the fuss is about?
Do you run a heater on your tank? If so, a machine is making a decision about your tank for you..... It's been proven - a computer can make data based "decisions" more accurately and more quickly than a human. It's the reason some cars can slam on the brakes for you.....
And yes... I spend a large amount of my time at work, and I need something that can take care of my tank while I'm at the office. Or asleep. Or doing something with my family.
I'm training myself to be able to test alkalinity and temperature with my finger tips. I'm not there yet, and until I am, I'm going to have to rely on these pesky, expensive test kits and controllers to do it for me.