Must Have/Best Of list for Success

[Dowtish]

I was thinking we should make a "best of" or "must have" list of equipment that you think helps make you a successful reefer. Some things are looked at as luxuries or not necessary, but then once you get them, you wonder how you went that long without it. Also I think their is always going to be opinions on what is better or more reliable, but with a lot of things in this hobby, you get what you pay for. So let's post what we have had great experiences with, and even mention things that you shouldnt waste your money on.

I will update the list as we add to it. Go!

Must Haves

1. Quality Heater- Eheim jager
2. Quality Test Kits for ALL parameters- Salifert, Hanna, Red Sea, and actually use them.
3. RO/DI with TDS Meter- BRS, Spectrapure, Buckeye Field Supply
4. Protein Skimmer- Reef Octopus, SWC, Vertex, Bubble Magus, Tunze, Reef Dynamics, RLSS
5. Refractometer-
6. Quality Lighting- T5 bulbs-ATI, Geissmen-- LED- not 1watt- Metal Halide-phoenix,ushio, hamilton, reflux 12k, radium
7. Power Heads- Tunze, Ecotech, Hydor, Sicce
8. Quality Salt Mix
9. Porous Live Rock
10. Algae Turf Scrubber--DIY-Santa Monica
11. Clean up Crew/CUC-- Snails, hermits etc.
12. Saltwater/Marine Aquarium Books--The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, The New Marine Aquarium
13. Magnet Glass Cleaner
14. Reef2Reef member
15. High quality Thermometer or Temp Probe
16. Battery Powered air pump
17.
18.
19.
20.

Luxury equipment

1. ATO--Tunze, JBJ, DIY
2. Controller- APEX, DA Reefkeepers, Reef Angel, Profilux
3. Dosing Pumps- BRS, Drews Doser, Bubble Magus, Marine Magic
4. Calcium Reactor- GEO- Vertex-Reef Octopus
5. Media Reactors for Carbon and GFO and Bio-pellets--Reef octopus, Avast Marine, BRS, TLF, JNS
6. Zeovit Reactor--Korallen Zucht, Bubble Magus, Vertex
7. Kalk Reactor-TLF, GEO
8. Sump
9. Return Pumps- Ecoplus, Danner Mag, reeflo, eheim, iwaki, RO Water Blaster
10. Quarantine Tank
11. Generator
12. Back up Battery/UPS

 

[SloppyJ]

Refractometer for sure!

 

[rajkovich207]

A sump and a controller, I have the most basic rkl and I wouldn't run a tank without one, or a better one of course

 

[dwilliams87]

Auto Top Off is a must.

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[navila06]

good skimmer

 

[calvo15290]

Current maker is in my book


Andrew calvo

 

[Dowtish]

What else? and also comment on specific kinds you like and dont like of what is listed and what you add

 

[calvo15290]

I love my coralia4 it's Perfect for my tank


Andrew calvo

 

[calvo15290]

Koralia 5*


Andrew calvo

 

[calvo15290]

4


Andrew calvo

 

[thegrilledcheesus]

Lighting- for me, par38s, can grow sps on the bottom of my 10 gallon.

 

[lanaandjim]

A wife that is tolerant of the hobby.

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Aqua fire/medic]

A wife that is tolerant of the hobby.

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

This should probably be at the top of the list

 

[McAllyn]

I'm having very good luck so far with:

eshoppes nano skimmer in my 20L
AquaEuro BH100 HOB skimmer in my frag tank sump
eshoppes R100 sump
Maxi-Jet 1200's
Danner Mag Drives 5, 7, and 9.5
JBJ Nano LED fuge lights
Hydor powerheads 425, 750, and 1400
Kent Marine Maxxus HiS RO/DI (older unit, but very reliable)
CPR HOB refugium

I own but haven't put to the test yet:

Reefkeeper Lite
ATI Sunpower
AquaC EV120 skimmer

Things that have been relegated to the storage/junk pile:

Marineland LED lights
Red Sea Prizm skimmer
Brinks Digital timers
Penquin 100 HOB filter
Aqueon 1000 pumps
Deep Sea 24" 2bulb T5 (still using, just can't wait to replace)
Current USA Nova Extreme 48" 6bulb T5 (over my frag tank just because it's too big to store anywhere but over a tank)
Current USA Nova 48" 4bulb T5 (got it used and it was corroded throughout. A fire waiting to happen, so chunked it altogether) These are apparently designated as "use over covered tanks only" which is sort of "not useful" in my way of doing things)

Only thing I have that I would prefer to not have purchased is my Diamond Goby. Only because he NEVER lets substrate settle. He's very messy, but otherwise totally cool.

Mac

 

[shellynjason]

A big handheld magnifying glass (Harbor Frieght) and flashlight (a blue LED flashlight is awesome too) ... for doing those night inspections *smile*. It allows me to see the copepod stages, worm crew, polyp extensions and realize a new creature I never seen before.

 

[solar]

Of everything listed money is the most important factor ever!

 

[jmann124]

Of everything listed money is the most important factor ever!

And time.

 

[bknapp]

The willingness/eagerness to read and do research.