What is the single best purchase you have made in Reefing?

[Bato367]

I have a refractometer and to dial in my tank I purchased some BRS Refracto-Juice calibration fluid. Calibrated it and it was way off. It would read 1.025 but was actually 1.020. Calibrated it, increased salinity slowly and thought I was done.

Well, I needed to verify some temperatures anyways in order to dial in my heater controllers, so I went to my LFS and purchased the Hanna Salinity Checker which also reads temps. I checked my tank salinity with the Hanna and guess what? The salinity was STILL only at 1.020! I calibrated the Hanna twice with the cal fluid and verified it! After cal it read the calibration fluid at 35 ppt. Spot on.

So, lesson learned, I cannot trust those refractometers.

The Hannah Salinity checker is the single best purchase I have ever made in Reefing, hands down.

What is your best purchase?

Since dialing in my salinity, my corals have never looked better.

 

[sfin52]

Mine is my t5 fixture

 

[Acros]

I have 2 Milwaukee digital salinity meters. I know it’s crazy, but I like the redundancy.

Best part is that I paid under $80 for both combined.

 

[Boss]

Kessil refugium light or my Neptune Trident

 

[Paul B]

My Jeep, so I can back up to the ocean and suck out water to pump into vats,

 

[Bato367]

Kessil refugium light or my Neptune Trident

I bought a used H80 for my fuge. I do love that also.

 

[SPS2020]

@revhtree Should this thread be in the 'Reef Chemistry' forum? It might get more exposure elsewhere.

 

[SlugSnorter]

My Jeep, so I can back up to the ocean and suck out water to pump into vats,

gonna pull off an ocean heist?

 

[flashsmith]

An old school hydrometer. My Hanna salinity tester is always off by 2-3 points. A better topic would be.. What's caused you nearly instant buyers remorse. I have all kinds of that stuff.

 

[Projects with Sam]

The fish tank

 

[SlugSnorter]

An old school hydrometer. My Hanna salinity tester is always off by 2-3 points. A better topic would be.. What's caused you nearly instant buyers remorse. I have all kinds of that stuff.

100 dollar amazing looking zombie clown that was fully "QTed" by my old LFS. It had brook and nuked my tank. Rip Gumi the clown and Hector the Hector's goby that ate out of my hand sometimes

 

[90's reefer]

Tunze 9430dc. Its a quiet beast that requires no adjustment.
You dont even have to turn it off to clean the cup.
Imo, the most underrated dc skimmers available.

 

[workhz]

My ATO followed by simple LED lights (because when I first started I had ballasts and VHOs and wires everywhere) and then a wifi power strip so I can turn things on/off with my phone.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Every component is vital for the success to my reef. Hard to pinpoint to one single item.

Apex - to monitor my ph in tank and kalk stirrer control my equipment
Kalk stirrer to easily maintain my kalk and calcium
MP40 to move the water effortlessly
Radions to light up my beautiful corals and fish
ATO reservoir to make my life easier

But if I had to choose one, it would be my salifert KH and Calcium test kits. I test my water so much during the setup phase... I have complete confidence in them and the test is so easy compared to Hanna and Red Sea. I only test my calcium one a week to verify my levels haven't dropped and my KH every other day as that fluctuates more. I am still trying to dial in the Kalk stirrer.

 

[BanjoBandito]

For me it's the digital testing equipment. My Milwaukee digital refractometer and my hanna HR nitrate and ULR phosphate checkers along with the ALK checker has made everything a lot easier. In under 10 min I can get all my parameters and daily tests done.

 

[rmorris_14]

I have a refractometer and to dial in my tank I purchased some BRS Refracto-Juice calibration fluid. Calibrated it and it was way off. It would read 1.025 but was actually 1.020. Calibrated it, increased salinity slowly and thought I was done.

Well, I needed to verify some temperatures anyways in order to dial in my heater controllers, so I went to my LFS and purchased the Hanna Salinity Checker which also reads temps. I checked my tank salinity with the Hanna and guess what? The salinity was STILL only at 1.020! I calibrated the Hanna twice with the cal fluid and verified it! After cal it read the calibration fluid at 35 ppt. Spot on.

So, lesson learned, I cannot trust those refractometers.

The Hannah Salinity checker is the single best purchase I have ever made in Reefing, hands down.

What is your best purchase?

Since dialing in my salinity, my corals have never looked better.
View attachment 2554807View attachment 2554809

I have a refractometer and two different swing arm hydrometers . The second one just came in the mail to see if it lined up with either two. All read differently with the same tank. I have to calibrate my refractometer almost every use. I don't know what to trust anymore. HAHAHA

 

[rmorris_14]

To answer your original question, for me its my powerbar. My tank set up is very low tech and beginner compared to others but this powerbar makes switching things off and on a dream.

 

[tharbin]

An aquarium.

 

[GoReefin]

My auto top off! When my tanks were at work over the weekend things got a bit dicey with my water volume

 

[EricR]

For me it's the digital testing equipment.

Hanna digital checkers for me,,, but I'm color-blind.
Now my oldest son doesn't have to be bothered testing w/color-based testers (at least not as often)

EDIT -- just saw last post:
Yeah,,, ATO too!