Over the top

I've build myself a hell of a system! Now with some of the components not yet installed for diversed reasons , and its been 2 months that my tank has been running with out them and i'm starting to wonder if i really need them. Does anyone has that impression on some of their stuff.

Example. My Apex Neptune Controller is not set up yet because near the end and its seem i'm not the only one we seem when it comes to big system run out of steam or motivation. Specially when its been a while you've been building it. So my temp probe, ph probe, orp probe, aren't plugged in obviously and neither is all the cotrolled function yet, i don't have a router yet. For X reasons, the point is , some of those gadgets , im starting to think i may not replace when the time comes. Any of you started with all these and not reorder them after the first try, because they were not usefull or necessary, or relevent to your tank ?

Its my first big system and i was going to the max , as of now everything is running so well and without all these, just wondering.



Don't mind the plumbing and the wires i went for a theme, a Borg look




Another example was the salinity probe i defaulted on that, it was $139 for the probe + $ 95 for the module adaptor thats $235 for salinity that you have to replace every 18 months or so . So , i chose this;



Its $95 , portable so i can use it anywhere at friends, i can use it to sample arriving bags, unlike probes that can't leave the tank's water. And its permanent , don't need to replace it after a year, or so. It more flexible and practicle. Thats what i'm leading on with the usefullness of things....

With the size of my refugium 75 G , half the size of the Reef ; i'm hopping to get rid of my GFO and let it take over and be more natural oriented. I know guys still with only sumps and t5 doing better than others with LED's Halides and with biopellets and other reactors sold on the market. Are we becomming to gadget oriented and less practicle hobbyist . Thats what i was thinking about and reflecting on, any comments?




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Actually, I learned from others what is needed, and what just gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Putting on the Brakes: How Much is Too Much?

 

I like to keep it simple myself. I'm looking at getting the reefkeeper for dosing since I do that twice a day. I also want to use a salinity probe as a cutoff for the ato. If it senses too low SG in the sump it will turn of ato pump. As for the Ph and temp probe that comes with it, I can take it or leave it.