what is your most important piece of Equipment

I'm just curious on peoples response to this, for me it's the same as when I ran FW tanks, but I'll save my answer as I want to see what others think

Kind of a bias'ed question.
I think, every piece of equipment plays an important role.
But...if patience can ever be considered an equipment, I'd pick that.

For me? My mind and the ability to research and ask questions. That is, by far, any fish-keepers most valuable piece of equipment.

Okay let's try it this way, something other than mind or yourself, something you bought or made. That helps to keep your fish, corals, etc. alive and striving.

Ahh.

Using bio bale, instead of the other bio media. I don't have documented proof, but seem to establish quicker.

Reef master test kit.

50' Python- without it I'd never get all the weekly water changes done.

Laptop-internet research, buy,sale, trade

my most valued equiptment ? my sumps

I have a float_tec pump that I got from a trade, I use that thing for when I move tanks around the house. moving a 125g use to take days, I can do that in 1 hour now. I use it to pump water from and to tanks. it also helps me change the water. I do use prime, and ph control but I age my water to room temperature for bigger volume change.

I would have to say my FX5's.. and figuring out how to do a water change using it.. I can pump out 150 gallons out of my tank in 10-15 minutes now..lol Now re-filling take a bit longer..

sonnys503 wrote:I have a float_tec pump that I got from a trade, I use that thing for when I move tanks around the house. moving a 125g use to take days, I can do that in 1 hour now. I use it to pump water from and to tanks. it also helps me change the water. I do use prime, and ph control but I age my water to room temperature for bigger volume change.

how do you age water by room temp; especially at that amount?

Oh yea and i almost forgot "GENERATOR" !!!!! It's came in handy a few times over the past couple years.. I live in an area where the power goes out several times a year.

copepod propagation tank..it keeps my beautiful Mandarin happy and well fed!

Okay I finally found someone thinking the way I do, All my equipment is important for different reasons but I have to say for me it is a Generator. I personally have two large ones, the fish are always hooked up before the house

I also have a couple Azoo Back up Battery powered air pumps hooked to Sponge Filters in my 300 also.. That way if i'm not home when the power goes out they automatically come on and provide air for up to 10 hours.. Then when power comes back they charge themselves back up.. Glad i bought them.

sorry I wasn't clear on the aged water. I have several 45gallon barrels that I use. fill, prime, ph and pump water from it as needed. sorry not really aged water, nor is it considered cycled water. I used to change water straight from the tap, add prime/conditioner, and PH, 20% or less is cool, but if I did larger volume, I loss 1 fish ever water change.
So now I use the Barrels for changing my tanks, seems to work for me, yes its a PITA. but them fish aren't cheap. I've killed a colony or caribes due to high chlorine, so I'm not risking anymore...
the barrels are stored right next to my water heater down in my basement, so it works out for me. hidden away.

Well...it's not a bullet proof plan.

City of seatac is on the same grid as the seatac airport.

Very good idea, thankfully my reef can go 24hrs w/out anything on if it had too. Since I'm moving in a year I haven't set up an automated Generator system, that will be one of the first things set up on the new place.

hbluehunter, I know what you mean by the Generator. I've suggested to my buddy who has over 50K worth of fish, but no he's taking the risk. I was up in Seattle one year when the power was out for a week, Eerie times, my inlaws had to eat McDonalds every morning for that period of time. I $%^& my pants if i loss power for 3 days, good bye fishies....

Yep, that year when my power was out for like 3 or 4 days.. I lost "4" arowana's, peacock bass, and several other fish.. It was a very bad week for me..

That's tough, that year for me, I only had one generator, so the fish were fine, the fridge good, TV worked, the kids froze if they left the living room. They know the fish come before them

Was this during the snow storm?

It was right around Xmas, but we lose power at least once a year during the winter months

Yea, we had some crazy amount.. We usually don't get that much in everett but that year we did.

Power going out is my fear. I have a generator, but my tanks are in 3 locations & my wife says the furnace & fridge get priority. I can pull the battery from my car and use an inverter on the tank heater for a short period of time though, but have to be here to hook it all up. Even thought about a candle under the tank in the cabinet to keep it warm.

2008 was the year I relocated to Wa.
Man, that was a freakish winter!!

Never really thought about issues like this. This is where a bowfin tank would come in handy they would love that coldwater lol.

tanks are pretty important.

Yeah, I had the gardian generator installed two years ago this month. Been a life saver for my reef and fish a few times. It kicks the entire house on 20 seconds after the power goes out.
Other than that the entire filtration system is the most important equipment. And equipment that creates flow in the DT. My return pump was out for a couple days and my DT did without circulation to & from the sump for all that time. The power heads in the DT creating flow kept the "in tank" filtration going on its own. No ill effects on fish or coral.

i dont have a generator sadly... but i do have a Emergency Power pack tht is also a surge bar(BOX) so atleast i cna keep heaters goin with extension cords...

yes the generator is very important.. i have my gen hooked up to my house with a genset emergency box .. power out -box kicks generator on within 60 seconds and the whole house is powered .. there sweet ... and if you know anything you can do it yourself . a 6500k gen and the box all bought at the agro store .. costs about $700