Ever feel like people overly complicate this hobby???

[sicxspeed]

hahahahahaha

 

[rallysman]

Exactly. If I never wanted to face any complications, I wouldn't have taken aquaria as a hobby.

Nor do I see what is wrong with using chemical media (carbon, purigen). It ensures the water quality stays in-check. That is the most essential part of keeping fish alive. Biological filtiration is simply a nitrate factory and it cannot remove other organics; you either need carbon (or other resins), water changes or plants to remove the rest.

None of that crap is needed to remove DOCs, and I'm willing to bet that they dont remove a lot of them that we can't test for. The only way to do that is by water changes (or plants) which you have stated. If I have to do water changes why should I use purigen? Nothing can replace water changes at the moment.

I expect to encounter complications, but I refuse to create them.

 

[rallysman]

i don't think overfiltrating is overcomplicating fishkeeping. i think people that constantly check params (a guy at work checks his reef tank 5-8 times a day, another guy that keeps discus checks 4-6 times a day), do 30-50% daily water changes and add chemicals often are overcomplicating it.

i know it sounds strange, but i don't see having multiple types of filtration as overcomplicating fish keeping. having a couple canisters, uv's and a w/d on a big tank just makes sense.

again

Over filtration and over complication are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

If I have to do water changes why should I use purigen? Nothing can replace water changes at the moment.

Its kinda like postponing the inevitable....

 

[X24]

Ya, but as everything is, you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want it. You can put a nice fancy W/D filter, a UV sterilizer, co2 injection, dose differnt nutrients for your plants, age your water in peat or something of the type to change it to exactly what the fish comes from in nature and have RO water, automatic water changer, feed your fish only live food that come form where they originate......or you could slap on a HOB or sponge filter, feed them flakes and pellets, do a waterchange every week and thats it.

Most of us fall somewhere inbetween there. I know i feed my fish special foods, change water once or twice a week, check temperature by way of stick on therometer every time i look at my tank.....but i don't do much else.

 

[rallysman]

Its kinda like postponing the inevitable....

The thing is I don't trust the stuff to postpone it at all.

 

[AnDr3w]

I am kind of the "2 fish keeper"

2 tanks, 2 thermometers, 2 filters on each, buy most everyfish in pairs and feed ever two days. That ends there tho. I actually think mfk'ing is easy. I test water once a month, do water changes once a week, feed krill every other night and Im done.

 

[unbeatablec]

i knw what u mean, i clean my tank once a month, I never cycled any of my tanks either!!!

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

The thing is I don't trust the stuff to postpone it at all.

agreed...eventually things crash and people are like, what happened?!?!?

 

[unbeatablec]

PS i have a penguin 350 and a aquatech 30-60, I rinse the cartridges once a month, i have 6 big 7" rbp.