OPINION: You should only buy high-end aquarium equipment

[Marine Depot]

OPINION: You should only buy high-end aquarium equipment
Sale ends 8/18/14

How can a hobbyist be sure the equipment they are buying is built to last? Does high-end always equal high-quality?

[Boggers]

I like many points of this opinion article but disagree to some degree. I would say buy the correct things first and do not get into a "I can upgrade that later" mentality.

Like, I do not need the highest skimmer, but a good one that can handle my system and then some.

[farkwar]

Depends.

 

For example, that Hydor ATO is one of the least expensive commercial ATOs. $72 on sale now from MD.

 

And probably the best, not only snail proof, but stomatella proof.

 

I have hundreds of stomatellas now, majority of which can enter any snail guard*. It has LOW reservoir alarm, high water alarm, and has wave resistant hysteresis.

 

 

Another exception. I bought the SuperMax SpectraPure DI cartridge. If cost 4 times as much as DIY DI resin, and lasted about the same gallonwise.

 

*I have to clean out stomatella pate from my return and skimmer pump about once a month.

[Superdave]

I agree with both of the above posts.

 

In my experience, you typically "get what you pay for" but that doesn't mean less expensive equipment (which is very relative) won't still perform sufficiently. I've bought high end, German made pumps and cheap(er) Chinese light fixtures and been happy with both. All mechanical equipment will fail/wear down eventually and most people have some sort of budgetary constraints so "high end" does have it's trade-offs.