# What's your opinion of the quality of aquarium equipment



## alan'67 (7 Aug 2016)

As the (rather long!) title says, what is your opinion of the quality of today's tank equipment?.
I know you get what you pay for and top quality will always demand a premium, but I am referring to the regular stuff you buy at your LFS and from online suppliers.

 From personal experience, most of the accessories have been overpriced rubbish and a massive disappointment  if I'm being honest.

I was wondering other people's experience and what we can do as consumers to improve the value for money aspect.

I don't mind it being cheap and cheerful as long as it's priced accordingly but mostly, tank accessories are far from that.

Is it a good idea for members to share their experiences of different equipment ,the good points and the bad so at least it will help prevent fellow forum user's from making the same costly mistakes ?.

I would rather take the recommendations of fellow planted tank keepers than smart advertising any day.

Maybe it might lead to better tank equipment and levels of service? .

I don't want to gripe but I really do belive unless we as a group demand better value for money, we will be stuck with the same shoddy overpriced rubbish for years to come.

Phew, I feel better for that!.


----------



## Andy Thurston (7 Aug 2016)

alan'67 said:


> I was wondering other people's experience and what we can do as consumers to improve the value for money aspect.


do your homework before you buy. the internet is a great place to find out about a product before you buy it. if people stop buying overpriced crap then people wont sell it. 


alan'67 said:


> Is it a good idea for members to share their experiences of different equipment ,the good points and the bad so at least it will help prevent fellow forum user's from making the same costly mistakes ?.


yes


alan'67 said:


> smart advertising


quit often means daylight robbery.


alan'67 said:


> I don't mind it being cheap and cheerful as long as it's priced accordingly


I dont, I would rather buy a quality product that lasts for years rather than cheaper products that require replacing more often although just because a product is expensive doesn't necessarily mean its good quality.  for example http://www.aquaristikshop.com/aquaristic/JBL-ProFlora-u502-CO2-Complete-System/128806/ not brilliant and very expensive but http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections...plete-aquarium-co2-system-for-tank-up-to-500l is much better quality and costs about the same once you've bought a cylinder and you also have the benefit of a much longer guarantee


----------



## PARAGUAY (7 Aug 2016)

Just a mention of Andys last point ,cheaper equipment can last for years and do the same results just make sure you deal with reputable sources who have real customer service. I have external filters costing less than 100 quid for a few years,its a question of were you make your savings and reseach the product with genuine reviews


----------



## PARAGUAY (7 Aug 2016)

Just adding the point about sharing experiences, a member recently had terrible service from a retail supplier,lack of contact to discuss a issue as I remember it eventually the member named the retailer( who I had used previously). but will not use again now. Naming such a company who let customers down in those circumstances is good thing


----------



## Nelson (7 Aug 2016)

PARAGUAY said:


> I have external filters costing less than 100 quid for a few years,


But you have to tell us what filters .


----------



## slawson_92 (7 Aug 2016)

there is a inherent problem with aquatic products and cost, and its mostly to do with the market size and therefore numbers expected to be sold. this use to be more of a problem then it is now with the rise of cheaper "Chinese" items, easy shipping and the option to shop around online. when you start looking at items aimed specifically at reef tanks or high tec planted tanks the target market is smaller still, so manufacturing per item is high and we pay that price. so to get costs down make the hobby more popular. 

as for quality it comes down to what it is, some things are just not worth trying to take risks on. cheap thin plastic will always break particularly when its exposed to the tank or sun light but a glass thermometer is likely to remain reliable


----------



## PARAGUAY (7 Aug 2016)

Nelson said:


> But you have to tell us what filters .


APS 2000 externalsThink the first one cost around £70 and later got another shade more


----------



## Aqua360 (8 Aug 2016)

PARAGUAY said:


> APS 2000 externalsThink the first one cost around £70 and later got another shade more



Not to rain on APS, but my experience of their equipment is that it's cheaply built, unreliable and noisy; but the equipment definitely does do the job. I've tried a few filters etc from them, may be that I've just been unlucky!


----------



## alan'67 (8 Aug 2016)

Thank you for your replies chaps.
As I started this thread I would like to give more detail as to why.
Even though I'm inexperienced in aquatic plants, I have kept fish before. I had a Juwel Panorama 80 tank back in the late 90's
The internet wasn't quite as useful back then but hey, I didn't need that because I had my trusted Local Fish Store!.
Yeah right... how useful they turned out to be. Bad advice is one thing, wallet emptying guff another, but I eventually called time when it lead to multiple fish losses.
I gave the tank away 5 years later and turned my back on the hobby for good. The reason why I'm here today is because my better half wanted to try her hand at a planted tank & I was determined never to let her fall into the trap of listening to so called 'experts' ever again.
Her success lead to re-lighting a spark in myself and a year later I now own three different tanks!
It is no understatement to say we wouldn't have had a chance if it wasn't for forums like this.
Local fish stores haven't changed a bit in my opinion. And neither has some of the rubbish that is sold today.
So if I can help someone with a bit of info on the quality/usefulness of a particular piece of aquarium equipment I'm only happy to do so.
By sheer coincidence, Andy mentions JBL & Co2 art co2 kits in his post, and I have experience of both!.
If members think it worthwhile, I'm happy to post a review of the pro's & con's of both systems.


----------



## HiNtZ (5 Sep 2016)

My personal experience of aquarium equipment in general is that it's either pretty rubbish and overpriced, or, it doesn't exist. I only have one piece of equipment on my tank that I consider a risk, and that's the inline diffuser. Just glued together looking all flimsy with 40psi running through it. What's wrong with aluminium and glass? Why plastic, epoxy. and dodgy glue that will one day crack. Obviously it's keeping costs down and profits high. The only option if you want something, is to make it yourself - like I shall be doing this week with an in sump CO2 reactor.

The other night I thought about a digital (optical) bubble counter for my CO2 (it runs pretty fast) . I Googled it to death and couldn't see anything beyond arduino projects that weren't really suitable or relevant. Or maybe a modular lighting unit? Something that can fit together in a square, or rectangle, or whatever where you can add/ remove colors, bulbs, etc to expand upon it.

I'd be lethal if I was a millionaire - and quickly poor, too.


----------



## Aqua360 (7 Sep 2016)

HiNtZ said:


> My personal experience of aquarium equipment in general is that it's either pretty rubbish and overpriced, or, it doesn't exist. I only have one piece of equipment on my tank that I consider a risk, and that's the inline diffuser. Just glued together looking all flimsy with 40psi running through it. What's wrong with aluminium and glass? Why plastic, epoxy. and dodgy glue that will one day crack. Obviously it's keeping costs down and profits high. The only option if you want something, is to make it yourself - like I shall be doing this week with an in sump CO2 reactor.
> 
> The other night I thought about a digital (optical) bubble counter for my CO2 (it runs pretty fast) . I Googled it to death and couldn't see anything beyond arduino projects that weren't really suitable or relevant. Or maybe a modular lighting unit? Something that can fit together in a square, or rectangle, or whatever where you can add/ remove colors, bulbs, etc to expand upon it.
> 
> I'd be lethal if I was a millionaire - and quickly poor, too.



why not patent your designs then you can fulfil that dream lol


----------



## HiNtZ (7 Sep 2016)

Aqua360 said:


> why not patent your designs then you can fulfil that dream lol



Need money for that though.


----------

