You get what you pay for?! A marketing hype or a reality?

[SanguinesDream]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

There's certain things that scares off many people, and "you pay what you get for" is one of them. Isn't this hobby about taking it slowly? Not everyone starts with big pocket and certain people don't need to scare them off.

This is an exclusive hobby, like having to own an F40 and an F50 before buying an Enzo, you can have a $h!tload of cash, but if you don't have the creds, money is only going to get you so far.

That being said, I think it tends to be a little too exclusive sometimes. There is this inordinate amount of pressure to upgrade when you have the ability. Raied, I remember the pressure on you to install a sump even though you didn't have the real estate.

I've been frowned upon for trying to ship livestock in many differing ways North, only to have more DOAs than successes. "Then maybe you shouldn't have anything but the hardiest of corals" its been said. Really?!?

Mental health is crucial and making a hobby inaccessible due to x,y and z is a form of exclusivity and I think we should try to be a little more accomodating/understanding to those in the hobby who face challenges. My $0.02.

[Slick Fork]

MRHasan: I'm not really sure what you're looking to achieve with this thread? Vindication that you can get by with budget equipment? A resounding chorus from budget reefers saying "Those who pay premium are idiots"?

There's nothing at all saying a cheap maxijet or some Chinese knockoff can't provide good flow. The difference, for me at least, is that when I buy Tunze equipment I'm buying a history of rock solid performance. I won't be worried that my pump will fail at 2am on a Saturday of a long weekend leaving me scrambling and in a panic. It's not the performance when it works that's the deciding factor for me, it's the peace of mind knowing that I bought a quality product that is statistically less likely to cause a catastrophic failure in my tank. Furthermore, if something does occur I've bought a product with warranty service that is second to none. Some people see more value in buying two cheap pumps in case one fails. Both are valid viewpoints and it comes down to where an individual sees the value.

Same with LED's. My AI SOL's work fine for me for now. They grow coral, they have a measure of controllability. That doesn't mean that there is ZERO value in the extra features of higher end fixtures such as better controllability, less disco effect, a better more metal halide-like shimmer, etc.

We get it, you don't have money because you're a student. Honestly, most of us have been there before and can sympathise. Just because some of us see the value in higher end gear doesn't make us idiots for spending more, and to be honest I'm sure most of us don't care if you want to spend less. To each his/her own.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

MRHasan: I'm not really sure what you're looking to achieve with this thread? Vindication that you can get by with budget equipment? A resounding chorus from budget reefers saying "Those who pay premium are idiots"?

There's nothing at all saying a cheap maxijet or some Chinese knockoff can't provide good flow. The difference, for me at least, is that when I buy Tunze equipment I'm buying a history of rock solid performance. I won't be worried that my pump will fail at 2am on a Saturday of a long weekend leaving me scrambling and in a panic. It's not the performance when it works that's the deciding factor for me, it's the peace of mind knowing that I bought a quality product that is statistically less likely to cause a catastrophic failure in my tank. Furthermore, if something does occur I've bought a product with warranty service that is second to none. Some people see more value in buying two cheap pumps in case one fails. Both are valid viewpoints and it comes down to where an individual sees the value.

Same with LED's. My AI SOL's work fine for me for now. They grow coral, they have a measure of controllability. That doesn't mean that there is ZERO value in the extra features of higher end fixtures such as better controllability, less disco effect, a better more metal halide-like shimmer, etc.

We get it, you don't have money because you're a student. Honestly, most of us have been there before and can sympathise. Just because some of us see the value in higher end gear doesn't make us idiots for spending more, and to be honest I'm sure most of us don't care if you want to spend less. To each his/her own.

Nop my point was not that but my point was its kind of silly to push people to buy expensive stuffs. Its definitely fun to buy fancy stuffs (I bought myself an ATI dimmable fixture ) but there are times where one ask "is bubble magus good" and there will be posts like "piece of crap (cause they are cheap) and you should get bubble king cause you get what you pay for"..... there's very few threads asking "what's your budget...hmm...that's the best you can get within that amount of money but here's some other options in case you were not sure" but rather "hey hey hold of to that, you dont wanna buy that cause its cheap, made in china...go for the more expensive one". That's all I am saying

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

but there are times where one ask "is bubble magus good" and there will be posts like "piece of crap (cause they are cheap) and you should get bubble king cause you get what you pay for".:

got a quote or link....may help your case no??

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by reefwars

got a quote or link....may help your case no??

I don't wanna put any links over here cause that might relate to personal attack which I definitely don't want to. What I wanted was to get make a point that to have a successful reef, you don't necessarily have to have the high end equipment out there. That is something that many new reefers get afraid of: cost of high end equipment. In this hobby, its all about getting a nice reef tank to get going and hence "do you really get what you pay for?" in context of having a reef tank.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

I don't wanna put any links over here cause that might relate to personal attack which I definitely don't want to. What I wanted was to get make a point that to have a successful reef, you don't necessarily have to have the high end equipment out there. That is something that many new reefers get afraid of: cost of high end equipment. In this hobby, its all about getting a nice reef tank to get going and hence "do you really get what you pay for?" in context of having a reef tank.

spose lol

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by reefwars

spose lol

You paid for radion pros...did you "get" what you paid for? In this hobby, we spend money for nicer tank, did you get that from those?

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

but there are times where one ask "is bubble magus good" and there will be posts like "piece of crap (cause they are cheap) and you should get bubble king cause you get what you pay foram saying

My direct experience with BM was after about 8 months the pump would get really hot and shut down, then it would and repeat the procedure. BM did send me a new pump and I used it for a week or so then I sold it. About a month later I got an email from the guy who bought it and he said that the new pump actually blew up and took his sump out with it. He wasn't accusing me of anything just had some questions about what to do as the skimmer wasn't a year old yet. I had him contact Michael and as far as I know Aqua-Digital took care of him on this. So I would be hesitant to recommend any BM product not because they are cheap but because of my experience with the product. Point is not everyone is telling people not to buy cheap stuff just because of the price point. Some of the bad stories you hear are actually true.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

My direct experience with BM was after about 8 months the pump would get really hot and shut down, then it would and repeat the procedure. BM did send me a new pump and I used it for a week or so then I sold it. About a month later I got an email from the guy who bought it and he said that the new pump actually blew up and took his sump out with it. He wasn't accusing me of anything just had some questions about what to do as the skimmer wasn't a year old yet. I had him contact Michael and as far as I know Aqua-Digital took care of him on this. So I would be hesitant to recommend any BM product not because they are cheap but because of my experience with the product. Point is not everyone is telling people not to buy cheap stuff just because of the price point. Some of the bad stories you hear are actually true.

True that Atleast you didn't make me feel like I am "lying" because I don't have the experience, thanks Some people are good in doing that I had a vertex in-80/100 pump burn on me

[reefwars]