LMAO, you can't be serious...
There are more factors to good water quality than a skimmer alone, and to have the gall to tell people they should wait to get into this hobby until they can afford only the best equipment is ludicrous..
I have a 90 gallon tank, some would consider my tank overstocked. You make many assumptions, with no basis in fact in order to justify your position. When in fact, as long as you are willing to do some manual labor this hobby is completely possible without having to purchase only the best most expensive equipment. To assert otherwise is insulting.
The only validity to your point of view is if you want to have a tank that is completely automatic, and all you have to do is sit and look at it in the evening. Hell, you can even hire outside help to perform all your maintenence. But the reality is, that anyone willing to work at this hobby, can make a beautiful tank, with healthy water quality and a wonderful environment for their pets. Water changes, cleaning, filtration, skimming, even with a Seaclone skimmer, proper feeding, all play a role. The amount of money one spends on equipment only makes this hobby easier, not BETTER...
Why don't you just admit that we disagree instead of trying to assert that I somehow am missing the point. It is very obvious here who is missing the point, and it is not me. I have worked hard to keep my tank healthy because I did not want to spend large amounts of money on equipment for a hobby I might not stay with and enjoy. Now that I am sure I enjoy it, I am more willing to spend more money so I can work less and enjoy it even more. I would match my water quality against anyones, even with the Seaclone skimmer. And for your information, with a few minor changes a Seaclone can and does very effectively do its job. In the early months of setting up my tank, I had to dump the collection cup of my Seaclone several times a day because it was doing its job and Skimming the crap out of my water. But as I have said, it didn't do it on automatic pilot, I had to adjust, clean and keep up with it too. So the advice you should be giving people is not that Seaclones are junk, but that they require much more work than a more expensive skimmer. But if you are willing to do the work, a Seaclone will do what it is intended to do.
Your attitude accomplishes nothing but discouraging people with limited funds to enter into this hobby. A lot of people are willing and able to do more work, so they can enjoy the hobby without having to spend top dollar on every piece of equipment they need.
Dave
