Products you use with your aquariums...

[Sarkazmo]

There's so many products out there for this hobby. It can be really confusing and frustrating for a beginner to get an idea of what's good and what's not... What we as experienced keepers have found to be reliable, helpful products. So I'll start this off with my list.

API: (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc)
Master Freshwater Test kit (THE single most important investment in this hobby!!!)
Gh & Kh test kit (Not absolutely necessary but helpful to know these values)
(The above are liquid test kits, not dip strips. Liquid kits are more reliable, accurate, and cost effective)
Stress Coat+ (dechlorinator)
Stress Zyme (helps establish a new tank and boost biological filtration in established tanks)
Melafix (A very safe medicine for fish illness ranging from fungal to bacterial to viral.)
Pimafix (Another very safe med primarily for fungal problems)

Jungle:
Start Right (Another excellent dechlorinator)

Hikari:
Betta Bio-Gold (One of the best foods on the market for Betta)
Algae Wafers (For the plant eaters but most tropical fish will nibble at these and shrimp go nuts for them)
Micro Pellets (Excellent staple food for tropicals)
Micro Wafers (Sinking food for mid water and bottom feeders)
First Bites (Food for newborn fry)

Azoo:
Palm Filter (a.k.a. Mignon 60) (This tiny hang on back (HOB) filter is excellent for small tanks under 5 gallons. Cheap, tiny, clear, and versatile. You just can't go wrong with this little guy.)

Marineland:
Penguin and Emperor HOB Bio-Wheel power filters. (In my opinion these are the finest HOB filters made today. They're easy to install, extremely reliable, and best of all, the bio-wheels provide a home for beneficial bacteria that's nearly impossible to beat in an HOB style filter. My water is CRYSTAL clear and my water quality is tops.)

GE:
6500k "Day Light" Compact Fluorescent Lights (Cheap alternative to high end lighting systems on small tanks. A 2 pk runs about $10)

CaribSea:
Eco-Complete Substrate (One of the finest substrates for the planted aquarium. Packaged wet, just put in your tank and plant. Do not rinse first. Has just about every nutrient needed for healthy plants, also loaded with live bacteria that break down fish waste to provide nutrients for your plants... I can't recommend this stuff enough!)

I hope that this has be helpful and I encourage other keepers to post what they use and have had success with!

Sark

[Paw Broon]

I wish i started out with eco complete but went with sand. Is it possible to mix this stuff with sand because my sand is fairly low about 3/4 inch high or would i be best changing the whole substrate?

Or would eco complete sit on top of sand?

[Crispy]

You did not mention New Life Spectrum... one of the best (and priciest) staple foods.

For dechlor, I use Nutrafin AquaPlus (I think it's only in Canada though)

[PostalPenguin]

Just thought I'd let you know that Melafix is not anti-viral, only anti-bacterial and fungal. I do not know of any anti-virals that are used in the aquarium.

[HeatherB]

Ed's Almost Natural Tropical Fish Food. Great stuff, cheap for the amount you get and I have had excellent results with it!

[MCHRKiller]

SeaChem
*Flourite
*Ferts(Comprehensive, Nitrogen, Potassium, Trace, Tabs)
*Reef additives (Reef Complete, Reef Plus, Carbonate)
*Reef Salt
*Prime
*Nourish
*Filter Medias(Purigen, CupriSorb, PhosGuard, SeaGel)

Hikari
*Cichlid Sinking Pellets
*Cichlid Gold Pellets
*Shrimp Cuisine
*Massivore
*Sinking Carnivore
*Algae Discs
*Food Sticks
*Micro Pellets
*Micro Wafers

Rena
*Filstar Canisters

Eheim
*Eheim Classic Canisters
*Ehfilav
*Ehfisubstrat/Ehfisubstrat pro

Hagen
*Aqua Clear HOBs
*Aqua Clear media

Hydor
*In-Line Heaters

[Sarkazmo]

Just thought I'd let you know that Melafix is not anti-viral, only anti-bacterial and fungal. I do not know of any anti-virals that are used in the aquarium.

Tea Tree oil is mildly anti-viral, Melaluca is Tea Tree oil, Melafix is Melaluca, hence Melafix is anti-viral. It's not advertised as such, and Melafix is only a 1% solution so it may be a very weak anti-viral, but none the less it is.

Sark

[Sarkazmo]

I forgot to list Sea-Chem's Flourish Excel to my list!

Sark

[Girl Got Mojo]

Great thread to start Sark. But think the most important has gotta be a bucket! lol Test kit IS pretty up there tho.

Only thing I've got to add to the list is Hikari Daphnia, especially for fry. My platy fry were havin trouble eating even finley crushed flake but they gobbled the Daphnia right up.

[fraggle]

You did not mention New Life Spectrum... one of the best (and priciest) staple foods.

For dechlor, I use Nutrafin AquaPlus (I think it's only in Canada though)

Nope it's here in Australia too Crispy! Was all I used for years (was the best that there was) then I found Prime, had never seen it before so didn't know what it was, heard all about it on here so then tried it.

Anything that can treat an entire tank with a teaspoon full is great IMO! LOL. I still like the AquaPlus though, but can't beat the value of Prime.


My list

Jebo 838 Cannisters Filters: They didn't cost the earth, they came with media, they've been running 24/7 for 5 years and the only trouble I've had is the kids broke one of the inlet taps off, and parts were easy and cheap to come by!

Melafix: Love it! haven't had a bad reaction from it from any fish, including cats and loaches and fry. (It is a whole lot cheaper to make your own though. Just get Cajeput oil or Tea Tree oil.

Pimafix: Same as Melafix, haven't had a bad reaction to it from anything. Make your own up with Bay oil too.

New Life Spectrum: my fish LOVE it. It does improve their colour and all too. Great stuff (doesn't seem to be as much wasted either)

Silk plants: My dollars eat EVERYTHING, so at least with silk plants they can still look kind of nice.

Bucket and Siphon!!! Cannot own a fish tank without some sort of receptical to do water changes.