I've been at it for 30 years. I've certainly had my share of disasters. Some of them of my doing, some from the "help" of others.
I agree 100% that stability is the most important aspect of this hobby. That being said, the only things I have automated are the lights (LED now, started with T12 NO's and then T12 VHO) and the dosers. I have found that anything can and will fail, usually at the worst possible time, so I rely on myself for top off's water changes, feeding, etc.
I make my own ro/di water and mix my own salt. I cannot fathom doing that any other way. I don't like schlepping water form the mixing station to the tank, much less from the LFS to home. That's why my mixing station is now plumbed to the back of the tank - no more buckets for me!
Go Slow. That cannot be said often enough. I've seen too many people think that if they throw enough money at something it will be better. I ****ed enough people off when I worked at the LFS who wanted to buy something and I would refuse because they were not ready or just didn't have the setup needed for what they wanted. Almost all of them would be back thanking me for that after they had gone elsewhere, bought what they wanted, killed it, and wasted their money because some other salesperson didn't care if it lived or died.
Let me go over that one more time.
GO SLOW!.
Research what you want before you buy it. Back in the day there were precious few places to learn from. Now, with the Interwebs, there may actually be to many "sources" of information. The difficulty now lies in separating the wheat from the chaff. Websites like this one are an excellent place to start. Others like
www.wetwebmedia.com are a treasure trove of information but can be difficult to navigate. Read, ask questions, read some more.
I have learned not only biology and physiology over the years, but also how to DIY almost anything. Electrical, plumbing, woodworking, acrylic fabrication, etc are all skills that will come into play if you are doing this for long.
Most of all, enjoy the hobby!
