Nothing worse than being caught short---especially on a holiday weekend.
I've been at this some few years: here's what I recommend you have on hand...in order of price/versus/benefit/likelihood of need.
1. enough salt to replace 50% of the water in your tank. You never know when you will have an accident.
2. carbon and bags or ladies kneehigh nylons: carbon can remove ammonia, among many other things, and save your tank. When something bad has happened, you will not go wrong running carbon as a first try at fixing it.
3. alkalinity test: do this weekly: your reading should be between 8.3 and 9.3. IMHO, this is an important test for all tanks, FOWLR to reef.
4. test strips for ammonia/nitrate
5. a bottle of Amquel or equivalent. Read the instructions, and DON't have to use this stuff, but have it just in case. I use it in the kitchen, when I've gotten bleach on my hands. It's good for that.
6. a stack of old towels: when you want them, you will WANT them!
7. enough polystyrene 5 g paintbuckets to replace half the water in your tank.
8. a mixing pump: the Maxijet 1200 is good.
9. some Gutterguard (Lowe's) or some plastic needlepoint canvas (hobby store) AND plastic sewing thread or fishing line.
10. a sheet of white lighting grid/eggcrate/Lowe's lighting.
11. a spare thermometer for a fast crosscheck (I stick mine onto the sump).
12. spare hose of every diameter. Couplers (hose barbs) for these sizes: no reefer ever has too many varieties of hose.
13. if you can possibly afford it/deploy it---a backup generator; or at very least, a plan. I have kept fish alive for 3 days with a hand squeeze bulb...this is how basic you can get if you are stuck for a solution. And do NOT over-stock your tank: you never know when ice or wind is going to hand you an 8-hour power-out, or worse.
14. Also, if you can possibly afford it, a spare main pump. Your tank can live without lights for a week, easy; without a skimmer for a week, easy; but without the main pump, you are in increasing trouble after a few hours.
I've been at this some few years: here's what I recommend you have on hand...in order of price/versus/benefit/likelihood of need.
1. enough salt to replace 50% of the water in your tank. You never know when you will have an accident.
2. carbon and bags or ladies kneehigh nylons: carbon can remove ammonia, among many other things, and save your tank. When something bad has happened, you will not go wrong running carbon as a first try at fixing it.
3. alkalinity test: do this weekly: your reading should be between 8.3 and 9.3. IMHO, this is an important test for all tanks, FOWLR to reef.
4. test strips for ammonia/nitrate
5. a bottle of Amquel or equivalent. Read the instructions, and DON't have to use this stuff, but have it just in case. I use it in the kitchen, when I've gotten bleach on my hands. It's good for that.
6. a stack of old towels: when you want them, you will WANT them!
7. enough polystyrene 5 g paintbuckets to replace half the water in your tank.
8. a mixing pump: the Maxijet 1200 is good.
9. some Gutterguard (Lowe's) or some plastic needlepoint canvas (hobby store) AND plastic sewing thread or fishing line.
10. a sheet of white lighting grid/eggcrate/Lowe's lighting.
11. a spare thermometer for a fast crosscheck (I stick mine onto the sump).
12. spare hose of every diameter. Couplers (hose barbs) for these sizes: no reefer ever has too many varieties of hose.
13. if you can possibly afford it/deploy it---a backup generator; or at very least, a plan. I have kept fish alive for 3 days with a hand squeeze bulb...this is how basic you can get if you are stuck for a solution. And do NOT over-stock your tank: you never know when ice or wind is going to hand you an 8-hour power-out, or worse.
14. Also, if you can possibly afford it, a spare main pump. Your tank can live without lights for a week, easy; without a skimmer for a week, easy; but without the main pump, you are in increasing trouble after a few hours.
