This could be fun, I dare you to......

[GaryE]

The problem is if we buy the unnecessary clarifiers, etc, that is pure cost. But ferts give us more plants, and plants are very expensive where I live. So if I buy one bunch of Elodea/Anacharis, for example, and I now have it thriving in a number of tanks, what would I have paid to buy that much? Just having a few bottles is not the issue.
The issue is how well meaning but uninformed (or greedy and cold hearted) people sell things no one really needs, simply because they like the profits. I have an acquaintance in the pharmacy business who laughs at homeopathy and snake oil products, but she sells them.
We're in a totally unregulated business with zero standards, and a lot of what we're sold (meds, additives, fish health products) are pure nothing at best. It takes time to work through the good and bad as we get into the hobby.
There are sharks in the water.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

The problem is if we buy the unnecessary clarifiers, etc, that is pure cost. But ferts give us more plants, and plants are very expensive where I live. So if I buy one bunch of Elodea/Anacharis, for example, and I now have it thriving in a number of tanks, what would I have paid to buy that much? Just having a few bottles is not the issue.
The issue is how well meaning but uninformed (or greedy and cold hearted) people sell things no one really needs, simply because they like the profits. I have an acquaintance in the pharmacy business who laughs at homeopathy and snake oil products, but she sells them.
We're in a totally unregulated business with zero standards, and a lot of what we're sold (meds, additives, fish health products) are pure nothing at best. It takes time to work through the good and bad as we get into the hobby.
There are sharks in the water.

Oh for sure! The general junk I've acquired is equipment rather than products, and most of that used as well. But I'm much fussier when it comes to throwing in "stuff" that changes the water, and don't resort to meds unless I feel like I have to/it's targeted. Water conditioner and plant ferts (since I've spent a small fortune on plants) I count as essential, but the fert usually last me a long time because I also forget to add them for long stretches of time...

I don't add anything to mess with GH/pH etc, have aquarium salt and clove oil on hand, both £2-3 each and last for donkeys.
So I have wormer in my cupboard, left from when I did have identifiable worms in my fish, and kept while it's still in date. Methyene blue because I wanted to try it to prevent fungus in cory eggs, but I didn't like the way it stained te eggs and water/container and stick to alder cones and cherry shrimp instead. I think that's it for additive type products, not sure what else you're hoping for, @itiwhetu

 

[Essjay]

API Tap Water Conditioner (dechlorinator) and Seachem root tabs. The liquid fertiliser is in the fridge.


And a cupboard full of non-chemical bits and pieces.

 

[sharkweek178]

The problem is if we buy the unnecessary clarifiers, etc, that is pure cost. But ferts give us more plants, and plants are very expensive where I live. So if I buy one bunch of Elodea/Anacharis, for example, and I now have it thriving in a number of tanks, what would I have paid to buy that much? Just having a few bottles is not the issue.
The issue is how well meaning but uninformed (or greedy and cold hearted) people sell things no one really needs, simply because they like the profits. I have an acquaintance in the pharmacy business who laughs at homeopathy and snake oil products, but she sells them.
We're in a totally unregulated business with zero standards, and a lot of what we're sold (meds, additives, fish health products) are pure nothing at best. It takes time to work through the good and bad as we get into the hobby.
There are sharks in the water.

Finding out that bottled cycle starters don't really do anything was the beginning of my loss of innocence.

 

[JuiceBox52]

One bottle of API water conditioner and some fungus clear and bacteria clear I haven’t used in ages.

 

[Rocky998]

Two things.
Both were around 7-10 dollars.
One is the API plant fertilizer and two is the API aqua essentials.

 

[Colin_T]

I have hundreds of dollars of naked fish magazines in my room. Oh baby, look at the fins on that. Hubba hubba

 

[connorlindeman]

Ive got melafix and ick cure(both from api) both from the days when I believed in Pet store advice.
Now ive just got prime(10 bucks about) iron(12 bucks) and flourish(12 bucks i think).
ive also got some salt(around 8 bucks)

 

[Alice B]

Test kits, Fritz Chlorine / Chloramine Remover, Root-tabs, Fluval Gro+, Flourish Trace, Flourish Excel, that I have never used in case the cyano doesn't go away in the 100 I care for, FritzZyme 7 for emergencies - it's fresh too Melafix, Stresscoat. Air pumps, nets, air stones, air line. Test kits are the most expensive - mine are Tetra. Also have strips for emergencies. Recently picked up some erthromycin (Maracyn I) again in the event that cyano doesn't clear. Less than $200 for sure but not by much.

 

[Rocky998]

I have hundreds of dollars of naked fish magazines in my room. Oh baby, look at the fins on that. Hubba hubba

Don't get catfished...

 

[itiwhetu]

One unused additive I have is 2 full bottles of excel. I heard that adding it to a fish tank could be deteimental for the health if the fish. So it sits. I should just discard it.

Go on throw it out, then thank me

 

[itiwhetu]

Test kits, Fritz Chlorine / Chloramine Remover, Root-tabs, Fluval Gro+, Flourish Trace, Flourish Excel, that I have never used in case the cyano doesn't go away in the 100 I care for, FritzZyme 7 for emergencies - it's fresh too Melafix, Stresscoat. Air pumps, nets, air stones, air line. Test kits are the most expensive - mine are Tetra. Also have strips for emergencies. Recently picked up some erthromycin (Maracyn I) again in the event that cyano doesn't clear. Less than $200 for sure but not by much.

This is the list I would expect most aquarists would have.

 

[itiwhetu]

Oh for sure! The general junk I've acquired is equipment rather than products, and most of that used as well. But I'm much fussier when it comes to throwing in "stuff" that changes the water, and don't resort to meds unless I feel like I have to/it's targeted. Water conditioner and plant ferts (since I've spent a small fortune on plants) I count as essential, but the fert usually last me a long time because I also forget to add them for long stretches of time...

I don't add anything to mess with GH/pH etc, have aquarium salt and clove oil on hand, both £2-3 each and last for donkeys.
So I have wormer in my cupboard, left from when I did have identifiable worms in my fish, and kept while it's still in date. Methyene blue because I wanted to try it to prevent fungus in cory eggs, but I didn't like the way it stained te eggs and water/container and stick to alder cones and cherry shrimp instead. I think that's it for additive type products, not sure what else you're hoping for, @itiwhetu

Interesting I'm not hoping for anything, but as an exercise if one or two of you have a clean out and a think about what you have under your fish tank, then the thread has been worthwhile.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have hundreds of dollars of naked fish magazines in my room. Oh baby, look at the fins on that. Hubba hubba

This must be a good thread @Colin_T has replied three times. I love the centerfold photos in those magazines, I used to hang them on my bedroom wall. What a nerd I was

 

[Alice B]

Oh for sure! The general junk I've acquired is equipment rather than products, and most of that used as well. But I'm much fussier when it comes to throwing in "stuff" that changes the water, and don't resort to meds unless I feel like I have to/it's targeted. Water conditioner and plant ferts (since I've spent a small fortune on plants) I count as essential, but the fert usually last me a long time because I also forget to add them for long stretches of time...

I don't add anything to mess with GH/pH etc, have aquarium salt and clove oil on hand, both £2-3 each and last for donkeys.
So I have wormer in my cupboard, left from when I did have identifiable worms in my fish, and kept while it's still in date. Methyene blue because I wanted to try it to prevent fungus in cory eggs, but I didn't like the way it stained te eggs and water/container and stick to alder cones and cherry shrimp instead. I think that's it for additive type products, not sure what else you're hoping for, itiwhetu

I am not operating the quote function right @AdoraBelle Dearheart but there are things in your cabinet I know nothing about. Wormer? For fish? and using alder cones and cherry shrimp to prevent egg fungus on cory eggs? Where should I learn these things