I am a bit confused with all that stuff... you know CO2 meter, PAR meter, pH meter, etc. On the one hand it has to be wonderful to check with accuracy these key parameters on your planted tank. Undoubtedly this can result in even better aquascapes, growing much more species and for professionals a perfect working tool.
But on the other hand, I guess most hobbyists will be losing the chance of understanding how a planted tank works and their capacity of interpretation just by assessing simple facts (plants’ health, drop checkers, algae growth) or understanding the physiology of plants and animals they keep. It is true that there is no need of understanding every single detail of your tank, but it is a challenge and probably the most interesting thingIMO
And another important thing, we will be falling once again into the trap of “needing a lot of money to play the game”. Imagine the cost of having a collection of these XXmeters. Nevertheless We are already in that situation… we want optiwhite tanks, LED lights (that consume less energy but cost a fortune, actually you will need the light to be working for 50 years to really pay the difference and really save money), Twinstars, ferts done with water that comes from the most pure water sources or deep seas, etc. always under the threat of having algae blooms or fail in the attempt of having a superb tank.
I admit I do have some of these things (well, just one optiwhite tank, and love it!)… but I always try to remember that some decades ago a lot of people were doing the same (at least in my case, much better that I can do) without much less.
(I would love to test this CO2 meter
)
Jordi