I'm getting lazier and lazier by the day.
With this tank, my daily task is really just feed the fish. The tank is on CWC(continuous water change) of 4G a day. All I have to do is to run the RO unit every 2-3 weeks to fill up the two 60G gallon drums, dump some IO salt and let it mix. I use a two bucket method where the first bucket mixes the salt then it get transferred to the second bucket to be drawn into the tank. This two bucket system allows me to use the nastiest salt and not have to worry about the crud getting into the tank.
With the CWC running, I don't really have to do manual water unless I wanted to. Sometimes, I need to do it because I've overfed the tank because of a new fish. My skimmer is drained into a 5G bucket and that's good for at least a month. But the skimmer neck usually be very filthy by then. I think all this set up has been posted somewhere in this thread.
I don't dose anything, ever. I feel like if the tank relies on me to remember to pour something in every day or a set schedule to survive, I've failed. Yes, really. I don't understand how anyone can keep their sanity while having to remember to dose something into their tank every single day. My parameters are kept stable with the CWC and the CARX. The fuge does a good job at exporting the nutrients since I do feed the fish heavily. I trim down the macros and feed to the fish.
I don't believe in any of those bacteria snake oil bullshit
. Stuff I can't see, stuff I can't test, I don't mess with. Period.
I test for PO4, NO3, ALK almost every week. CA and MG once in awhile since they track pretty well with the alk with the CARX running. Remember, I'm on a 4G a day CWC so there's constanlty some replenishment.
Do I sound a little cocky? Arrogant? Whatever you want to think. But I actually like to enjoy my time elsewhere than to mess with the tank when there's nothing to mess with. I rather sit in the field alone on a nice weather day waiting for a bird to show up to take photographs than to tinker what I'm going to do next with the tank.
Do your water changes. Keep your hands out of the tank. Keep it simple. You'll last longer in this hobby.