International Reefkeeping - More advanced?

jafoca · Mar 8, 2007

I have heard on several occasions that reef aquaria in the US lag behind certain other countries / geographic areas not only on the technology side of things but also on livestock trends.

Is this true? Where should we in the US look to see the future tech that will be on our tanks?

Some specific examples:
I have heard that in Japan LED lighting is far advanced than the limited "solaris" offerings we have here.

I have also recently heard that in Europe our best looking zoanthids, which are gaining popularity here quickly, are commonplace and they have moved past the zoa craze.

What info can be found on reef future tech, and where?

surfn · Mar 9, 2007

jafoca said:
I have heard on several occasions that reef aquaria in the US lag behind certain other countries / geographic areas not only on the technology side of things but also on livestock trends.

Is this true? Where should we in the US look to see the future tech that will be on our tanks?

Some specific examples:
I have heard that in Japan LED lighting is far advanced than the limited "solaris" offerings we have here.

I have also recently heard that in Europe our best looking zoanthids, which are gaining popularity here quickly, are commonplace and they have moved past the zoa craze.

What info can be found on reef future tech, and where?

i have heard similar things...here and there.

most of this centers around better built equipment out of germany and japan. stuff that is quality built and made to last. most of the US built equipment has a high price tag at a low cost to build...thus alot of cheap plastic crap that breaks. kinda like Ford and Chrysler...lol

then you also have the zeo stuff, which does work..that most other countries use. its just expensive.... b/c of the zeo, they do have alot of great sps out there with lots of color.

your comment about europe moving past the zoa craze though is IMO false. i have had discussions with people in europe who are blown away by the colors of zoas we get in the US. i think by them saying they've moved past the zoa craze is just ego talking. sure they may have had a zoa craze in the past, but it probably fizzled out with eagle eyes or something we consider common.

i've seen plenty of pictures of tanks in europe and japan with amazing sps/lps, but i've yet to see any foreign picture of a zoa that we can't get here that is quite common.

Azurel · Mar 9, 2007

I agree on the Tech part, which is the markets fault not the hobbyist cause if it is out there and is proven to work we would buy it. Nobody has the money or the consumption of the U.S. As far as zoanthids go the Euros think of them as lower then them type attitude. They are above keeping zoanthids, in one of last years Coral mags there was an article albeit very short on the attitude of Euros to zoanthids and the way we love them over here. To them they are like aiptasia.

jafoca · Mar 9, 2007

interesting indeed....

I just really want some more affordable LED lighting and other such things here... I guess the tech will be proven and more common by the time I can actually afford it anyway...

twon8 · Mar 9, 2007

i think it is a bit overblown, though the europeans are far ahead on t5 technology, both reflectors, ballasts and bulbs, but 220v tends to run things more efficiently anyways.

i don't think europe has moved past the zoa stage, in fact i would say we are ahead of them, and they have yet to get into zoas.

i doubt the led thing is correct, as the technology is just not advanced enough to be economically worthwile; the japanese do use many more lights than we do on our tanks, prefering a spotlight system to highlight certain corals with certain spectrums

Ike · Mar 9, 2007

JUst about every comment I've seen from Europeans in zoanthid forums involves them wishing they could get the colors we do. As for technology and I'd say the Germans have been on the cutting edge of this hobby for some time. They used to be far ahead of us, I'd say they are only slightly ahead now and much of that seems to have something to do with their willingness to spend big money on equipment.

vetteman · Mar 9, 2007

Europeans --> :hammer: <-----Me............. more zoa's for us... or US

jessiesgrrl · Mar 10, 2007

surfn said:
i have heard similar things...here and there.

most of this centers around better built equipment out of germany and japan. stuff that is quality built and made to last. most of the US built equipment has a high price tag at a low cost to build...thus alot of cheap plastic crap that breaks. kinda like Ford and Chrysler...lol

then you also have the zeo stuff, which does work..that most other countries use. its just expensive.... b/c of the zeo, they do have alot of great sps out there with lots of color.

your comment about europe moving past the zoa craze though is IMO false. i have had discussions with people in europe who are blown away by the colors of zoas we get in the US. i think by them saying they've moved past the zoa craze is just ego talking. sure they may have had a zoa craze in the past, but it probably fizzled out with eagle eyes or something we consider common.

i've seen plenty of pictures of tanks in europe and japan with amazing sps/lps, but i've yet to see any foreign picture of a zoa that we can't get here that is quite common.

Agree completely, especially since many methods orginally came out of Europe (Ie, Berlin style setp up, etc) and much of the best equipment also originates from there Aquatechnic/Deltec, etc...

I know at least England can't get good zoas... LOL And I also think it matters if you are talking aquacultured versus wildcaught for livestock trends. Obvuiously, Europe can't touch Japan/Bali, etc for wildcaught corals, etc but who has ever really tasken a close look at aquaculture?

Laurie