I am not trying to be overly negative or elitist. And I certainly could be wrong about some things. But I honestly hate the direction this industry/hobby has gone in the past 6-8 years. I have been in the hobby for over 15 years and I feel like things have degraded considerably...
1. Quality of information. This is by far my biggest complaint! I am so sick and tired of bs fish influencers that come on YouTube and think they know ball. The content is mostly slop and has very little value. I am sure there are good YouTubers, but when i got into this hobby, the best source was a good book. Especially if you are just starting out. I am not aware of any QUALITY books that have been released in the past 5 years(please let me know that I am wrong, I really hope that I am). Most recs I have seen for books still recommend books that are over 10 years old. We have way better technology, it would be nice if someone credible could discuss how to use it.
2. Availability of livestock. We all know the Hawaii closure was a massive blow to the hobby. Other closures like Indo torches, or Fiji liverock have been significant as well but the lack of diversity seems to be increasing. What bothers me though, is that there seems to be a huge lack of cohesion in this industry to fight legislation. In the reptile world, this is a huge part of the hobby and it has faired(mostly) positive. Organizations like PIJAC have luckily done a lot but the average aquarium owner seems to be blissfully unaware or unbothered by possible legal issues. Talk to the bird people about the Wild Bird Conservation Act and see how well things worked out for them. Better yet, read about the proposed Saving Nemo Act...
3. The decline in worthwhile events. Ever since MACNA's dissolution, there have been only a couple remaining events. MACNA was so special since it was the yearly "state of the hobby" if you will. We got to see new product releases, crazy imports, and meet influential figures in the industry. There was also an education component where scientists presented research and we got to hear seminars from credible people. Now, events are numerous and decentralized to extract as much money from the vendors and attendees as possible. Aquashella, is targeted to beginner hobbyists and gives their speaking engagements to Aquarium Influencers that have really no value besides their name recognition(sorry not sorry). That isn't to say that these events don't have a place in the community, I think its good there is a beginner friendly conference people can go to and learn more about the hobby. But an event that is catered towards advanced hobbyists is desperately needed.
4. Named corals, defective products, and general shadiness. Those of us who have been around long enough remember when a coral was the name of its species. Naming a coral some stupid name then selling a quarter inch frag for 80 bucks is ridiculous. I understand why vendors do it. If I had a shop I'd do it too. But it is frustrating nonetheless. Companies like Red Sea that charge astronomical amounts of money for tanks that are known to leak(go find the dozens of threads including mine talking about it) and then seemingly do nothing to resolve the problem is incredibly discouraging. Look at the LiveAquaria debacle. That company use to be the face of the industry. If you wanted online fish that were gonna get there healthy, that was the place. But after corporate buyouts, the company withered away rife with scandals. I am tired of overpriced crap that breaks. I am tired of livestock that arrives half-dead. I am tired of lies and deceit from companies that I have spent THOUSANDS with.
I just had to vent. I hope that our industry shapes up before its too late. I am a young guy in my 20s. I worry greatly about where the hobby will be in 10-20 years if it is around at all. Hopefully we can make things better and begin to actually fix some of the issues that this industry has...
