Rant... I hate the direction the hobby has gone

[143MPCo]

My 2¢ - OP’s a vet reefer ticked at the cash grab with corals jacked up to insane prices, gear like lights and controllers costing a fortune, and LFS pushing exotic frags over basics, while newbies get hyped by Insta reefs, skip fundamentals, tank crashes, and bail as collectors and vendors rake it in amid inflation—can’t deny costs exploded since online markets let collectors price-shop retail and drive frag prices sky-high, tech’s cool with better LEDs but gimmicky controllers price out casuals, and wild collection lingers despite more farm-raised corals. That said, the hobby’s booming with millions worldwide versus a handful back in the day, gear’s improved, forums like R2R save noobs from ich doom, nanos offer cheap entry points, and captive breeding’s growing—progress, right? IMHO, totally feel the nostalgia for simpler days before influencers shilled $500 acros, but evolution keeps reefing alive with smarter tech and community vibes, so newbies: start small, hit up for-sale threads for used gear, nail water params first, skip the bling and you’ll thrive—what do you all think, hobby ruined or just growing pains?

 

[Paul B]

. Wanna buy an apex controller?? I got 3 that came with failed acrylic tanks that I have bought.

I don't even know what that is. Don't have one, don't want one.

 

[Hawaiian AQ]

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...

Amen brother! Preach

 

[Jimbo327]

I generally just hate the highly inflated prices, or what I call "reef pre
mium". Some are borderline predatory. It takes the fun out of the hobby when everything is like a partial rent/mortgage payment.

The whole hobby feels like it is optimized to extract as much money out of your pocket as possible. Ads, forums, youtube, insta...are constantly in your face, selling you something that you probably don't need. I think there is way more economical way to reef with DIY and trading, but you won't find any sponsors doing those type of content. LOL.

How times have changed...I still remember when BRS started, it was literally them buying bulk chemicals and repackaging into smaller quantities to help save reefers a few bucks. LOL. Now it's all about swallowing up smaller competition, going corporate and trying to exclusively carry their own brands.

That's kind of how I see the hobby direction. It's gotten way more advanced in tech, but it's also lost a lot of the human element with everything online and geared towards sales/convenience.

 

[areefer01]

biggest issues- unscrupulous vendors, poor quality product, the lack of true caring for the livestock, and we have now priced young hobbyist and some older ones, out of the hobby thus threatening the future. I have mostly been all about the fish and not corals.

There are quality products. Hobbyist do not want to pay the price. Same with quality livestock.

Hobbyist are not priced out of the hobby. If so, it is due to unreasonable expectations. In my opinion. Hobbies, regardless of type, are discretionary income which I often feel we forget. I am generalizing I know, but just how I view it.

 

[landlubber]

You talk like an old hand when you’re a young man. I’ve been doing this since you were still sitting in you own ****. Pipe down with the whining! If you don’t want to watch something on social media, don’t watch it. If you can’t afford to buy $80 frags, don’t direct your anger at people who give them the names and sell them. It’s attitudes like yours that ruin this, not anything else. Get a grip!
Reefkeeping today is amazing compared to what it used to be like, with far more accurate and fast testing, automation, knowledge sharing etc etc….

while i don't necessarily disagree with your overarching message and everyone will agree that the tech is moving forward, aside from equipment, i must have been living an entirely different experience to hear things are the best they've ever been across the board today.
Prior to 2020, MACNA was still strong (its dead now), the online instructional presence was largely comprised of pure hobbyists (not wannabe youtubers) and the coral availability was through the roof because it was affordable and there was massive demand.
Long before my time in the hobby (2005ish), full, fist sized acro colonies was how they sold SPS, not1" frags for $400 and everyone had actual ocean liverock, not dino causing marco. Conversely, you really didn't know what you were getting with acros which could go either way and many of the sticks were just brown and they were just getting through the ability to keep them living.
All things considered, If I had to pick the peak years IME for reefing i'd say between 2015-2020.

 

[Jimbo327]

There are quality products. Hobbyist do not want to pay the price. Same with quality livestock.

Hobbyist are not priced out of the hobby. If so, it is due to unreasonable expectations. In my opinion. Hobbies, regardless of type, are discretionary income which I often feel we forget. I am generalizing I know, but just how I view it.

It's not that hobbyist doesn't want to pay the price. It is just everything is inflated to their maximum price. The same UV that used to sell for $200 for the pond industry, now it is $500 for the reef industry. The ozone for other industry is $150, but you repurpose it for reef and it is $300. There is not that much difference in these products.

while i don't necessarily disagree with your overarching message and everyone will agree that the tech is moving forward, aside from equipment, i must have been living an entirely different experience to hear things are the best they've ever been across the board today.
Prior to 2020, MACNA was still strong (its dead now), the online instructional presence was largely comprised of pure hobbyists (not wannabe youtubers) and the coral availability was through the roof because it was affordable and there was massive demand.
Long before my time in the hobby (2005ish), full, fist sized acro colonies was how they sold SPS, not1" frags for $400 and everyone had actual ocean liverock, not dino causing marco. Conversely, you really didn't know what you were getting with acros which could go either way and many of the sticks were just brown and they were just getting through the ability to keep them living.
All things considered, If I had to pick the peak years IME for reefing i'd say between 2015-2020.

You are lucky to get 1" frags. A lot of shady vendors are hawking 1/2" nubs and act like they are doing you a favor or they are saving the hobby. LOL.

 

[tripdad]

lucky to get 1" frags. A lot of shady vendors are hawking 1/2" nubs and act like they are doing you a favor or they are saving the hobby. LOL.

Then stop buying from them. YOU, the consumer have the power to create change. May take a while but you have the power, don't forget that.

 

[TonyB]

I kept a reef tank from 1999-2017, took a break until 2025 when I set up another system. To the OP, I agree with you 100%.

Forums and social media destroyed the hobby. Poor information is disseminated and cited with no sources. Newbies latch onto said information that comes from someone "popular" on the forums because of what they post, not their accomplishments or merits. There are resident trolls who find a need to answer every single question whether they have the answer or not because they get some sort of dopamine hit when someone replies. This poor advice usually leads to some sort of setback, the n00b gets discouraged/frustrated and the spouse wants the ugly/brown/slimy/stinky science experiment out of the living room.

Then there's the fact that a lot of people in the hobby just aren't smart. Face it, to be successful you must possess a wide array of unrelated skills. I would argue that the majority of the forum members here would struggle to pass an exam on organic chemistry or basic biological processes. Then there's the physical aspects such as plumbing, electrical work and IT/tech skills to make all the gadgets talk to each other and work reliably. Reefing is complex and difficult.

Then there's the cost that most newbs fail to realize at the onset of their project. Designer frag pricing and livestock pricing aside, between salt, testing reagents, consumable filter media and electricity I'm easily spending $200/mo just to maintain the tank once it's stocked not counting hard goods like pump impellers, UV bulbs, etc. Times are tough for most blue collar folks right now and hobbies aren't cheap.

 

[elysics]

It's not that hobbyist doesn't want to pay the price. It is just everything is inflated to their maximum price. The same UV that used to sell for $200 for the pond industry, now it is $500 for the reef industry. The ozone for other industry is $150, but you repurpose it for reef and it is $300. There is not that much difference in these products.

You are lucky to get 1" frags. A lot of shady vendors are hawking 1/2" nubs and act like they are doing you a favor or they are saving the hobby. LOL.

The frags are like pedigree pure breeds compared to mutts from the shelter. The shelter dog is going to be way cheaper, but you don't know what you get. Maybe it will be the best dog ever, maybe you will get a traumatized dog with massive health problems.

It used to be that you get to choose from random brown acros and play the lottery hoping that it'll turn I to a colorful one and all the ones that don't turn colorful subsidize the ones that do. That's what the fantasy names stopped, you no longer need to gamble, you can buy a brown acro and know exactly what it will look like later. That also means the subsidy is gone though and the nice ones are expensive while the not so nice ones are cheap.

As for the half inch sized acros, you can Google the fantasy name and compare the size/price ratio with other vendors, that's another benefit of the fantasy names. Maybe the tiny frag is still a deal because you get something you otherwise couldn't get at all, maybe it's an overpriced ripoff. Without the name you wouldn't know at all.

You can still get generic brown acros that will maybe turn green, they just won't show up in online boutiques. Just like you won't find a $20 handbag in a leather boutique, that's a matter of going to the wrong store for what you are looking for.

 

[CKW]

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...

I’m 85 and have been in the”hobby” for over 70 years. While I agree with some of your observations I take issue with the general trashing of the evolution of our “hobby “.
I agree wholeheartedly that there has been a general degradation of some aspects but in general I think we have progressed dramatically.

 

[dferrant]

that’s why i will sell you a big chunky frag for 20 bucks that would cost you 80 anywhere else. Forget LFS stores and auctions. The real sweet deals are hobbyists that need to clear space

i would love to definitely take you up on that offer, many times over, if you are in fact in NJ....

 

[dvgyfresh]

I’m still buying Xenia one of my favorite corals. I haven’t been in the hobby a great amount of time , but all I see are improvements. You can focus on the negative but , all my anemones are tank raised , my clownfish and dottyback captive bred, rock purchased from gulf live rock. All my corals are from other reefers (only GSP and Zoas), looking to buy Xenia from another reefer soon! The ruby red version :). Community is nice , thoughtful , and helpful. And don’t forget that everyone was new once.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I’m still buying Xenia one of my favorite corals. I haven’t been in the hobby a great amount of time , but all I see are improvements. You can focus on the negative but , all my anemones are tank raised , my clownfish and dottyback captive bred, rock purchased from gulf live rock. All my corals are from other reefers (only GSP and Zoas), looking to buy Xenia from another reefer soon! The ruby red version :). Community is nice , thoughtful , and helpful. And don’t forget that everyone was new once.

My wife and I have always been huge fans of xenia. Sure, it spreads like a weed, but it is so fun to look at

 

[TonyB]

Correction, 'used' to be about pedigree. Just look how many wholesalers are selling "strawberry shortcake" acros, among others, which have zero lineage back to the OG lineage but look similar.

 

[CHSUB]

I’m still buying Xenia

huge fans of xenia

Without Xenia, not sure I would consider it a “true” mixed reef?

 

[143MPCo]

IMHO, Everyone is free to value things differently, and that’s perfectly fine — if the price of something doesn’t make sense to you, simply move on. At the end of the day, what matters is what you’re personally willing to pay for it, not what someone else thinks it should cost. Complaining about another person’s pricing doesn’t change its worth; it just means it’s not the right fit for you.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Without Xenia, not sure I would consider it a “true” mixed reef?

aptasia and bubble algae to! Haha jk but I did appreciate aptasia living in overflow to help filter the water

 

[dontbuyxenia]

You talk like an old hand when you’re a young man. I’ve been doing this since you were still sitting in you own ****. Pipe down with the whining! If you don’t want to watch something on social media, don’t watch it. If you can’t afford to buy $80 frags, don’t direct your anger at people who give them the names and sell them. It’s attitudes like yours that ruin this, not anything else. Get a grip!
Reefkeeping today is amazing compared to what it used to be like, with far more accurate and fast testing, automation, knowledge sharing etc etc….

Found the person selling the named corals! Reefing has gotten better in many ways but negative in others. Not sure how my opinion on objectively problematic parts of the hobby ruins it...

Btw if you are calling the social media cesspool "knowledge sharing" go work at a fish store for a little while and talk to all the new people who come in misinformed and confused and tell me how that helps them. Also, I think it goes without saying that doing something for years doesn't necessarily make you an expert. Its what you did with them that counts. Your lack of nuance clearly proves that you could have done more.

 

[dontbuyxenia]

I’m 85 and have been in the”hobby” for over 70 years. While I agree with some of your observations I take issue with the general trashing of the evolution of our “hobby “.
I agree wholeheartedly that there has been a general degradation of some aspects but in general I think we have progressed dramatically.

I would agree that a lot of things have gotten better. Obviously I have a way smaller window to look from.