tinytidesnano
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2025
- Messages
- 118
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As I've slowly crept back into the hobby, after a personally challenging 2024, I've found myself having multiple conversations regarding the state of the hobby. There's a few things I've noticed since starting to post here, especially with new hobbyists, so I thought I might lend some insight and then end with some general questions regarding the health of the hobby- with an eye to peoples' opinions on the direction the hobby is going.
Misinformation or try hards-
1. I'm seeing new hobbyists setting up massive 200+ gallon tanks as their first reefs. This is no criticism to those who have the resources, time, energy, willpower, and curiosity to will this into existence. I do wonder though if some of the old adages like "larger tanks are more stable/forgiving" don't fall the way they're intended. I wonder if the marketing of the latest and greatest, and flashy tank systems, lure people down the road of starting off larger. I'm wondering what happened to the days of learning with a 40 breeder- a manageable size that still afforded the opportunity to keep some coral diversity and fish. There are plenty of off the shelf options from companies like IM that fall in range. Once again, no criticism intended with this- just my own musings and I'm curious what everyone thinks.
The ego is strong with this one-
2. I've personally seen friends set up 200+ gallon systems that seemingly looked empty and unestablished by the time they were ditching it to set up a 300+ gallon system. As I've grown, dare I say older, I've found myself gravitating toward the smaller, well thought out, and well managed displays. Yes, this is subjective, yet my overarching point is that I see hobbyists invest and reinvest into massive mausoleums of live rock- forced to overtax themselves in a trying economy. *I'm aware this can happen with just about anything- from homes, to cars, to watches
If you don't have it you're not doing well and will not have a successful reef-
3. The magic of the modern day internet and its short attention span marketing juggernaut has seen the proliferation of the next best reef keeping tool you can't live without. Let me tell you, I can grow corals in a bucket with a light and some flow. Additionally, I've reviewed some products and seen some of these "industry leaders" snap, belittle, and virtually attack myself and other hobbyists for their honest, real world insights regarding these products. Hobbyists have many choices on how to setup their tank, my best piece of advice would be to gather your research from independent sources and not the ones trying to sell the product to you. *this is akin to the questionable pricing shell game LFS used to and continue to do
I've got all the money- I'm your industry source
4. This one is interesting- don't get me wrong, there are people with massive stock portfolios putting out wonderful content. However we've seen a shift to a pay to play mindset in this hobby. I've seen old school reefers almost "canceled" for their different or unique approaches- or even focusing on old school, tried and true methodology. It used to be that the industry experts...were well...us. Some of the very learned individuals, some actual marine biologists or experts in their respective field, who took the time to offer their valuable insights are slowly dwindling in favor of those with the biggest bank accounts. - "...and btw, I have this new product..." *sure we progress, and tech changes- I welcome this- my point is speaking to the marketing play that fuels some of these shifts
Where is the hobby going- barrier for entry
5. Sure, we can let the economists take this one, but the simple truth is I've already spent more money to setup a simple, minimalist 17g nano than I spent to have my 8ft reef built and shipped. My concern is that newer hobbyists, and younger folks, will shy away from the beauty, tranquility, education, and true appreciation of ocean conservation that this hobby offers. Science shouldn't be a 1%'s playground. Our local frag show here in CT there was a serious drop off in interest- where does everyone feel the hobby is going in light of an embattled economy?
It looks like the nicest, take my money
6. I still see massive support for companies that have not done the right thing by hobbyists with there failed equipment. This one puzzles me. The marketing is so strong with some of these products that new hobbyists continue to purchase against the hundreds upon hundreds of negative reviews, hobbyist advice, and insight. Is this clever marketing at play? The devaluation of first hand accounts as a viable resource? I'm very curious about what everyone's take on the psychology behind this is.
At the end of the day I've forgotten more than I've ever learned in this hobby. Maybe things just feel different to me because the shift is away from "everyone is an expert" cynicism toward- "we've sold you on these people being the experts." Please know I'm happy and grateful to be here. There's such a peace I find in fiddling with my tank and staring at my little box of water. These are just my Saturday morning musings, so if you've read this far, thank you for attending my very disjointed TED talk- cookies are in the back.
Misinformation or try hards-
1. I'm seeing new hobbyists setting up massive 200+ gallon tanks as their first reefs. This is no criticism to those who have the resources, time, energy, willpower, and curiosity to will this into existence. I do wonder though if some of the old adages like "larger tanks are more stable/forgiving" don't fall the way they're intended. I wonder if the marketing of the latest and greatest, and flashy tank systems, lure people down the road of starting off larger. I'm wondering what happened to the days of learning with a 40 breeder- a manageable size that still afforded the opportunity to keep some coral diversity and fish. There are plenty of off the shelf options from companies like IM that fall in range. Once again, no criticism intended with this- just my own musings and I'm curious what everyone thinks.
The ego is strong with this one-
2. I've personally seen friends set up 200+ gallon systems that seemingly looked empty and unestablished by the time they were ditching it to set up a 300+ gallon system. As I've grown, dare I say older, I've found myself gravitating toward the smaller, well thought out, and well managed displays. Yes, this is subjective, yet my overarching point is that I see hobbyists invest and reinvest into massive mausoleums of live rock- forced to overtax themselves in a trying economy. *I'm aware this can happen with just about anything- from homes, to cars, to watches
If you don't have it you're not doing well and will not have a successful reef-
3. The magic of the modern day internet and its short attention span marketing juggernaut has seen the proliferation of the next best reef keeping tool you can't live without. Let me tell you, I can grow corals in a bucket with a light and some flow. Additionally, I've reviewed some products and seen some of these "industry leaders" snap, belittle, and virtually attack myself and other hobbyists for their honest, real world insights regarding these products. Hobbyists have many choices on how to setup their tank, my best piece of advice would be to gather your research from independent sources and not the ones trying to sell the product to you. *this is akin to the questionable pricing shell game LFS used to and continue to do
I've got all the money- I'm your industry source
4. This one is interesting- don't get me wrong, there are people with massive stock portfolios putting out wonderful content. However we've seen a shift to a pay to play mindset in this hobby. I've seen old school reefers almost "canceled" for their different or unique approaches- or even focusing on old school, tried and true methodology. It used to be that the industry experts...were well...us. Some of the very learned individuals, some actual marine biologists or experts in their respective field, who took the time to offer their valuable insights are slowly dwindling in favor of those with the biggest bank accounts. - "...and btw, I have this new product..." *sure we progress, and tech changes- I welcome this- my point is speaking to the marketing play that fuels some of these shifts
Where is the hobby going- barrier for entry
5. Sure, we can let the economists take this one, but the simple truth is I've already spent more money to setup a simple, minimalist 17g nano than I spent to have my 8ft reef built and shipped. My concern is that newer hobbyists, and younger folks, will shy away from the beauty, tranquility, education, and true appreciation of ocean conservation that this hobby offers. Science shouldn't be a 1%'s playground. Our local frag show here in CT there was a serious drop off in interest- where does everyone feel the hobby is going in light of an embattled economy?
It looks like the nicest, take my money
6. I still see massive support for companies that have not done the right thing by hobbyists with there failed equipment. This one puzzles me. The marketing is so strong with some of these products that new hobbyists continue to purchase against the hundreds upon hundreds of negative reviews, hobbyist advice, and insight. Is this clever marketing at play? The devaluation of first hand accounts as a viable resource? I'm very curious about what everyone's take on the psychology behind this is.
At the end of the day I've forgotten more than I've ever learned in this hobby. Maybe things just feel different to me because the shift is away from "everyone is an expert" cynicism toward- "we've sold you on these people being the experts." Please know I'm happy and grateful to be here. There's such a peace I find in fiddling with my tank and staring at my little box of water. These are just my Saturday morning musings, so if you've read this far, thank you for attending my very disjointed TED talk- cookies are in the back.
