Whats the next trend in the hobby?

[Dark_Knightt]

I didn't buy them. My octopus hatched them out

Did you buy the octopus? What species are they?

 

[X-37B]

I have fell back on old trends that I am comfortable with, like vodka dosing to get control my nitrates. I don't view that as the hobby as a whole coming full circle. I can't see the hobby ever going back to MHs, or back to 10k spectrum, blue spectrum lighting brings out colors in corals that other spectrums can't. And it's not just that the blue light fluoresces certain colors, it actually pulls them out. I think the only way we move away from the windex look is when technology shows us a better way.

True, I dont think we will ever go back but I also dont see them going away, just my opinion.
I do not like the windex look but many do.
I get great color with my 14k's and just prefer the look.
If I want glow sticks I can add orphek blue or uv bars, which im thinking of doing for the dawn dusk look.
A local favorite of mine is a tank powered by all oprhek's.
I got the used xr30 gen 4's, not for the blue look.
A friend runs them on a windex setting, lol.
He then turned it to a 14k setting and that sold me. I love the look and could run my whole tank on that setting.
He upgraded to gen 5's and sold me the gen 4's.
I think the non windex look is already available but most do not run it.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

while technology can be a good thing, i think the attitude of alot of people is more focused on wanting to buy and show off their equipment rather than their tank.

I'm way too new to even know what the old school ways were, but the current state of the hobby, at least to some extent, reminds me of computer/overclocking scene. We went from hacking up cases, using aquarium pumps and heater cores from autos to customize and cool our computers, to now... Where it's all about "Gucci" gear. People buy custom cases, pre-made loops, glass tubing, chrome fittings, and more RGB lighting than a nightclub. Basically it's not what you can do with your hands but the $$$ of the gear you stuffed in a case. In this hobby there seems to be a bit of a misconception that you need $300 mp0s, $800 lights, etc. to have a successful tank.

Honestly, and I don't think it's limited to his hobby alone, people these days are afraid of experimenting and failing. By the same token, many don't do their own diligence/research and just do what others say. This is where BRS videos are a double edged sword. It informs newbies but also leads them to believe they need to buy X Y Z to run a reef tank.

That being said, the current state of automation is something I like, especially due to my hectic work schedule. I still enjoy tinkering, but I also enjoy having free time.

 

[mort]

I'm old school and follow the "less technology, more biology" philosophy. In truth I'd like to take a bit of a break from reef keeping but I haven't because it's impossible to buy decent, or even poor, live rock anymore and a sterile tank just isn't for me. I used to run a shop and bring fresh chunks of uncured liverock home for biodiversity.

I just don't get the fascination with today's "controlled life" systems that strip everything out only to be added back in with something out of a bottle. Excess blue lighting, sweet shop micro corals and minimalist scapes are about as far you can get from nature.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

Hmmm... the community as a whole will take some of what we learned with this new way of doing things - particularly how ecofriendly and sustainable we have become with using artificial rocks, and maricultured fish and corals; eco friendly, or green aquariums, if you will.

However, I and many others have done this for the purpose of being green... as you pointed out, it seems many others are doing this to have a sterile environment. They are missing the point, in my opinion, and are diverting too far, or were not involved in, what we learned in reefkeeping over the years - especially from all we learned in the zero nitrite days...

Diversity is key, even when it comes to vermitids, nudibranchs, bristle worms, etc.

We are on the verge of merging a fully complete understanding of a self sufficient and infinitely diverse ecosystem, with sustainable practices.

Dirty tanks with sustainably created rocks; efficient artificial rocks - captive breed fish, corals, and a bigger list and fuller understanding of our very important hitchhikers - more diversity and acceptance of misunderstood critters. Asterina stars, vermitids, fan worms, nudibranchs and bristle worms in particular.

 

[Cell]

I think it's continued high tech monitoring, but a push towards more natural biological filtering. For instance, using refugium/mud in place of a skimmer.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

Another thing that is sure to go is these 'minimalist aquascapes'. Take a long hard look at a reef and you will see enormous boulders and rocks everywhere. These are the key to stability and to hosting diversity.

Now that we have very efficient artificial rocks, I think we'll see a move toward more mountainous aquascapes - capturing the full spectrum of landscape design, the picturesque, the pastoral, and the sublime. Take a read:

19th Century Landscape - The Pastoral, the Picturesque and the Sublime - The University of Arizona Museum of Art and Archive of Visual Arts

October 9, 2009 – March 2, 2010 The 19th century was the golden age of Read more

artmuseum.arizona.edu

I was able to do this for 300$ of dry rock. 215g - and 80 more pounds is still on the way.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

"Sublime images, on the other hand, show Nature at its most fearsome; in fact, Burke believed that “terror is in all cases… the ruling principle of the sublime.” There is an awe and reverence for the wild that to Burke was akin to violent passion. Humanity is small and impotent in front of raging rivers, dizzying cliffs and canyons, ferocious animals, and violent storms. These works can also be uplifting, but in a deeply spiritual way. The Sublime emphasizes God’s dominion over humanity and considers the possible folly in mankind’s overriding confidence."

In simple mans terms, these frilly sand ridden pastoral aquascapes lack contrast, and the impact a sublime and powerful cliff face provides. A full aquascape will have all three elements intertwining about - and now that dry rock is cheaper than ever, we'll see more of this.

 

[Jeffcb]

I agree with OP. My first Reef tank many years ago was a 100 gal 48 inch tanks with 200lbs of Florida live rock. Looked like the Great Cayman wall! It was stacked all the way to the top. It was just as interesting watching all the life on the rocks grow as the corals and fish. Dry rock is very boring. I am considering a 900 liter tank soon. It will be mostly fish and I would like to use Fl. Live Rock. That's were this OS guy would like to go.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

All this talk about bare bottoms too... It's just more misunderstanding or forgetting our past in reefkeeping - more sterile talk.

Stirring a sandbed at night is one of the best, and most important, ways to feed corals with lagoon quality detritus.

History tells us we need to go back to dirty tanks. Some of us will kick and scream along the way with their misguided preference for sterility and control, rather than accepting the reef tank as the dirty and uncontrollable microcosm it wishes to be.

 

[Jeffcb]

All this talk about bare bottoms too... It's just more misunderstanding or forgetting our past in reefkeeping - more sterile talk.

Stirring a sandbed at night is one of the best, and most important, ways to feed corals with lagoon quality detritus.

History tells us we need to go back to dirty tanks. Some of us will kick and scream along the way with their misguided preference for sterility and control, rather than accepting the reef tank as the dirty and uncontrollable microcosm it wishes to be.

I don't know if a "dirty tank" is a good idea. I the wild a reef is low in nutrients. All nutrients are consumed keeping it nutrient poor.

 

[Billldg]

I am new school, but on my upgrade I am kidda going back to partial old school. Though I plan on using almost 200 pounds of dry rock, I will also put in the tank and sump actual live rock. The sudden rise of dino's is happening because of the push for dry rock and the lack of preparation when using it. Actual live rock has one thing that can not be duplicated, and that's the bacteria strains that are in the ocean.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

I don't know if a "dirty tank" is a good idea. I the wild a reef is low in nutrients. All nutrients are consumed keeping it nutrient poor.

Dissolved nutrients, and readily available, decomposing nutrients, are two different things.

Reefs are highly dirty places, completely swamped with detritus, blowing about and clouding the water - coral food.

 

[Jeffcb]

Dissolved nutrients, and readily available, decomposing nutrients, are two different things.

Reefs are highly dirty places, completely swamped with detritus, blowing about and clouding the water - coral food.

If they get to dirty they die. The reefs I have been on had crystal clear water.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

If they get to dirty they die. The reefs I have been on had crystal clear water.

We can argue about the different reefs all day man... detritus is coral food and present everywhere - the key to a diverse diet and growth.

Sterile tanks are stagnant and require excess target feeding to supplement the lack of available detritus.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

I've been in the hobby since 1991. I don't consider myself to be pigeon holed as "old school" or "new school" or "middle school" for that matter. I do what works for me, and many of the newer products from lights to automation work very well for me. I do not give any credit to anyone's opinion unless I see their tank either through pictures in a build thread, or in person, which is obviously better. If someone has a new tank with tiny frags and is regurgitating things he/she read on Facebook from one of the fly by night chop shops, then I will not consider their opinion useful to me. All of that being said, I agree with JDA that we are about to see a collapse in our economy on a level rarely seen, and that hobbies such as ours which are only sustainable by hobbyists with disposable income are also going to financially collapse and many will sell their tanks and get out. Unfortunately most small companies that make products for our niche hobby probably won't survive such a recession/depression, and it may well set things back in terms of developing new technology. I could be wrong though. Anyway Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[arking_mark]

To actually answer the question, I think ultra low maintenance will be the next trend. Minimizing equipment and automating chores.

To that end, I think:
1. There will be a skimmerless movement, as the science and analysis of skimmers have shown them to be inferior to other filtration methods.
2. Everyone will use roller matts for mechanical filtration
3. Everyone will start dumping their money into high-tech tank automation

 

[Paul B]

Did you buy the octopus? What species are they?

That was a very long time ago. I don't remember what species she was but she was very cool. They die after giving birth.

 

[X-37B]

I've been in the hobby since 1991. I don't consider myself to be pigeon holed as "old school" or "new school" or "middle school" for that matter. I do what works for me, and many of the newer products from lights to automation work very well for me. I do not give any credit to anyone's opinion unless I see their tank either through pictures in a build thread, or in person, which is obviously better. If someone has a new tank with tiny frags and is regurgitating things he/she read on Facebook from one of the fly by night chop shops, then I will not consider their opinion useful to me. All of that being said, I agree with JDA that we are about to see a collapse in our economy on a level rarely seen, and that hobbies such as ours which are only sustainable by hobbyists with disposable income are also going to financially collapse and many will sell their tanks and get out. Unfortunately most small companies that make products for our niche hobby probably won't survive such a recession/depression, and it may well set things back in terms of developing new technology. I could be wrong though. Anyway Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I agree with both on the economy.
I hope we are all wrong but the writing is on the wall. Its not going to be pretty.

 

[Paul B]

In truth I'd like to take a bit of a break from reef keeping but I haven't because it's impossible to buy decent, or even poor, live rock anymore and a sterile tank just isn't for me. I used to run a shop and bring fresh chunks of uncured liverock home for biodiversity.

I don't get why so many people still have new tanks and can't get good rock. What happened to the rock you bought 10 years ago? You set up a tank and it matures along with you. What happened to all the tanks that were started 5, 10, or 20 years ago when live rock was cheap and plentiful? The rock doesn't evaporate.

I still have some rock from the 70s in my tank.
If you set up your tank correctly, feed it correctly, don't quarantine or medicate, your tank should be a living, continuing, self replicating eco system that should last forever, maybe longer than forever.
This hobby has been in the US since 1971. Where are the old tanks?

I realize many people join this hobby, but are all the tanks only lasting a couple of years?

I get that I am old school but I never have problems with this stuff. Pumps, lights, heaters all last at least 8 or 10 years then you fix it or buy another one. Tanks last decades, my old tank was 40 years old before I upgraded to a little larger tank, one without scratches.