Reef Trends in 2009: Whats hot, whats not
20 Comments
Cone Skimmers
In late 2008 we saw the emergence of different types of cone skimmers, however in 2009 we saw them become even more popular. Although there has been much debate over the first company that has brought the cone skimmer to the reef aquarium market we’ve seen a bevy of cone skimmers from different companies. It’s so popular in fact that numerous Chinese companies have now started to produce cone skimmers and whats more is that the craze is going gang busters in other places besides the United States. Places like the UK and Europe along with Asia. However, not all companies are interested in producing cone skimmers. For example, Deltec which gave the cone skimmer craze the middle finger and instead focused on increasing efficiency with their custom line of pumps, but keeping the design in the same basic format, a vertical cylinder.
Rimless Aquariums
To date Europe has been kicking the North American audience rear-end with a great selection of rimless aquariums. However, other countries have finally started to catch on. For example, we are seeing new types of rimless aquariums from mainstream companies like Perfecto, Fluval, and other smaller custom companies. Rimless aquariums just look better and manufactures have finally started to realize the growing market that demands rimless aquariums. It’s taken them entirely too long, but they’re getting their act together. Finally.
Increased Efficiency with pumps and lighting
Cone skimmers are great, but what we are seeing more of is getting increased efficiency. This applies to all areas of the industry but specifically to pumps and lighting. Instead of looking of how big a skimmer is, hobbyists and amateurs are looking at the wattage and air draw of skimmer pumps. The norm used to be in the 400-600 lph range but now we are seeing huge increases past the 1,000 mark as manufactures use computer aided models to estimate air flow rates as they experiment with different volute pairings, bearings, and what not.
Lighting is getting a great efficiency boost with LED, more and more options are being made available and whats more is that LEDs themselves are getting more efficient. Metal Halides, while still popular with older reef hobbyists, will eventually go the way of the do-do bird if electricity utilities keep increasing prices for kwH. For example, here in Chicago I paid $0.22 per KwH and now its over $0.34. That might seem small but in large amounts it multiplies greatly, coupled with the weak economy Metal Haildes are becoming less popular. And more and more reef addicts are looking at T5s and LEDs. They might not be switching right away, but they’re looking which speaks volumes of how their opinions have changed. Plus there are more options on the market then a year ago. That’s great news for us.
Being Green
Several years ago, here in the Untied States it was cool to own a gas guzzler like a Hummer H2, or a Cadillac Escalade. However, with the economic change frugality is now the new “cool”, gone is the fad for large SUVs for couples or single persons to own, you’ll still see them but most are for families with kids when a larger SUV just makes sense. The Toyota Prius or other hybirds are insanely popular along with diesels that deliver over 40 MPG. This same change has affected the industry too. For example, as we all become more aware of the plight of the words oceans, aquacultured corals and tank raised livestock is increasingly popular. Not only are we more interested in tank raised corals and fish, but we’re asking questions of where and how wild caught livestock are caught and then transported. Sure, some don’t care or are to naive to know a difference but the vast majority of you do care, more then ever.
Accountability & Media
Frag chop shops have disappeared greatly this year, partly due to the economy and the negative stigma that has been published with media outlets like this website. This brings up another point. Accountability. With prior years past, most companies and individuals weren’t accountable for their actions they could do as they please with out any hard repercussions. That’s not true any longer. The media (thats us) has now made companies and individuals responsible for their actions. You know about illegal Rhizotrochus, orbitec owning a very important patent, and the Fluval G filters being a overpriced paper weight. Accountability is great especially in a smaller industry such as this and something that companies are just now stating to get used to.
Is there a larger/legible version of the image associated with this post. I enjoyed the post and the image looks interesting but the text is not legible…
December 30th, 2009 at 8:19 am
As expected, Ryan, I will disagree about the “rimless is BETTER” mantra of yours. I hate them. I think theiyre ugly, dangerous, and fickle. You like them better- so be it. But that doesnt make them “BETTER”. I have to kinda laugh at how there is implication that cone skimmers may or may not be a “fad”, yet the same “fad” effect in rimless yields a “better” aquarium. Hmmmmm….
Spot on for the rest, though.
December 30th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Ian, I use the browsers text feature to increase size by default as I have a hard time reading most sites. When I run across one which I need to tweak, I use the browsers tool bar to increase or decrease the text.
With that said, I have to do the last ever since the RB Christmas website upgrade.
December 30th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Nice write up Ryan.
(ctrl + or ctrl- to increase or decrease the displayed resolution of any website)
December 30th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Jake, not the size of the text on the website, the size of the image. The text in the picture is not legible, and increasing the size of that just increases the illegibility
December 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
What’s so inherently “dangerous” about a trimless aquarium?
December 30th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I would like to see the text on that image as well.
I agree that saying rimless is “better” is just a matter of opinion. Certainly it is not structurally better. It can only be better in terms of looks but only then it is an opinion as many people think rimless tanks look “unfinished”.
December 30th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
@Andrew- I have truly yet to see an open, rimless aquarium (save at a stores coral retail) that doesn’t have a slew of fish that can, and in my opinion, eventually will, jump. Granted, I shouldve pretexted my previous comment as “dangerous to inhabitants”. But, in my opinion, housing any reef fish in a rimless aquarium (without a top), with the exception of seahorses, is irresponsible and foolhardy. And rimless tanks with tops…well that just a whole other brand of ridiculousness.
I, personally, see the rimless tank craze as a fad- moreso than the cone skimmer fad. At least there are empirical arguments for cones. US companies making them now are just doing so for the $$.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Rimless aquariums aren’t going to go anywhere. They appeal to a different type of audience in the industry.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
@ Ryan… You say they aren’t going anywhere? That can be take in many different ways one of which is they will not become the norm and won’t become more popular
December 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Stealle- your comment about how “housing any reef fish in a rimless aquarium (without a top), with the exception of seahorses, is irresponsible and foolhardy” is a joke. Matter of fact, I’d be willing to bet my black tang that he’s a lot happier in my tank than any fish in yours.
lol
December 30th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
@ Jeremy
I’ll give you the concern about jumping fish. In the two years I’ve had a trimless tank I’ll admit I have lost a fish to jumping. But truth be told I think I would have lost that same fish to jumping even if I had a tank with trim and a canopy. I’ve lost fish to jumping into halides and hanging up on fluorescents on tanks with trim and canopies in the past so it’s not as though my odds have changed much since going trimless.
December 30th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Aside from jumping fish, waveboxes get along WAY better with euro-braced tanks
MFR
December 31st, 2009 at 1:49 am
+1 for wanting a larger image…can’t read the text, and “zooming” the browser isn’t going to fix that!
December 31st, 2009 at 12:07 pm
@ Ryan….ummmm…ok….? wodd block air driven skimmers arent going anywhere either- I saw one of those for sale the other day…..Glad we cleared that up.
@ Andrew- So be it. Im not saying trimmed tanks are 100000% safe. Im saying they are 1000000% safER. The supposed appeal to a trimless tank is the open and unobstructed look, to which obstructiond to prevent fish flight are counterproductive. That being said, I know I have MANY MANY fish that would be dead if I didnt have my canopy enclosed over my tank.
But, this is just one point. I just cant fathom the principle that ANYONE can say one design is “better” than another. Well…I guess Ryan can, because its his site, so he can say whatever he wants. I just disagree.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I was just getting a little annoyed by accidentally clicking on the images of other posts, which linked to larger versions of the images and not the full article itself. Now when there is an image that really needs to be sharper/clearer to be useful, the opposite situation occurs! It almost looks like the words have been blurred out.
January 1st, 2010 at 6:03 pm
So, my theory is that the image is NOT from the world of reefkeeping, but from some other market and it was adapted to use here because it looked good.
But thats just my guess.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I just heard about this news. Glad to know it.
March 26th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I just heard about this news. Glad to know it.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:46 am
Hey, I love all your writings, keep them coming.
April 19th, 2010 at 4:39 am