The next great discovery

[schminksbro]

I remember back in the late 80s early 90s when most people would tell you that SPS corals were impossible to keep. Science and technology have made that thought process obsolete. What is the most significant advancement of the last decade? What is the next great advancement going to be? I am thinking it will be related to the keeping and propagation of non-photosynthetic corals but I am not sure what the latest trends in that area are. What do you think?

 

[TonyB]

Equipment wise I believe that the industry will develop more energy efficient products, or at least I hope so. I hope the LED lighting is refined and reaches the masses. Livestock wise I see biotopes becoming more popular. I would like to see more accurate representations of specific habitats as opposed to conglomerations of critters that would never coexist in the wild.

 

[Nate82]

LED is definitely coming and the remote control through controllers is pretty wild. You can control everything in your tank from across the world

 

[Mya]

LEDs I think would be here if not so many lawsuits were in place.
You can get LEDs now but will cost you an arm and prolly half your leg... Which honestly I wouldn't mind paying for because of how green they are. The reason I havent bought into LEDs yet tho is honestly, I just have a feeling I am going to buy them ... Then the lawsuits drop and the market be flooded with something at half the price that I bought it for and just as good if not better!
Oh sometimes reef keeping is like a dog chasing it's tail...

 

[gilmour01]

i hope the LED systems become more mainstream over the next few years, and i agree with tonyb on the biotopes becoming more common.

 

[cparka23]

The better LED fixtures aren't going to drop in price for awhile, at least not in their current incarnation. The high power emitters that AquaIlluminations and (now defunct) PFO use are pricey by themselves, and the latest LEDs have always been that way. Even if more competition enters the market, they'll still have to deal with the same cost of materials as their predecessors. It's not like buying a computer where top-of-the-line specs become a budget model in 2-3 years.

That being said, the extra expense of the Solaris and AI units is partly due to the control over the output intensity/spectrum. The best bet for a cheaper commercial fixture is to wait for something w/o a controller, which we might see in the aftermath of the PFO patent suit. So anyone looking for a cheaper price point should wait for a unit with fewer features (i.e. no controller) rather than wait and see if competition drives prices down or LED emitters become much cheaper. JMO.

 

[schminksbro]

I knew when I started this thread that it would become an LED thread. Thats cool but what else is on the horizon? I know skimmers are getting better with the new cone designs. I would think more knockoff companies will start to produce cheaper units with more efficient pumps like the ones BK uses. I think we are on the verge of alot more wireless equipment as well. Controllers are getting cheaper and dosing pumps are gaining popularity. Where do we go from here?

 

[Acroholic]

I'd like to see the technology developed to extend the interval between water changes, one of the most non-green, but unfortunately necessary, aspects of the salt and freshwater aquarium hobby.
Dave

 

[kass03]

Ive had saltwater fish for over 30 years and my reef tank for 25.
It's unreal how things have changed since then and most for the better.
It's alot easier now to keep corals and fish alive. Yes theres alot of new gadgets but you can also have a nice tank without alot of them imo. The internet has certainly helped for info.
I actually still have the same H.O.B. filter I started with 25 years ago on my 55. It's basically a H.O.B. sump.

I remember when live rock actually came with ricordea on it (they stopped that which was good because they were dynamiting the reefs to get it).
I remember when skimmers were driven by an airstone lol and we used regular fluorescent bulbs.

Sorry I have no idea where it's going but the hobby keeps advancing thats for sure.

kass

 

[cparka23]

I knew when I started this thread that it would become an LED thread.[...]

oops! Okay, on the subject of innovation, I hope we start seeing equipment that not only performs better but is less obtrusive.

We've already seen rimless tanks, low-iron glass, fewer canopies, etc. I was thinking more about sleeker light fixtures and smaller powerheads (Vortech MP-10). I'd like to see more tech that doesn't stand out as an eyesore and could actually replace some of the bigger pieces of equipment like closed loops.

Also, I'd like to see someone rethink the way chillers are designed. Chillers now are the same as they've been for decades. It just doesn't seem like there's any innovation in that area whatsoever.

 

[Nate82]

Meh the prolifux (sp?) chillers are sweet

 

[ReefDoctor]

For me it is the advent of controllers... Controlling all of the Outlets, Lighting, timing, PH, Alarms, levels, Recording, dosing.... ect, ect, ect... Its just awesome what even a ReefKeeper Jr. will handle... Most large Mixed Reefs would next to impossible without these controllers