What Needs The Most Improvement In The Hobby?

[vetteguy53081]

Although this may not answer the question directly, I have to focus on industry honesty and integrity.
An example is Vertex who has made numerous promises to the consumers using The Cerebra Controller product as an example.

They produced this two years ago as a Beta version and have made numerous promises of an improvement with 6 different ship out dates since September 2017 and have yet to produce results or follow up reducing consumer confidence.

 

[sstanley223]

Suppliers with healthy fish

 

[Forsaken77]

While I agree on books....it is so hard to put out a book with the quick and ever changing standards and methods in the industry.
We have new innovations and equipment annually which impact the industry in various ways and what comes out today as a proven method is quickly replaced by another in short time.

While we have new products every year, we don't have new knowledge ever year. There are still a lot of relevant books from the 70's. The basics and foundation never change. It's the level above that that does... The way you micro manage the basics and icorporate that into your ecosystem. Which a lot of products try to get you to buy their snake oil and then say you can fully stock a tank the next day. They skip the basics and go right to established tank, which doesn't help anyone.

For example protein skimmers. They have been around since it was a plastic tube with a limestone air stone. They are the same today, just many different ways of going about bubbles in a tube for waste removal.

I would buy a book that details the changes over time, if those changes made an impactful difference, and the different technologies used to achieve what we have today. With a final comparison of the limestone block (with big air pump) against a pinwheel and see if it has even evolved at all.

It's not like the smartphone or computer industry. Things aren't obsolete in 6 months. We're dealing with info, not evolving products most of the time.

A book of up to date factual knowledge, not products, is what would be useful. Proven methodology that works.

 

[Forsaken77]

Although this may not answer the question directly, I have to focus on industry honesty and integrity.
An example is Vertex who has made numerous promises to the consumers using The Cerebra Controller product as an example.

They produced this two years ago as a Beta version and have made numerous promises of an improvement with 6 different ship out dates since September 2017 and have yet to produce results or follow up reducing consumer confidence.

I know exactly what you mean. You're a beta tester. The ridiculous part is that they charged people to beta test their product.

Every beta test I've done, which was given free by the company, has always said in the fine print that because it's a beta product, it could malfunction at your expense, the retail version may be very different than the beta, and they have the right to discontinue the product at any time if they don't like the way things are going.

While I don't know Vertex's stipulation, does it say anything like that? That because this is a pre-release product that they may cut and run at any time? They were also supposed to get into tank building, as they built the BRS 160, but that never materialized either.

I learned my lesson with pre-release/beta stuff. Never again. For your sake I hope they follow through to at least make it a complete unit.

What's the update it needs?

 

[Kyl]

The amount of BS marketing in this hobby has always perplexed me, especially from the hardware side of the business. If I could see one area radically improved, it would be that.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

While I agree on books....it is so hard to put out a book with the quick and ever changing standards and methods in the industry.
We have new innovations and equipment annually which impact the industry in various ways and what comes out today as a proven method is quickly replaced by another in short time.

The science is the same. The tools change. And not really that much.

Kiss and the Berlin method is the basis for all others.
Triton , api Dsr etc , are all just riffs off the basic science.
If folks read books on coral and thier biological needs, the would better understand Triton. And lighting.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I know exactly what you mean. You're a beta tester. The ridiculous part is that they charged people to beta test their product.

Every beta test I've done, which was given free by the company, has always said in the fine print that because it's a beta product, it could malfunction at your expense, the retail version may be very different than the beta, and they have the right to discontinue the product at any time if they don't like the way things are going.

While I don't know Vertex's stipulation, does it say anything like that? That because this is a pre-release product that they may cut and run at any time? They were also supposed to get into tank building, as they built the BRS 160, but that never materialized either.

I learned my lesson with pre-release/beta stuff. Never again. For your sake I hope they follow through to at least make it a complete unit.

What's the update it needs?

It needed better screen display and functionality as well as ability to program. I understand at reef palooza, it was well improved and with a promise of October distribution first to beta owners. Then was mid November, moved to end of November. Forum members asked for update with no response and now I hear February.
Not holding my breath as others also feel the same way.

 

[Big E]

And some of the good books are out of print and very expensive now. I would like to get the Vernon set but when I looked a used set was $600 to $1000. I knew I should have bought them when they came out. Didn't realize they would to out of print so fast.

The info from Verons Books are all right here. The books are beautiful, but I sold mine because all the same info was right there at the click of a finger

http://coral.aims.gov.au/


Veron Book example--
Here a page that is exact to the books---
http://coral.aims.gov.au/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0033

I'd recommend to read this site occasionally instead of those hype marketing sites that disguise themselves as educating reefers.

It's quite refreshing to read a site that doesn't bombard you with adds and fake pictures, ect.


I use this site quite a bit as well----------

http://fishbase.org/

 

[vetteguy53081]

The info from Verons Books are all right here. The books are beautiful, but I sold mine because all the same info was right there at the click of a finger

http://coral.aims.gov.au/


Veron Book example--
Here a page that is exact to the books---
http://coral.aims.gov.au/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0033

I'd recommend to read this site occasionally instead of those hype marketing sites that disguise themselves as educating reefers.

It's quite refreshing to read a site that doesn't bombard you with adds and fake pictures, ect.


I use this site quite a bit as well----------

http://fishbase.org/

Very nice of you to add links.. We are in a hobby where knowledge is power !!

 

[jd371]

Nanotechnology!!!! Like in the movie Fantastic Voyage. Imagine tiny nano sized robots that are programmed to kill nothing but harmful parasites and algae.

 

[Gil03]

My vote goes to manufacturers and their support outlets having better quality control and attention to detail with their products. Just on one build alone I had these products replaced due to faults some big and others just flat out attention to detail issues (Eheim heater/Hydra 26hd/Maxspect gyre advanced controller/The new Apex controller) all on one build. I also on the same build had coralvue send me the newer quieter venturi for my reef octopus 202-s to which they claimed it will significantly lower the noise of the skimmer but not once did they mention it also significantly lowers the production of skimmate no matter how much you adjust the intake. I went from having the collection cup full in a matter of a few days with the original venturi to it only having less than a quarter full in a week with the new. The crazy thing is this new venturi is the one they're putting on their skimmers or at least my specific model skimmer now, which sucks if you buy one now cause you're not going to see this skimmers full potential.

My second obviously would be test equipment for params.

 

[Forsaken77]

I would like consumers to expect more from the products they buy. Especially the expensive stuff. It should not be treated as disposable. Manufacturers know that most people won't follow through on a warranty claim. If something breaks, they say "oh well, get another" or "won't buy that model again."

If you have a problem, take it directly to the manufacturer. And for manufacturers that are stubborn, go to the Better Business Bureau. I've gotten upgraded equipment from stubborn manufacturers going through the BBB.
The last thing they want is negative info on the BBB site. But always approach the manufacturer first. You'll be surprised that the place that was blowing you off, is now "how can we make it right?"

 

[Nobbygas]

This may have been mentioned earlier, but I haven't been able to read the whole thread.
A safe DT medication to treat Ich and Velvet. Day in, day out, on various forums, you can see that this is a major problem in this hobby.
Next, a one probe device that accurately measures all the parameters you normally test for.....I hate testing !

 

[Myk Verified Sponsor]

Mindstream......... maybe........ someday? This would be what you are looking for!

 

[philosophile]

A reliable way to kill bubble algae.

 

[five.five-six]

LED lights need to be improved dramaticly. I know they are way better than halides but they never seem to look as good as halides. Not even close.

 

[Myk Verified Sponsor]

I have seen some really amazing results from people using Vibrant for bubble algae.

If you like the look of halides try kessil's. I run ATI T5's over my coral systems with supplemental light from kessils and the look is spot on!

 

[Greef_in_the_Reef]

I am new to the saltwater community, and am still in the research phase (3months so far) and I too find it difficult to find info. Youtube is a good resource, however I was looking for other places which is how I found this forum. I’ve been toying around with the idea of starting a wiki type website to help with this problem. I actually setup the site an everything it’s just sitting collecting dust. If anyone would like to help out with adding content I can manage everything technical and protect the data. I’ve written and sold web applications, managed Fortune 500 companies websites. And do IT for a living. Just thought I’d throw this out there.

 

[Nobbygas]

Mindstream......... maybe........ someday? This would be what you are looking for!

Yeah, I've seen the blurb for it, but it still doesn't cover all out needs does it ! One probe, one display, which shows me my Alk, Calc, Mag, Phos, Salinity and Nitrate and I'd be as happy a pig in....

and in the multi-million dollar global industry of reefing, surely someone can come up with a fix for Ich and Velvet!

 

[Nobbygas]

A reliable way to kill bubble algae.

Have you tried Vibrant? It works.