current state of the marine aquarium hobby

[Gary Majchrzak]

seems like a nutty question, eh?

We all know there's an ebb in the interest of ALL aquariums once warmer weather hits- that is nothing new.
Slow aquarium boards, people selling off stuff and getting out...

but are things worse this year than others... or am I just imagining it?

David Muir keeps telling me the economy is getting better....

 

[Capt_Cully]

I used to work with David Muir (and party with him). Good guy for sure. Very happy for him and his successes. I have to admit, between the economy, and kids, my aquarium is the worst it's ever been. My attention span and disposable income is definitely less than it was 3 or 4 years ago. I still love my corals and fishes, but I'm definitely not getting their vote for father of the year award.

Is what it is......be a long time before I'd ever consider NOT having a reef in my living room.

 

[Breadman03]

Sorry for the trip up North. Hope you don't mind me pulling up a stool for a few.

The stock market is hot, a few housing markets are up by over 20% since last year. I just have this image of Uncle Sam blowing a big bubble for the little kids to play with. Who knows whether it will be very durable. I think I read that the EU had entered another recession.

I think that Sandy has reorganized the priorities of some people. Perhaps a lot of the for sale posts have to do with people who have to get settled into a new place before worrying about their tank.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

you're always welcome to post here, Greg.
Sorry I can't say the same for your inbred neighbors (yes, I saw that post in the lounge!) :lol:

cully- that's almost EXACTLY what I was expecting to hear. And I had a feeling somebody in 'cuse would know David so I specifically mentioned his name!

I was wondering how the LFS's in upstate were doing but they have maintenance accounts to fall back on if sales go flat.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Couldn't say about the biz. I don't think they make much money off of guys like us anyway Gar.

Worked with Dave for a couple years then had mutual friends @ Ithaca College where he got his communications degree. Many a house party with Dave.

 

[tmz]

There just so many uniformed assertions ,self loving egos and cyber jerks around ,it's hard to get a good learning discussion going on many of the boards ;urs is an exeption for the most part.

I'm still passionate about the aqauriums though an have met many new folks who are.
Always looking for new challenges and this hobby satisfies that appetite. I think the future can be great for the hobby if we just keep trying new ideas and do the hard work that comes with learning and improving.

 

[Neoz]

For me Cully hit it perfect. Funds are at an all time low as I just put twin daughters thru college and my last daughter leaves for college in a few months.

I would of never thought I would be without a tank this long. I miss it every day. My first tank was a 180 gallon and it was awesome. I believe for a lot of people it comes down to the expense. This hobby has no room for cutting corners.

 

[toddmh]

For me it was a perfect storm of badness..First my corals diden't react to going from hq lighting to full LED,was my first huge mistake..Then I have been fighting a losing war with aiptasia for the longest time,then getting real ill over the winter sang the death song for my reef,95% of my coral died and now I have a 200g reef of aiptasia.,.I am so disgusted with myself..

Thank god my fish are still healthy,I just saved up some cash and got a fresh 100lbs of tonga branch(dead stuff)..Now I am tearing everything down to glass rebuilding my whole system fom scratch,I am getting the itch again..I just dont know if I want invest all that cash into a reef system again,losing over 5 grand in coral was like stabbing me in the heart every day something else died..

We will see..

 

[reefboarder]

For me it was a perfect storm of badness..First my corals diden't react to going from hq lighting to full LED,was my first huge mistake..Then I have been fighting a losing war with aiptasia for the longest time,then getting real ill over the winter sang the death song for my reef,95% of my coral died and now I have a 200g reef of aiptasia.,.I am so disgusted with myself..

Thank god my fish are still healthy,I just saved up some cash and got a fresh 100lbs of tonga branch(dead stuff)..Now I am tearing everything down to glass rebuilding my whole system fom scratch,I am getting the itch again..I just dont know if I want invest all that cash into a reef system again,losing over 5 grand in coral was like stabbing me in the heart every day something else died..

We will see..

I remodeled and built in wall, I set up a temp system in the fish room consisting of a 125g sump and a 29 gallon refugium all of the corals went in the sump and the fish were split between the two. Came home from work one morning to find the skimmer not working properly and just about everything dead.
The stab in the heart is a real feeling! I almost threw in the towel but the fact that I had just built a wall, ran four new dedicated gfci circuits and spent countless after work hours doing all of it made me keep my chin up and get it right.
I'm glad I did, my tank is back on track. Far from its former glory but that will take time. I've had a reef tank for close to six years now and it's still the first thing i do in the morning and the last at night.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Murphy's law is real

Murphy's law is real

it's no joke.

If you have a reef aquarium crash (and we ALL have!) you KNOW things will get better if you regroup.

Or you have a choice to get out...

But I'm talking about the current state of the marine aquarium hobby mostly due to a stagnant economy and the way this hobby operates (ie: corals with a "brand name" fetching ridiculous prices and a tendency for those to be in this hobby to be relatively new... creating a set of circumstances for situations as described by tmz.)

There just so many uniformed assertions ,self loving egos and cyber jerks around ,it's hard to get a good learning discussion going on many of the boards ;urs is an exeption for the most part.

I'm still passionate about the aqauriums though an have met many new folks who are.
Always looking for new challenges and this hobby satisfies that appetite. I think the future can be great for the hobby if we just keep trying new ideas and do the hard work that comes with learning and improving.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Where there is a hobby and collectors of anything whether it be wine, guns, Star Wars figurines, or corals, there will always be those that have the most cash to spend (whether it be fiscally irresponsible for their situation or not). That "neener neener look what I got and you don't" will always exist and drive a certain portion of the hobby. Overall, I don't know how the economy has effected the hobby, trade, or business side of things.

Personally, I've spent and lost a kings ransome on "high end" corals and equipment. I've forgotten the names of a lot of the corals I own. My current tank is filled with a good mix of colors and growth patterns. That's about all I can tell you.

Busted out the razor scraper last night. Having a good tank day today.

 

[Breadman03]

corals with a "brand name" fetching ridiculous prices

I guess there will always be those that want to be the first with something, and will pay for the privilege.

I see an abundance of gear snobs (not derogatory) posting about their latest spendy piece of gear. I think that this intimidates many people out of keeping a tank. They think that their difficulties are cause because they can't afford an MP-40 and Radions, when a couple Koralia's and a T-5 would be almost as good for a fraction of the price.

Husbandry skills and taking it slow will produce results, but just aren't as flashy.

 

[reefboarder]

I have fallen prey to the brand name phenomenon and have moved on. Now I specifically go for color and growth patterns that intrigue me. I honestly stay away from Louie Veton corals even if its something I really want. I am what is referred to as a reefer on a budget, a very tight budget.

 

[GMaquarium]

Summertime is always slower in the hobby. People spend less time at home working on their tanks.

Economy hasn't been hot in years. Many folks have to prioritize with their budget. But a real hobbyist will always have a tank. If the love for the underwater world is in your heart, living without a tank is not easy. Prime example is my family. There were years of hardship and struggle but my father never gave up the hobby. This was a different time and place. We would split a candy bar in 5 pieces but had dozens of tanks in the house. DIY was the only way to have equipment and breeding fish to resell to a pet shop and at outdoor market was a source of income.

I think perhaps the hobby has become too materialistic. Caused by sensationalism and hype. A $500 power head will not make a crappy tank look like tank of the month. A regular no name zoa/chalice/acan coral will not make your reef look like a trash dump.

 

[keithhays]

I had the same sensation, just based on the number of whole systems being sold off vs. new systems I have seen in the forums. It wasn't a scientific well thought out thing, more of an overall impression. If I had to guess as to the reason, I think a lot of people are now on the move to new jobs and we'll likely see them come back in later.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I didn't base my thread here solely on aquarium related stuff.

Roads around me aren't as busy as they used to be.
Movie theatres, sporting events, shopping malls, restaurants.

Talking to friends and customers... things just don't seem to be back to normal.

 

[Breadman03]

I didn't base my thread here solely on aquarium related stuff.

Roads around me aren't as busy as they used to be.
Movie theatres, sporting events, shopping malls, restaurants.

Talking to friends and customers... things just don't seem to be back to normal.

I used to see traffic backed up at the one red light in Blakeslee, PA for literally 3-4 miles on Friday evenings before the housing market crash. Afterward, I don't think I saw 3 cars waiting.

Conversely, where my parents live seems to have barely been hit. I think a lot of it has to do with the different concentration of industries. Here was mainly tourism, construction, and distribution centers. My parents have a wide variety of stuff from pharmaceuticals and petroleum to retail and landscaping.

 

[keithhays]

I didn't base my thread here solely on aquarium related stuff.

Roads around me aren't as busy as they used to be.
Movie theatres, sporting events, shopping malls, restaurants.

Talking to friends and customers... things just don't seem to be back to normal.

Given the area of the country you live in, you maybe seeing the effects overall migration patterns within the U.S. to other parts of the country like the ones shown here:
http://boingboing.net/2010/06/16/interactive-map-of-u.html

I live in Tennessee and we seem to be gaining people and business from everywhere. When I first moved to TN about 30 years ago, Nashville was basically a ghost town now it is full of people, businesses. I rarely ever meet anyone who is actually from TN.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

yeah... I know of those migration patterns.

Rochester and upstate NY seem to be in some sort of time warp, though.

We didn't have a housing bubble to burst and economic downturn a few years ago was slow to come and minimal when it hit here.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Anyone who's been stuck in traffic in Southern California will understand when I say, that place isn't or me. The older I get, the less social I become. I lived out west only for a short time. When it comes to "REAL" people, sarcasm, and good old curmudgeonism, the North East is for me. True Northeasterners just don't fit in anywhere else IMO/IME.

NYS is such an AMAZINGLY beautiful and diverse state. If it wasn't for NYC and the taxes, this place would be heaven. Lakes, mountains, ocean, forests, farms, sports, education, the list goes on. (Oh, and Wegmans)