If we think equipment prices are high . .. . . . .

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Theyre called smart toilets

Oh I can only imagine what a smart toilet would tell me!

 

[Lebowski_]

My frustration is that the big name companies aren't even really driving innovation any more, but they're still demanding premium prices like they are.

Some of the biggest recent advancements in LED lighting for reef tanks (spectrum-wise) have come from a handful of hobbyists who were just making something that they wanted that nobody else was making. Then they realized that others might be interested too.

Really, other than the MPxx line (that actually have patents), what reason is there to justify some of the prices on wavemakers these days?! The app? News flash... The Chinese are getting better at that too.

If you don't get all caught up in brand names and "status", there are quite a few nice, reliable, affordable options out there. I find myself with more and more Jebao pumps and powerheads these days, and all my lights are "old tech" AI Prime HDs and Hydra 26HDs, upgraded with some of the best "new tech" in Luxdium LED upgrades.

I think that the hobby really only needs to be as expensive as YOU make it. There are affordable alternatives out there if you look.

This is how it always works in my experience, though. Homemade LED lights were a huge thing 15 years ago, I remember people buying the little cree LEDs and soldering them on. Lots of discussion about fine tuning wattage, colour, intensity, etc. T5s and MH were still king (with a small blip for VHO and Power Compacts).

I believe wavemakers also started as Maxijets with a fin added to them. Long time ago, hard to remember. People are clever, though, and companies just roll with the flow.

 

[EugeneVan]

It’s only like nine grand…..but it has an app so it’s worth it

I think they come with nice lighting to make the whole picture beautiful. Nice try!! I still prefer the manual. Who need electronic that can break down anything with a fix price tag of $$$ before you can do your business again.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Soon we can purchase toilets with WIFI connection and run on app....just like everything else

Saw it on the History Channel.... WiFi controlled toilets in Japan!

 

[RichReef]

I said I would never buy MP pumps $$. Now I have two 40s and 2 10s.
I said In would never spend more than 500 for lights. Now I have 2 Kessil A340X with AL T5 hybrid.
I said I would never spend a lot for a tank. Now it's a Fiji Cube.
I've thought and said a lot of things just to learn I didn't know what I was talking about.
Yes it's all preference but ........ it's really not.

My point is the higher end items have better features and indeed work better and longer. You live and learn. Only took me 10 years to learn. You?

I don't really price shop anymore. I race cars. Not price shopping there neither.

 

[ninjamyst]

I can get into the details but I would argue that most of those units you've mentioned as "affordable alternatives" are actually better than the expensive alternatives. You can't discount simplicity in a long term system in operation.

It should also be mentioned that now that live rock is difficult to source and it's ethics is questionable, a system started from dry rock is very different from one started with live rock. You have different problems to solve without that initial seeding of fauna and being able to tune for that with one's equipment is a great help.

Yup I don't mean to sound those are inferior alternatives. They are just as good as the expensive stuff but it all depends on your needs. I have Radions and I have Smatfarm. I have aquamaxx skimmer. I have jebao wavemakers and maxspect gyres.

Lots of people complain that cheap = bad quality. But go browse the expensive vendor sub forums. Plenty of complaints there about their expensive as hell equipment not working right. For example, so many people were affected by Mobius issue where the app stopped responding or cause lights to randomly go on off. Expensive does not mean always mean quality.

 

[Snoopdog]

Things have changed so much since I was first in the hobby. My first lights were metal halides, but instead of getting the Icecap ballast I went to the local electrical shop and bought coil ballast to power them. I think the ballast were $15 per light. Back then it was not uncommon for people to use a rubbermaid or garbage can for a sump. My 75 gallon tank was your standard very cheap $1 per gallon tank from the LFS, took it to a guy and he drilled the back, standard bulkhead and screen back there, that was all so not even an overflow. My pump was a mag-drive pond pump.

This was one of my metal halide ballast back then.

 

[Snoopdog]

Yup I don't mean to sound those are inferior alternatives. They are just as good as the expensive stuff but it all depends on your needs. I have Radions and I have Smatfarm. I have aquamaxx skimmer. I have jebao wavemakers and maxspect gyres.

Lots of people complain that cheap = bad quality. But go browse the expensive vendor sub forums. Plenty of complaints there about their expensive as hell equipment not working right. For example, so many people were affected by Mobius issue where the app stopped responding or cause lights to randomly go on off. Expensive does not mean always mean quality.

I prefer my Jebao over my Tunze wavemaker, I went all Jebao. The knobs kept breaking on the Tunze.

 

[ninjamyst]

I prefer my Jebao over my Tunze wavemaker, I went all Jebao. The knobs kept breaking on the Tunze.

My jebao sdw-16 is more powerful than my gyre xf350 and less maintenance and 1/3 the cost.

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Maybe my reefing hindsight isn’t as 20/20 as I’d like to think but I feel like the benchmark for the aesthetics of the hobby have lifted dramatically.

Sure, there was always a group that demanded a clean integrated look, in wall systems, custom cabinetry etc but I feel like a larger proportion of hobbyists were more solely focused on what was happening within the confines of the tank. Life support was the priority. Frankenstein DIY solutions were more acceptable and even applauded.

The sleek aesthetic comes with a price tag.

 

[gobybryant]

Lots of people complain that cheap = bad quality. But go browse the expensive vendor sub forums. Plenty of complaints there about their expensive as hell equipment not working right.

Agree with this 100%.

Used to always feel like I was missing something by not having the most expensive lights, or the best tank, or a great skimmer. The cheap-o AIO on my desk is my most enjoyable tank to date. 4 year old black box lights, cheap DC pump, crappy heater from amazon...all works well for what I'm doing.

 

[FUNGI]

 

[CoralB]

4 weeks

Im jealous

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im jealous

I will be in Miami area the following 5 days after .

 

[Kfactor]

there is a sucker born every minute if ppl keep paying it prices will go higher

 

[PotatoPig]

BUT resale values of aquarium equipment has ALWAYS been crap. If you can get 30-40% of what you paid selling items used you are doing very well.

IMO for used goods that seriously outperforms a lot of other things people buy and sell. My impression as a newbie is that used prices always seem way high compared to new retail, especially as a fair amount of this stuff has some sort of limited lifespan.

 

[Tha Reefer]

Many of us especially very long timers have seen pricing evolve from very affordable to exorbitant. We old timers have seen Metal Halides, the evolution of LED starting with Marineland LED at affordable costs to now $600-$900 lights. This is one component of the cost of Reefing. We now see Algae scrubbers at $600, Skimmers at $500-800 and Sumps at $500-$700

What does everyone believe will be the costs of essential items such as lighting , water flow, sumps, tanks, skimmers and such?
Do you also see our equipment going completely WiFi ?

I have near $5000 in Orpheks and there is no way if I go to sell them used that I will recover half of that, making it a high depreciation item? Our equipment investments may not be investments Afterall.

I do agree our equipment dose not age well.. but our corals, u might have enough frags to pay for your tank in a few years of growth. Frags and new tanks in the industry might shap the future. Flagging might not be for everyone but who dosent like the idea of a farm in you living room. At scale of course.

 

[zoomonster]

Still curious on everyone's thoughts:

What does everyone believe will be the costs of essential items such as lighting , water flow, sumps, tanks, skimmers and such?
Do you also see our equipment going completely WiFi ?

It's the age of the internet of things. Most decent stuff will be all wifi or bluetooth and the Chinese and others will continue rolling out low level stuff with proprietary controllers (if a controller at all) that interface with nothing. Prices are anyone's guess. In a period now of steep inflation, high interest, shipping and labor costs/shortage so until that ends or we go into a recession there's probably no relief in sight. Demand may also slow when some that got into the hobby during the pandemic bow out for lack of time or interest not unlike people getting rid of pandemic dog and cats.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's the age of the internet of things. Most decent stuff will be all wifi or bluetooth and the Chinese and others will continue rolling out low level stuff with proprietary controllers (if a controller at all) that interface with nothing. Prices are anyone's guess. In a period now of steep inflation, high interest, shipping and labor costs/shortage so until that ends or we go into a recession there's probably no relief in sight. Demand may also slow when some that got into the hobby during the pandemic bow out for lack of time or interest not unlike people getting rid of pandemic dog and cats.

That was my thought. . . . . are we Approaching peak or will it get higher yet and at what point does it level off?
As many mentioned, WE are the drivers of these prices. As long as we accept and pay them, it is deemed acceptable

 

[CoralB]

I will be in Miami area the following 5 days after .

Miami won’t be like Hawaii !!