The opportunity cost of one Vortech MP60 - Greed in the aquarium hobby. Apex & Vortech & More

[Potatohead]

It seems like there's at least one thread a week created about the high prices of equipment. Why does anyone care about how others choose to spend their money?

Because they are trying to make themselves feel better about buying the cheaper stuff, but they shouldn't have to. Everyone does a cost to benefit analysis when buying pretty much anything. If the high end stuff doesn't work out for you, so be it.

What bugs me though is the ignorance. Absolutely no consideration for R&D, patent cost, etc. Someone earlier was saying all they do is move water, but we all know that's not true. If that was the case we would just use cheap AC pumps for $40. That's like saying a Motel 6 looks the same as the Ritz while you're sleeping. I don't see companies like Jebao or Chinese black box lighting having proprietary ground breaking mounting designs, or modifying the way their controllers drive the pumps to make them quieter. I don't see them creating different wave programs or lighting programs based on real science and research. The ease of cleaning Vortech pumps alone is worth a lot, not having to mess with unplugging your pump and re-running the wiring every time, not to mention the actual cosmetic benefit in the tank itself.

 

[Kyl]

I'd feel much better about price tags of some of these industry products (ETM is not alone in this) if they would carry a warranty period greater than a single year.

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

Wow I just went down a rabbit hole trying to find out who actually owns Neptune systems. Neptune systems was dissolved in 2016 on the CA secretary of states website. I still like Neptune’s products but hmm.. lol

The truth is that a lot of the brands you think are independent conpanies have qctually been brought out by distrubutors looking to control the production and supply chain, there ny leading to market domanance.

They make it very hard to connect the dits but a lot of them fall under the same umbrella which is usually the diatributor.

The best example I can point you to is the RC hobby industry, a lot of once independant companies were bulled or bought out by Horizon hobbies. Once apon a time horizon was only a distributor, then they started buyng key manufactiers of RC related things.

So

Spektrum
Traxxas
Eflite
Jr
And tons of other once independent manufactuers all fall under Horizon.

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

Realy?? I wasn't aware. That's too bad.

They actually made it so that you cant replace individual parts in the wet side anymore, every couple of montha adter the bearing are shot in the new ones inatead of selling you the base plate with the bearings they want you to buy a whole new wet side for 50 to 80 bucks every few months.

 

[Silver14SS]

What's their total failure % over "a couple months?"

Anecdotal stories are cool and all, but unless someone has data, this thread is just people venting.

 

[ca1ore]

Yes, it is quite comical. You cannot buy parts for the newer wetsides, well other than the strainer, that is true. However, there are no 'bearings' in the wetside (baseplate just has a spindle) and if you are going through them every few months then I'd suggest user error LOL.

 

[LionHeart2017]

Can you imagine the costs of manufacturing anything like these in small volume, the cost of a plastic mould and the machine that injects the plastic and then all the other processes involved, it's a pretty small market for the manufacturers as well, and they want to pay the staff and the design to make it work and be safe to use, it must be one massive headache for the people involved

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Can you imagine the costs of manufacturing anything like these in small volume, the cost of a plastic mould and the machine that injects the plastic and then all the other processes involved, it's a pretty small market for the manufacturers as well, and they want to pay the staff and the design to make it work and be safe to use, it must be one massive headache for the people involved

ummm they dont actually produce or build anything. None of most of the big aquarium brands do. You think neptune or ecotech has some warehouse where they are building these things? They come in via boat in huge containers.

As far as people "complaining because they cant afford them" that is a pretty loaded statement and pretty insulating really.

I can afford anything i want for my aquarium. Hell, I had it custom built and shipped from Texas to Oregon.

When people want to express that some things are a complete rip off, that is their puragative. I put all the MP wavemakers in that group. That doesn't mean I couldnt buy it, it just means I dont think they are worth the money.

 

[LionHeart2017]

ummm they dont actually produce or build anything. None of most of the big aquarium brands do. You think neptune or ecotech has some warehouse where they are building these things? They come in via boat in huge containers.

As far as people "complaining because they cant afford them" that is a pretty loaded statement and pretty insulating really.

I can afford anything i want for my aquarium. Hell, I had it custom built and shipped from Texas to Oregon.

When people want to express that some things are a complete rip off, that is their puragative. I put all the MP wavemakers in that group. That doesn't mean I couldnt buy it, it just means I dont think they are worth the money.

Yeah I think they might, do you know where ecotech and such are sourcing these then like some actual facts of the company making them or are you just guessing like me?

 

[Silver14SS]

Facts? Facts aren't needed in this thread, the big bad greedy company must be wrong!

 

[LionHeart2017]

Watch this https://ecotechmarine.com/about-us seems they do make things

 

[maharsreef]

They actually made it so that you cant replace individual parts in the wet side anymore, every couple of montha adter the bearing are shot in the new ones inatead of selling you the base plate with the bearings they want you to buy a whole new wet side for 50 to 80 bucks every few months.

Wow. That sucks

 

[Fish_Sticks]

Everyone comes into this thread to start defending the products, then they join in and talk about everything evil the distributors do. ;Smuggrin

 

[Potatohead]

Wow. That sucks

Every few months is not accurate. Every 3-4 years maybe.

 

[Conor_K]

ummm they dont actually produce or build anything. None of most of the big aquarium brands do. You think neptune or ecotech has some warehouse where they are building these things? They come in via boat in huge containers.

As far as people "complaining because they cant afford them" that is a pretty loaded statement and pretty insulating really.

I can afford anything i want for my aquarium. Hell, I had it custom built and shipped from Texas to Oregon.

When people want to express that some things are a complete rip off, that is their puragative. I put all the MP wavemakers in that group. That doesn't mean I couldnt buy it, it just means I dont think they are worth the money.

Sure and it’s my puragative to decide it’s worth the money to not have wires in my tank.

Hence this whole conversation being pointless and essentially a troll’s haven....

Yelling at a business for making as much as they can is laughable. If the price was hurting them, they’d lower it.

 

[Saveafish]

Watch this https://ecotechmarine.com/about-us seems they do make things

Lol, no. Thats assembly, repair and QC. My uncle works for Jasper Rubber. So, I know what machines do what. There is no injection machines there. That's all product repair and fine touch before assembling parts. The reason that's done is so they don't have to pay QC at the source. Its good business practice if you want higher looking product and more control on the quality. The parts or more likely sourced out to another country. Just assembled here in the US.

 

[Silver14SS]

Your uncle's employment at Jasper Rubber provides you the details of Ecotech's manufacturing processes? I'm impressed! Sounds like a Holiday Inn Express commercial

Other forums I'm on don't have weekly or daily posts complaining that the respective hobby has expensive options. You choose what you buy, I'm amazed this is 9 pages of

 

[Saveafish]

Your uncle's employment at Jasper Rubber provides you the details of Ecotech's manufacturing process? I'm impressed!

Want to be really impressed. I can tie my shoes too.

 

[Saveafish]

My only wish for them, they have a longer warranty. I'm down to two now, as they die Ive been replacing with Tunze. Better warranty.

 

[jsvand5]

My only wish for them, they have a longer warranty. I'm down to two now, as they die Ive been replacing with Tunze. Better warranty.

Definitely. It’s insane to charge $700 for an MP60 and for it to only come with a 12 month warranty.