Ultramarine Magazine Issue 64 JuneJuly 2017

30 http://www.ultramarinemagazine.co.uk

The social media age is well and

truly with us and marine forums

and Facebook groups are as

active as ever, some specialising

in one area of the hobby

such as sustainability. Used

wisely there is an abundance

of valuable information at

our disposal covering a wide

range of topics for all levels of

hobbyist.

Unfortunately there is

also much unsubstantiated

information, so it’s important

to look for supporting

evidence and make your own

judgements. That said the

internet has been invaluable

in helping the hobby grow,

allowing aquarists to share

their systems, methods and

experiences with fellow

hobbyists around the world.

The Future

Whilst there have been many advancements in monitoring and control in recent years, some of the current research and develop-

ment going into devices such as automated alkalinity control which once perfected will likely have a major impact on the hobby. The

recently announced kH Guardian, is I believe the first commercially available alkalinity controller and is expected to cost £1,500.

As we inevitably continue to gain greater understanding of the feeding and lighting requirements of corals there will be ongoing

development and enhancement of LED lighting and I believe the next ten years will see the end of fluorescent tubes in the marine

hobby.

I suspect there will be continued and growing interest in sustainable reefing with more captive bred species being available to hob-

byists at competitive prices due to increased demand. I think that technological, especially the stabilisation of parameters will see

more hobbyists moving to the ‘hard to keep’ SPS corals to the extent that they are as popular as LPS species today. As a direct result

tank grown SPS coral frags will be become more widespread with many hobbyists cultivating and selling their own.

We should never forget that the hobbyist, irrespective of what level, has a major role to play. As we have found, many of the major

advances have been the result of hobbyists experimenting with new systems and methods such as Cox, Moe, Wilkens and Balling to

name but a few.

Whatever the future holds, the hobby will continue to inspire

new aquarists as it did me all those years ago. After forty years

I’m still learning and urge you to build your own knowledge

and understanding, experiment and share your experiences

on the many fora available.