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.