The Future???

[Ian086]

Has anyone thought of what the future of this hobby holds. What will it be like. I was just speaking with Sk3lly and I told him what I thought the future may hold for our hobby. Here's what I think, add your thoughts too please....
I think the way the planet is going, the stock in it will become next to impossible to acquire or afford. Only the super rich will have actual tanks. The rest of use will have digital/virtual tanks. May sound crazy to us(late twenties) but with the way technology is going, it may catch on or become necessary because of stock availability/cost. Think about it, no feeding, no cleaning, no water changing, no illnesses/diseases, generally no maintenance, just change the chip and you can go from freshwater to planted to saltwater in seconds. You could have ANY fish/critter/plant/coral available today or maybe extinct. Will we see this in our lifetimes, I think so, maybe even just the start of it but I think we will. Sure we will always have aquarists who have actual tanks but think how much the hobby has changed in the last 20-40yrs. I'm sure many members here can remember(or maybe not) the 'old days' when you had to read up(limited) books or know someone who kept fish to get advice from. We can still do those things now of course but we can also sit on our backsides and let google do the searching for us. The internet has been the biggest thing to hit this industry....ever and maybe always will be, even in a different way in the future. These things like all our technology advances doesn't happen over night and is so gradual that it happens with us really knowing it's happening. Does anyone remember the first canister filter and when it came out or when LEDs first hit the hobby.
I'm not saying this will ever happen and is probably unimaginable to most of us. I know people will reply(if anyone does!!)...."I love my fish and looking after them. The feeling of water, feeding them, cleaning the tank, planting etc etc" but we may have no choice/say in it. I'm talking 20-50yrs here, so no need for anyone to panic....just yet!!!

 

[Brookster123]

Sounds right at home on a space station or moon rover

 

[Ian086]

Sounds right at home on a space station or moon rover

Or your living room.....

 

[Brookster123]

Neverrrrr!!!!!!

 

[Krogman]

Sounds like I need to start stocking up on tanks and breeding fish!
You might be on to something here, we could start a business.........

 

[Krogman]

I have joked with my fiancé about a/the zombie apocalypse, saying that my fish keeping will pay off because I can set up large large tanks and breed fish for us to eat

 

[Brookster123]

I have joked with my fiancé about a/the zombie apocalypse, saying that my fish keeping will pay off because I can set up large large tanks and breed fish for us to eat

haha, ive joked up the same typ stuff with my gf, than I say " you'll know it's bad when we have to drink the tank water too"

 

[Ian086]

You might be on to something here, we could start a business.........

I will be soon selling shares in my business who are currently developing/manufacturing the worlds first self-sustaining, zero carbon, zero energy, zero maintenance, 20D virtual aquarium. Available in any size, any stock, custom-fit, easily transportable aquariums. Launch date......2040.
Anyone interested in shares or full systems can PM now

 

[Krogman]

haha, ive joked up the same typ stuff with my gf, than I say " you'll know it's bad when we have to drink the tank water too"

Noooooo! Not the tank water! Lol

 

[emilygupps]

I think you can have the virtual tank on your tv already?

 

[Krogman]

I think you can have the virtual tank on your tv already?

Agreed. But I think Ian was talking small all the way to outrageous large and extreme plug n play. As well as amazing quality (ie "22 dimension). And "easily transportable", maybe you can take your tank with you on a USB, or your phone, Trade fish, buy and sell.......

 

[emilygupps]

That sounds depressing.

 

[Krogman]

That sounds depressing.

Unless you are the one making the money. Because then you could afford real aquariums

 

[Old Scales]

I'll be dead and gone by the time all that digital aquarium stuff comes around. I'll be looking down(or up) laughing my arse off at you guys paying your monthly fee for it like you do your cell phones. And they'll convince everyone they are absolutely necessary like they have the cell phone. OS.

 

[Darylb]

Old scales that's gold! I'd hope to never see this day I'm hoping captive breeding with all types if fish will help sustain our hobby and aquaculture of corals will is already becoming a sustainable thing now so there maybe be hope

 

[BillD]

One thing I see happening is that it will be increasingly difficult to get fish and tanks. The reason is on line stores. Everyone wants to save a buck, so we look on line for dry goods. Good deals, perhaps. The downside is the brick and mortar stores, where we usually go to get tanks and livestock are going away. When that happens, where do you go for fish? On line you say? Way more costly and you can't see what your buying. What about tanks? Very expensive to have shipped. right now there are distribution channels that help lower the cost of shipping individual tanks. Those are things I see as problems. You may save a few bucks buying dry goods on line, but you will help put your source for fish and tanks out of business. Belonging to an aquarium society will help with livestock, and maybe the odd tank, but most people don't acquire their hobby good this way. A few years ago, Walmart was the largest aquarium store in North America in terms of total gallonage. They are getting out of it (or already have) and there aren't many LFS still around. The big boxes like Petsmart and the like don't cutit for the enthusiast.This is more likely to impact the hobby in my view, especially for the average aquarist who keeps a tank or two ( the vast majority) and isn't a zealot. So, while the hobby has progressed in many ways, in terms of improved equipment and availability of fish species, the decline is starting.
As far as a virtual aquarium goes, I would have no interest. As games go, it would be a little boring.

 

[Old Scales]

In all seriousness, I'm encouraged with what I've read about more successes in captive spawning of previously unspawned species. I expect the very difficult ones will become extinct or be forbidden to sell while most of the others will be only available from commercial breeders. Wild caught will become very rare except for the very prolific species. Sadly, I expect all of it to get much more expensive. OS.

 

[Brookster123]

In all seriousness, I'm encouraged with what I've read about more successes in captive spawning of previously unspawned species. I expect the very difficult ones will become extinct or be forbidden to sell while most of the others will be only available from commercial breeders. Wild caught will become very rare except for the very prolific species. Sadly, I expect all of it to get much more expensive. OS.

rolls out the red carpet for "dun dun dunnnn" hybrids galore.... : cringe:

 

[Old Scales]

Just had a funny vision Brookster. A hybrid "Zebra Neon Tetra". As it swims by in front of you, the light reflects on the blue line that says, "Eat At Joe's". OS.

 

[Brookster123]

Just had a funny vision Brookster. A hybrid "Zebra Neon Tetra". As it swims by in front of you, the light reflects on the blue line that says, "Eat At Joe's". OS.

hahaha ok okay.. I'm not hungry though:. How about a glofish angel that will actually alert you when someone likes your Facebook status?!?!