I have not written much about my LFS days selling fish and aquarium supplies. Retail did not really suit me, but one line of products that I felt good about hawking was the Eclipse® system from Marineland®. The Eclipse® line was a filtration systems that integrated sleekly into the top of the tank. Instead of using undergravel filters, they made use of a pump that poured water into a trough with a mechanical carbon pad hidden in the top of the tank. The water then cascaded back into the aquarium through a spinning, pleated BIO-Wheel®. This wheel provided a large amount of surface area in a compact shape and was a good place for beneficial, aerobic bacteria to grow. The bacteria provided the crucial biological filtration for the system. The lighting was built into the hinged lid and it all fit together nicely and was easy to sell. Later Marineland® started to market not only the integrated filter hoods but also the tanks underneath them. These acrylic, all-in-one packages made it easy for new customers to get into the fishkeeping hobby.
Sadly, it seems the parent company of Marineland® is filing for bankruptcy. I am not sure what this means for the Marineland® line of aquarium products. I am sure it is a valuable enough property that it could be sold off (as I believe it has been before). But it is another sign of the bad economic times and it makes me wonder what impact all this is having on the fishkeeping hobby. My wife mentioned anecdotally that she has seen more aquariums for sale on Craigslist. Anyone have any data about this “trend?”
- Flickr: Lauren’s new aquarium
- Spectrum Brands (formerly Rayovac Corporation), parent company to Marineland®. Seems they also own Tetra®, Perfecto Manufacturing® and Instant Ocean® brands too(?).
- Marineland®: Eclipse® Glass Integrated Aquarium Systems
- glassbox-design.com: Parent Company of Tetra and Marineland Files for Bankruptcy
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I’ve seen a definite trend within the local aquarium club in Orlando and in the wider sense from the online boards. Reef aquarium enthusiasts seem to be taking it harder then most, but then their tanks and systems tend to be very expensive to keep up – especially the electricity to power up the metal halide lights and in some cases chillers! If I didnt love my clownfish, macroalgae and seagrass so much I would seriously consider switching back to freshwater myself.