Biota - new instant reef company

[ninjamyst]

Saw this on Facebook:

 

https://comingsoon-tech.com/biota-saltwater-aquarium

 

They are selling a rebadged Fluval Evo 13.5 and will send you live sand, live rock, 2 clowns, 1 wrasse, and corals.

 

I hate the idea. They are trying to make this as easy as possible by sending you everything you need. My concern is people are going to buy this without proper education. On Facebook, they say they will ship out live rock and then livestocks after just a few days of the tank running.

 

Your thoughts?

[mystersyster]

"Let us bring the passion into your home or office"

 

People don't have a passion if they are buying shit like this. It's the same as the dumbass parents who want to get their children novelty betta fish in a 1 gallon bowl. However, I can't deny that this seems to have adequate filtration, IF the person is willing to do large water changes weekly, or bi weekly. Who the #### buying this is going to do that?

[Cencalfishguy56]

Saw this on Facebook:

 

https://comingsoon-tech.com/biota-saltwater-aquarium

 

They are selling a rebadged Fluval Evo 13.5 and will send you live sand, live rock, 2 clowns, 1 wrasse, and corals.

 

I hate the idea. They are trying to make this as easy as possible by sending you everything you need. My concern is people are going to buy this without proper education. On Facebook, they say they will ship out live rock and then livestocks after just a few days of the tank running.

 

Your thoughts?

thats shitty af but The rainsford goby is pretty nice haha

[RobSpeed13]

Not sure if they are claiming the tank as their own or just calling it that name as a package all together. the hood clearly says fluval on it during the video. unless they made a tank and just use the hood?

[MainelyReefer]

The idea is junk, the tank blows, the light blows, it comes over stocked with fish you didn't choose and an aquascape of rocks you didn't choose, they give you salt and tap water conditioner to start with for water. This company will fail

[Anden]

Im sad. Thanks to the US of A.

[fishfreak0114]

I feel bad go those fish they're gonna end up with people who are too lazy to put together their own system probably to lazy to care for them right too. This company must know that they're sending out crappy stuff that will probably end up with dead livestock

[ninjamyst]

From their comment on ReefBuilder post from 3/2016, they are selling this between $400 - $500 depending if you get corals or not.

 

If bought separately:

Tank - $160

Live Sand - $10

Live Rock - $20

2 x clowns - $30

1 dottyback - $20

 

Total: $240 vs $400 from them. WOW. Talk about rip off....

[fishfreak0114]

That's so lame!

[RobSpeed13]

From their comment on ReefBuilder post from 3/2016, they are selling this between $400 - $500 depending if you get corals or not.

 

If bought separately:

Tank - $160

Live Sand - $10

Live Rock - $20

2 x clowns - $30

1 dottyback - $20

 

Total: $240 vs $400 from them. WOW. Talk about rip off....

Tank should be cheaper then that no? i know i bought my fluval V Sea for $110 complete. unless that tank in the vid is bigger?

[ninjamyst]

Tank should be cheaper then that no? i know i bought my fluval V Sea for $110 complete. unless that tank in the vid is bigger?

The tank in the Video is the Fluval Evo 12, 13.5 gallons vs the Evo V 5.5 gallons

[jojopus]

Tap water conditioner.... nice. So, they're advocating the use of tap water. Whoever buys one of these things is going to have an algae farm in less than 2 months....

[RayWhisperer]

I've got news for you people. About 90% of people who own a reef tank do it just like this.

Conditioned tap water, no water changes, overstocked/incorrectly stocked, etc. most corals and fish sold are probably dead within a month.

[debbeach13]

Best way to keep people buying more coral and fish.

[Cove]

I dont think ORA would provide the clowns if they didn't stand by the product.

[BulkRate]

Huh, when I saw the blurb on ReefBuilders I THOUGHT the "Biota" tank looked a heckuva lot like an Evo 12, right down the the black mesh waterline hider. Oh yes, and the label. I remember thinking, "what did they build, again"?

 

I mean I get the idea - a local store near me's also started selling " instant nano reef packages" based on some off-the shelf nano/pico AIO tanks, a small bottle of Dr Timms' + a dropper bottle w/ about 2 weeks worth of janitorial ammonia & a seachem ammo-alert badge. Then a livestock pick-a-mix option after tests come back. Cured LR or base depending on buyer preference.

 

IMO there's a fine difference between walking a newbie through the potentially difficult process of starting up a tank (ie the local store's take) versus glossing over the process completely (Biota's). In the local example I've listened to them explain the "whys" and genuinely assist the prospective reefer with getting a decent initial start and avoiding some of the early tank keeping pitfalls.

 

Oh yeah, and the mysterious markup ninjamyst calls out - the store's maybe clearing maybe $50 more than someone in the know parting it together from scratch, but it at least seems to be coming with some user benefit - free RODI water during the initial cycle & stock up plus the place does free water testing for the main 6 parameters (ammonia, nitrate, mg, alk, ca, phosphate) on demand... so yeah I'll grant they're earning it. Versus hucking the Biota purchaser a thing of tap water conditioner, TLF salt & providing a hydrometer, then pocketing about $200? Gimme a break.

 

The ONE thing I see Biota doing better is that they're supposedly sourcing only captive raised corals/fish.

 

Sorry to get up on a soapbox... just ticks me off to see the gulf between one group trying to do it right, and one completely phoning it in, and the latter more likely to make more money at it, at least in the short haul.

[DrCooper]

I have been looking at Biota for a few weeks and they actually are doing a large amount of good things for the hobby it seems. The tank is the tank and I agree with what is stated above, but they are culturing some fish and corals, so may not be as bad as stated.

[TheKleinReef]

The idea is good on paper. Making it a very streamlined process, but as we all know, this hobby is anything but streamlined. The initial interview from MACNA looked appealing, but the problem is that the company is trying to simplify everything, in reality there's too many complex steps, and simplifying them is doing a disservice to the owner of the system.

 

I initially liked the idea of having a simple tank like this backed by real hobbyist, but with so much of it being reduced to bad-husbandry/high risk tactics, I no longer like the idea.

 

If they advocate for using high quality water and salt, and an appropriate filtration and lighting system. As well as requiring sample water from the tank that tests adequate before any livestock makes it into the tank wouldn't be too big of a deal. But the problem is there is nothing stopping the consumer from just walking into petsmart to get livestock, and then we're back to square one anyways.

 

It's a decent idea on paper, but sometimes things just need to stay complex.

[anizato]

off with their heads!

[RIP Sebastian]

I watched the interview with the guy on the ReefBuilder's FB page, and he seemed nice. He's really passionate about breeding everything, but the tank is weird.

[ninjamyst]

I have been looking at Biota for a few weeks and they actually are doing a large amount of good things for the hobby it seems. The tank is the tank and I agree with what is stated above, but they are culturing some fish and corals, so may not be as bad as stated.

you have time to reply to this thread but not update your build thread?????? =P

[DrCooper]

you have time to reply to this thread but not update your build thread?????? =P

 

hahahah well played hah

 

I will update this week. Hope all is going well with you