Biota Aquariums

[keving325]

The Biota Aquarium is for someone who wants everything in one purchase. The animals are all captive-bred or cultured and it is specifically limited in bio-load to get beginners over the 6 month hump where 90% of new hobbyists fail. It's not for an advanced hobbyist unless they just want a complete kit sent to their office, etc. There is ALOT that goes into delivering a complete aquarium with conditioned animals so the costs are relevant. If you want to put your own aquarium together and enjoy selecting your own animals then the Biota Aquarium is not for you, plain and simple. It is designed to address the misnomer that a reef aquarium is hard. You simply change 1 gallon (~10%) per week and offer controlled feeding with the small measuring spoon, thereby limited the cycling spike and managing your first marine aquarium.

[ninjamyst]

The Biota Aquarium is for someone who wants everything in one purchase. The animals are all captive-bred or cultured and it is specifically limited in bio-load to get beginners over the 6 month hump where 90% of new hobbyists fail. It's not for an advanced hobbyist unless they just want a complete kit sent to their office, etc. There is ALOT that goes into delivering a complete aquarium with conditioned animals so the costs are relevant. If you want to put your own aquarium together and enjoy selecting your own animals then the Biota Aquarium is not for you, plain and simple. It is designed to address the misnomer that a reef aquarium is hard. You simply change 1 gallon (~10%) per week and offer controlled feeding with the small measuring spoon, thereby limited the cycling spike and managing your first marine aquarium.

What's easier about Biota if I can go to a LFS, buy a Fluval Evo 13.5, some rocks, a bag of sand, RODI water, cycle my tank, go back to LFS, pick up 2 clown fish, and save 50% off the cost of Biota?

 

Is it because they send you a special "feeding" spoon? They claim to be "unique" but they are just selling a rebadged Fluval Evo 13.5 for 2x the price. If they had their own tank with unique features, then sure. But I really don't understand their competitive advantage...

 

IMO, they are taking advantage of beginners who doesn't know any better.

[keving325]

It designed for people that would probably never walk in a fish store and were always told it was too hard. All the decisions are intimidating for some people and a turn off. While they certainly have to understand first and foremost that it is a pet and requires commitment, it is a different audience that has typically stayed away from keeping aquariums and kept the marine hobby from expanding. It comes with the FlUVAL EVO 13.5 aquarium (retail ~$159), 100w heater (~$25), Biological enhancer ($6) Cleaning magnets ($19), 6.5 lbs of live sand ($10), food ($2), salt ($12), timer ($8), thermometer ($3) hydrometer ($8), 10 lbs real reef rock ($80) 2 captive-bred clownfish ($25), 1 captive-bred Rainford's Goby ($30), 4 cultured soft corals ($29ea = $116) expedited shipping of rock, fish & corals (included with purchase $50), 15 day guarantee and customer support ($??) This totals $553 and the Biota kits retails for $599. I don't see the exorbitant up charge.