The Future of the Hobby: Virtual Reef Aquariums

[revhtree]

The saltwater reef aquarium hobby has grown exponentially in the past decade! With this growth has come more knowledge and with more knowledge has come more responsibility. With the increasing demand for sustainable practices and innovative technologies, what does the future hold for the reef aquarium hobby? What is the the future included Virtual Reef Aquariums?

What if could pop on a VR headset and set up a reef aquarium? What if you could go shop for fish and coral for your tank? What if you could get inside the tank and swim with the fish, adjust your aquascape, clean the tank? This could be the answer for those of you have always wanted a 20,000 gallon reef tank!

What do you think about VR Reef Aquariums?

BTW this "musing" is tongue in cheek and I would NEVER want to replace my reef tank with VR. But it might be kinda cool to do for fun too!

 

[lopez052308]

The real benefit is that you could enjoy your tank and the hobby without it being a money pit lol.

 

[Timfish]

It would be a lot cheaper and eliminate a lot of anxiety about doing something wrong or worrying about outside events that could crash a system and years or decades of work.

 

[MoshJosh]

Sounds like many of the "tycoon" type of games out there (pretty sure there is already an aquarium one). Might be fun, but more or less fun than any other games of this style? Meh, probably not.

 

[kenchilada]

How do you know we aren't already in a simulation right now? Running within infinite layers of other simulations? If a simulated being exists within a simulated world based entirely on mathematics, aren't they destined to discover the same physical properties of their universe and simulate them yet again? There is no reef, there are no fish.

 

[albano]

How do you know we aren't already in a simulation right now? Running within infinite layers of other simulations? If a simulated being exists within a simulated world based entirely on mathematics, aren't they destined to discover the same physical properties of their universe and simulate them yet again?

I think that you’re on to something there!

 

[albano]

I think that you’re on to something there!

Or maybe, you’re just on something!

 

[Dburr1014]

I'm a hands on kind of guy.
Not for me.

 

[LeDart]

I hate the idea of it "virtual reefs", the real enjoyment IMO comes from the challenges of keeping them, and the learning curve of reef keeping.

 

[NkSde]

I’ve thought about something like that in a more simulated reef context. My reef at home is small cause I have other obligations and can afford a 20 but would kill to scape and run a 100+ system

 

[revhtree]

Cool feedback so far! BUMP for more!

 

[Cell]

My VR tank would be ocean sized.

 

[albano]

My VR tank would be ocean sized.

Which ocean?

 

[EricR]

Couldn't replace the real thing for me but would be a nice occasional alternative,,, plus might get others interested.

I really like the idea -- my kids have VR glasses anyway and I really like some of the real ocean VR YouTube videos on them (occasionally)

 

[afrokobe]

Which ocean?

why not the whole thing, technically one ocean

 

[RZGreef]

It's an interesting idea for sure. The problem though, I think, is just the state of VR at present. I mean, yes, graphics are good and getting better, but they're sure not as good as reality. That would have to significantly improve but that's only the first step to immersion. VR headsets also give me motion sickness so that problem needs to still be solved. Then you'd need some sort of gloves or a body suit or something to give you that tactile feedback as well. I love the idea, and would use it, but I don't know how many years away before it's truly fully immersive.

How about a nice holodeck instead?

 

[revhtree]

My VR tank would be ocean sized.

How about this. You could dive the reefs, catch fish, pick out coral but then you would have to transport them correctly back to your tank and acclimate them. In return for taking coral you had to replant corals.

 

[SandNRocks]

unrelated but it would be cool if someone could make some sort of augmented reality app where you could upload a pic/video of your tank and “add” corals to it to see what they would look like before buying etc. you could even go further and add a slider for growth so you can see what something would look like grown in over time.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

patch 2.0: “clownfish simulator”

 

[Nman]

Would be good for buying fish corals from vendors. But this hobby is hands on and you thrive to get the perfect ish reef. Watch a small peace of reef in your living room what you have created will not be beaten imo