Substrate Rising to the Top

Glow-In-The-Dark Substrate
Tanks of low-maintenance beta attract new hobbyists

Five years ago, glow-in-the-dark substrate hit the market and has taken off like wildfire among nontraditional aquarium enthusiasts, says Jim Howell, the national sales manager for Red Sea, Inc, based in Houston, Texas.

Red Sea markets 10 different colors of glow-in-the-dark substrate, says Mike Sirotka, the chief operating officer at Red Sea. "It’s selling well," Sirotka says about the two years of sales of this specialty substrate.

The substrate sells best in purple, red and blue and has no practical purpose. Rather, it is "purely aesthetic," says Sirotka. "It’s a nice decorative item."

Howell dismisses any thought that this synthetic product, which is used in conjunction with a black light, poses a health concern or stress to the fish because it is not coated like other substrates.

"We market the glow-in-the-dark substrate with very small betas," Howell says. "It’s conducive with these small beta tanks and it doesn’t look out of place in that size container."

While it looks great in these small tanks, why aren’t larger tank owners taking it for a test run? One reason is cost. "It’s twice the price of conventional gravel," Howell says. But this cost is minimal for owners of small beta tanks.

Howell recommends stores market these glow-in-the-dark products by placing them with the beta products and to display a beta tank in neighborhood stores.

"In my opinion, this product is appealing to an audience outside the traditional audience in the pet industry," he says. He believes college students, younger children, and office employees who are looking for something attractive and low-maintenance will be drawn to these products.

-S.S & A.S.

(Published June 2005)
Substrate Rising to the Top
Product line is in a class all its own
By Scott and Ann Springer

People probably have lined the bottom of their tanks with gravel since aquariums began, but now consumers can buy substrate as scientific as a high school biology book. In the past five to 10 years, substrate has advanced so much that it is "now thought of as a piece of equipment," says Betsey Moore, the vice president of Caribsea, Inc., located in Fort Pierce, Fla. "Substrates just make aquarium keeping easier."

Advances in Substrate
The sky seems to be limit right now in advances in substrate, Moore says. "There are a lot of interesting things going on," she says. "The growth potential is huge."

One interesting advancement is bacteria-filled substrate. "It sells like crazy," says Jon Cade, the fish manager at Cindi’s Pet & Aquarium Center, located in Vera Beach, Fla. "The live bacteria can cut down the nitrification cycle by two weeks instead of four."

Chris Brightwell, head of research and development for Kent Marine in Acworth, Geo., agrees that bacteria-laden substrate speeds up the process. "It’s great that now a person can open a bag and there will already be a filtration process working," he says. "It will greatly speed up the process," as opposed to starting a new tank with ordinary tap water.

Moore believes specialty gravels in particular will continue to grow as people begin to cater to animals that dwell in the substrate.

"Substrate does dissolve and provides another habitat for burrowing invertebrates and fish," Brightwell says. "It adds another element that makes it more fascinating and enjoyable—it adds to the appeal."

Moore has found that some consumers become more enthralled with the critters in the sand and gravel than the fish in the tank. "They see what great fun it can be to watch and discover the worms in the gravel," she says.

Iron-based products used to promote plant growth have also flourished in recent years. "It’s not really a new product," Brightwell says. "People are becoming more familiar with it because of an increased number of products."

Plant roots are placed into a thin layer of iron-rich substrate and are then covered in another layer of regular substrate. Trace amounts of iron are released near the roots which speed up growth.

"However, you don’t want to overdue it," cautions Moore. "It’s a delicate balance and you have to keep in mind that algae are a plant," so a product that promotes plant growth will also promote algae growth, she explains.

Many saltwater hobbyists try to maintain an ideal pH balance by using calcium carbonates such as dolomite, calcite, or aragonite.

"There has been a huge realization in the past five or 10 years, since aragonite has really come on to the market, that you can rely on substrate to maintain water chemistry," Moore says.

Manufacturers have caught on to this trend and have started mixing aragonite with other minerals to enhance its appearance. "It’s very eye-catching," Brightwell says. "Aquariums are all about visual appeal and customers do whatever they can to enhance their aquarium."

Display Increases Sales
Retailers everywhere know that aquarium hobbyists have dedicated all of their extra time and money to tinker with their tanks.

"Hobbyists like to see something slightly different in their tank and they are willing to spend the money on their aquariums," Brightwell says. "Aquarium hobbyists are a sick bunch and I shudder to think about the amount of money I’ve shoveled into this hobby."

With money to be made, retailers need to show hobbyists a tank they will covet.

Brightwell believes the best advice he can give to retailers is to set up a tank that customers will salivate over so they will say, "I really want that!" Then the retailer can lead the customer around the store with a list of products they need to create that same effect at home.

"Nine times out of 10 a good display will get hobbyists pushed over the edge and now they have to have it," Brightwell says. "Why more retailers don’t have nice display tanks, I don’t understand."

Some manufacturers, like Caribsea, offer discounts to retailers who want to create in-store displays. "We encourage retailers to take a variety of products and show how they can be used at home," Moore says. "It’s fun to give them that variety to get going."

Retailers may find a brand of substrate that works well for them and stick to it, because they can back it up with personal experience.

However, Moore advises that visual effect may be lost by not varying the substrate. "It’s nice visually to walk in and see a variety of substrates that are pretty and that work," Moore says.

Cade agrees that effective displays sell product. "It gives them an idea of what is out there besides the gravel that has been out there forever," Cade says.

Customers may also be enticed to experiment with new products if they can see them in use in well-displayed photographs. "You can get their minds wondering and their wallets on the countertop," Brightwell says. "You want to get them oohing and ahhing when they walk in the door."

Brightwell adds that these visual effects will draw repeat customers and keep them from making purchases from online retailers. "You have to be different than they are and the more you can promote the store and not just the products in it, the more money you will make in the long run," Brightwell says.

Education is also an important component and the first step for retailers who are just dipping their toes in to new trends. "You have to talk to the companies and read up on the products," Cade says. "Then you can start to tell your customers and it can catch on."

Scott and Ann Springer are freelance writers living in Southern California.