Why Did Biorb Fail?

[CanadianFishFan]

Dont know where to post this you can move it if needed, My question today is why did BiOrb not really become a trend in fishkeeping or popular. When I looked at their stuff I was put off by the price of everything. They were really pushing to make it a thing by having its own section in stores and their own plants and products. It was there for a month and then put on clearance and now I haven't seen it ever again. Maybe that's just were I live? Or did they not get enough buyers?
Things like glofish took off but why not this?

P.s there ugly...

 

[Bryangar]

For the price of one, you can probably buy a bigger used tank.

 

[Redshark1]

Did you not answer your own question?

Q: Why didn't biorbs become popular?

A: They're Ugly

 

[Fanatic]

I haven’t seen these for sale anywhere near me, nor I has there ever been someone that owned one with my knowledge. GloFish just became popular because they introduced some “striking colors” or a splash of creativity which I don’t think is very appealing.

 

[IHaveADogToo]

Did you not answer your own question?

Q: Why didn't biorbs become popular?

A: They're Ugly

AND

I was put off by the price

 

[JamieXPXP]

personally I love the look of them but they are a lot more money then your standard aquarium. the 4 gallon one here is around $150 while my 5.5 was only $26

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Did you not answer your own question?

Q: Why didn't biorbs become popular?

A: They're Ugly

Well I wanted to see any other reasons, I haven't bought it so is the filter garbage? The design was bad? Cheap materials?

 

[IHaveADogToo]

It’s an undergravel filter

 

[Bryangar]

It’s not an ugly tank, I would possibly dirt it and plant it heavily.

 

[Lynn78too]

People who are willing to spend that much money on a tank also realize that fish don't like round tanks. I've also heard they're difficult to change the water.

Plus they look like a gumball machine.

Glofish took off because of the cheap price and fun colors. For $50 you can buy a complete 20 gallon set-up that can sit on a countertop. When your kid says, "Can I have a fish?" You might be willing to dish out $50 for the set-up and then they may or may not want the fish to go with it. That said, nothing says fun for a 6 year old like glowing fish!

 

[CanadianFishFan]

People who are willing to spend that much money on a tank also realize that fish don't like round tanks. I've also heard they're difficult to change the water.

Plus they look like a gumball machine.

Glofish took off because of the cheap price and fun colors. For $50 you can buy a complete 20 gallon set-up that can sit on a countertop. When your kid says, "Can I have a fish?" You might be willing to dish out $50 for the set-up and then they may or may not want the fish to go with it. That said, nothing says fun for a 6 year old like glowing fish!

True never thought of water changes in that thing! True about the glofish, I don't know how I feel about "Injecting fish eggs"....

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Also what's with the sizes?
4gallon and 8gallon?! Why not 5gallons and 10gallons?
Also $139 for a 8gallon and the top fin start kit only costs $55! Crazy about the prices

 

[goldface]

Perhaps they were outcompeted by the more aesthetically pleasing, more wallet-friendly Fluval Spec models.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Perhaps they were outcompeted by the more aesthetically pleasing, more wallet-friendly Fluval Spec models.

True, I don't agree on the price for fluval products but can say there modern designs are much more better! Just the price is not for me.

 

[goldface]

True, I don't agree on the price for fluval products but can say there modern designs are much more better! Just the price is not for me.

The Fluval Spec line is surprisingly good quality, and not too bad for the money. Usually combos or complete packages sold have much to be desired, not in just this hobby but many others as well. Owning a Spec iiI for over a year, and seeing many scapes my LFS has done with them, I'm pleasantly surprised.

Is Biorb a quality product too? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if their main competitor is Fluval.

 

[Lynn78too]

True never thought of water changes in that thing! True about the glofish, I don't know how I feel about "Injecting fish eggs"....

Just an FYI, glofish aren't injected, they're genetically mutated, think of them as your own little GMO swimming around in a gumball machine.

 

[Redshark1]

Second-hand Biorbs I've seen for sale seem to all be very cloudy/misty and not crystal clear like new ones. Perhaps they do not cope with cleaning very well and scratch easily.

Much cheaper were the Aquael Bowl aquaria which were made of glass and did not discolour like the acrylic of the Biorb.

These have a powerhead-type pump for the filter which has ceramic media followed by a sponge.

However, the Aquael Bowl aquaria were made of very thin glass and the glass thickness was not consistent. Quality was variable between different examples.

My Bowl45 (bottom pic) exploded one day (I rescued the fish from the carpet) but my Bowl37 (top) is still going strong.

One good thing about a circular aquarium is the fish do not get to the end and meet up with a wall in front of them so they can continue swimming round.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Second-hand Biorbs I've seen for sale seem to all be very cloudy/misty and not crystal clear like new ones. Perhaps they do not cope with cleaning very well and scratch easily.

Much cheaper were the Aquael Bowl aquaria which were made of glass and did not discolour like the acrylic of the Biorb.

These have a powerhead-type pump for the filter which has ceramic media followed by a sponge.

However, the Aquael Bowl aquaria were made of very thin glass and the glass thickness was not consistent. Quality was variable between different examples.

My Bowl45 (bottom pic) exploded one day (I rescued the fish from the carpet) but my Bowl37 (top) is still going strong.

One good thing about a circular aquarium is the fish do not get to the end and meet up with a wall in front of them so they can continue swimming round.

Exploded?! Jeez talk about bad quality.

 

[Redshark1]

Yes, I measured the glass of the broken Aquael Bowl 45 (45 litres) and found it was only 1.25mm thick.

I measured the glass thickness of my Aqua One Aquiescence cube (200 litres) and this is 8mm thick.

 

[Harlequin]

My friend started the hobby, bought a biorb. She was completely put off the hobby. Apart from the usual beginner mistakes, I think she would have had a chance if it wasn’t for the biorb design and price of things:
Too small for goldfish, biorb heaters are expensive and normal heaters are hard to attach or hide in biorbs.
Cleaning was a nightmare, especially the glass ( or acryl?). I use a razor blade to scrape off the hard algae no one eats. How do you even do that in any bowl? Or if the filter was clogged- complete dismantle.
Unless you are up for constant emptying and scrubbing the round insides while twisting your arm...
I think these type of aquariums are extremely annoying, bad design and for that price???
What about surface area for gas exchange and I have also heard that they are bad for fish vision due to their round shape. After all the lobbying against the old goldfish bowls, how can anyone even try to re-invent them???
Sorry about the rant.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

My friend started the hobby, bought a biorb. She was completely put off the hobby. Apart from the usual beginner mistakes, I think she would have had a chance if it wasn’t for the biorb design and price of things:
Too small for goldfish, biorb heaters are expensive and normal heaters are hard to attach or hide in biorbs.
Cleaning was a nightmare, especially the glass ( or acryl?). I use a razor blade to scrape off the hard algae no one eats. How do you even do that in any bowl? Or if the filter was clogged- complete dismantle.
Unless you are up for constant emptying and scrubbing the round insides while twisting your arm...
I think these type of aquariums are extremely annoying, bad design and for that price???
What about surface area for gas exchange and I have also heard that they are bad for fish vision due to their round shape. After all the lobbying against the old goldfish bowls, how can anyone even try to re-invent them???
Sorry about the rant.

Thanks, these are the reasons I'm looking for to answer my question.

 

[Redshark1]

Bowls will not be for everybody as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've posted pictures to show what I've done with them and they have worked well for me. Algae was scrubbed off at water change time with a proper algae pad and was never allowed to build up.

Another use for a bowl and its magnifying properties is for fry.

 

[Bryangar]

Bowls will not be for everybody as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've posted pictures to show what I've done with them and they have worked well for me. Algae was scrubbed off at water change time with a proper algae pad and was never allowed to build up.

Another use for a bowl and its magnifying properties is for fry.

You seem to have a good eye for scaping bowls. They look really nice. Where did you get that piece if driftwood?

 

[Redshark1]

Thanks but its not driftwood.