I will note, in the interest of accuracy, while a lot of companies have some commission-style system set up for sponsored reefers to earn via links on their content, not all do. Some simply receive free gear. Hard to get into all the nuance and keep the video under an hour. I’ll chat about the subject matter more in “We The Reefers” Season 2 this Fall. Cheers!
I've been on CZcams a long time. All of your criticisms of sponsored links and product showcases ring true. The critiques of Ecotech batteries are well-founded and shared by many. I agree with basically everything you're saying. That said, I (shamefully) still went with the Ecotech battery backup. Why? Because I found lots of conflicting information about alternatives, and some of the DIY solutions required modding and adapters, but some of the batteries I looked at had mixed reviews (and I saw burned battery pictures, which made me really nervous). I'm not an electrician. I don't want my house burned down because I was ignorant and did something wrong. I'm struggling to fit more research into my schedule before I go on my first 2-week abroad vacation in August. Ecotech is overpriced and definitely not the best solution, but it's plug-and-play. I don't have to fuss. I'm going to expect 2 or 3 years of use, but I'm really hoping we'll see more plug-and-play solutions from competitors by the time I gotta replace it. I will now commit seppuku out of normie-consumer shame.
I owned the EcoTech battery backup, once upon a time. Also, I feel the same way about this stuff, across the board. That’s why I leapt on the EcoFlow River 2 train, when those products entered the market. It was finally a plug-and-play solution that is exceptionally safe and simple to use. I’d just recommend that next time around, you don’t give EcoTech $215 again. I refused to, as they don’t deserve that much cash for such a basic and short-lived product. Not when a River 2 can be obtained for $119 certified refurbished, or $168 brand new on Amazon, and will last you a whole decade. I mean come on, EcoTech! Be lazier! 😂
You hit the nail on the head with your take on this situation. They open themselves to scrutiny when they are clearly shilling and dont even know shit about the technology. I found myself saying “preach, preach brother” in the words of Jake Adams when you were speaking on it lol.
Many of them really don’t seem to know much at all about the products, and those who do often seem to (sometimes) intentionally mislead, using that knowledge negatively. I appreciate neither path.
@@Malick_ibn_dinar Yep, I saw that. My issue with that unit is that it’s lithium ion (if I’m recalling correctly). It’ll degrade at twice the rate that lithium iron phosphate does. But it’s a dang good option for the price. Better than the EcoTech Marine battery, that’s for sure.
Man YOU are 100 percent right....I used to follow or basically follow some reefers on here...but then I realize they are now sponsored or a company is sponsoring them, so I stop paying them any mind... especially when they are doing a Positive Review, one week after the product is released...
@@Theaquaplex The pool of people I’m willing to accept legitimate information/thoughts from, on the influencer side of this hobby, shrinks by the day. So much interference out there. And sadly, very few reefers have wised up to it.
I should start a channel called Reef Wars. My first guests would be you and the Dudes guy! BTW, that was a very pricey Li FePo battery that he got for freeeeeee!!!! Id rather spend that much on a bigger ecoflow and have built in AC plugs for convenience.
Most sponsored influencers don’t know what they’re talking about I worked with one who had little to no clue about the hobby etc lol… also side note lead acid batteries for the most part are not meant to be charged and discharged from 0-100% they should ideally not fall below like 90% charge (similar chemistry to car batteries) that’s why we see fast degradation… lithium electrolyte batteries can handle way more charge cycles and are meant to go from 100%-0% however some you only wanna charge to 80%
I just noticed that you upgraded to the River 2 max. I watched your first video and because we have 5 aquariums and live in a hurricane zone on the gulf coast, we opted to go with the Delta 2 max with the 220 solar panel. I believe that’s our best option than buying 5 separate river battery back ups ( plus it was on sale). Great co Brent again. Thanks for your honesty and matter of fact videos.
That’s awesome! I also picked up a couple EcoFlow 100W solar panels. Figuring out how to best install them. The 220W panel is slick! Great call, brother.
Might as well just say reef dude's. The videos only a few hours old. I watched a melevs reef video over the weekend about ph with Richard Ross and could only think that if people still believe the earth is flat then there's no way to get everyone on the same page with reefing. I think he mentioned his sponsorship and explained the battery good enough. He mentioned you may get 20+ years with lithium. Any serious reefer or adult needs a Generac.
Felt no need to call it out. Those who know, know. Also, it’s not about the unit he made the video about, though there are better value similar units. My focus point was the inaccurate comments about EcoFlow product capabilities, which is misdirection/misinformation, or could be construed as such, even if it was ignorant/unintentional.
@@kalamazoo_reefer I know you're coming from a good place. It's why I like your videos so much. I like to keep the conversation going especially when it's raw and unscripted.
@@MrGarciaJr Much appreciated, my friend. Haven’t caught the Melev-Ross discussion yet, by the way, but it’s on the docket! And yes, I have strong views on the hobby, but I try to walk a line (don’t always succeed) where I spur people to critically think about “the game,” rather than direct hate or spite at the players within that game. It’s hard to do, because I have to utilize a skeptical lens, through which I analyze the activities and tactics of individuals in the hobby. So inevitably, people who pay attention (like yourself!) will often know what or who I’m referencing 🤣
@@ReefingwithO If I were against reefers who get free gear, I’d have to be against every celeb or Internet personality who gets free perfume, high end food, clothing, etc. Considering this is just the nature of marketing now, and there’s nothing I’m going to do to change how capitalism works in the 21st century, I see no point in standing against “the system” itself. But that system and its agents should be improved, and held to a higher standard. This video isn’t a call for reefluencers to disclose their free gear (though they always should), because the reefluencers involved in the backup battery sphere typically at least mention their sponsorship. Rather, this video is a call for accuracy and honesty, on everything from product limitations/uncomfortable realities, to portrayal of competing product capabilities, if those competing products are brought up in published content.
That's why i like Devin from ReefDudes becaise he has a DIY Kraken but anyone would be hard pressed to DIY the featureset u get with eco flow. Ive built LiPO and LI bettery arrays for RC stuff but its easy to build them wrong its easy to pick the wrong BMS, solder the wrong size wire and burn ur house down. EcoFlow is a solid, innovative offering, just like ReeFi Uno. Too bad there isnt a channel talking about the innovatirs in th hobby. Oh wait, thank you ❤😊
I will note, in the interest of accuracy, while a lot of companies have some commission-style system set up for sponsored reefers to earn via links on their content, not all do. Some simply receive free gear. Hard to get into all the nuance and keep the video under an hour. I’ll chat about the subject matter more in “We The Reefers” Season 2 this Fall. Cheers!
I've been on CZcams a long time. All of your criticisms of sponsored links and product showcases ring true. The critiques of Ecotech batteries are well-founded and shared by many. I agree with basically everything you're saying. That said, I (shamefully) still went with the Ecotech battery backup. Why? Because I found lots of conflicting information about alternatives, and some of the DIY solutions required modding and adapters, but some of the batteries I looked at had mixed reviews (and I saw burned battery pictures, which made me really nervous). I'm not an electrician. I don't want my house burned down because I was ignorant and did something wrong. I'm struggling to fit more research into my schedule before I go on my first 2-week abroad vacation in August.
Ecotech is overpriced and definitely not the best solution, but it's plug-and-play. I don't have to fuss. I'm going to expect 2 or 3 years of use, but I'm really hoping we'll see more plug-and-play solutions from competitors by the time I gotta replace it.
I will now commit seppuku out of normie-consumer shame.
I owned the EcoTech battery backup, once upon a time. Also, I feel the same way about this stuff, across the board. That’s why I leapt on the EcoFlow River 2 train, when those products entered the market. It was finally a plug-and-play solution that is exceptionally safe and simple to use. I’d just recommend that next time around, you don’t give EcoTech $215 again. I refused to, as they don’t deserve that much cash for such a basic and short-lived product. Not when a River 2 can be obtained for $119 certified refurbished, or $168 brand new on Amazon, and will last you a whole decade. I mean come on, EcoTech! Be lazier! 😂
You hit the nail on the head with your take on this situation. They open themselves to scrutiny when they are clearly shilling and dont even know shit about the technology. I found myself saying “preach, preach brother” in the words of Jake Adams when you were speaking on it lol.
Many of them really don’t seem to know much at all about the products, and those who do often seem to (sometimes) intentionally mislead, using that knowledge negatively. I appreciate neither path.
Reef dork did a video on a 12 volt battery back up for the ecotech pump that cost around 60$ and do last over 30 hours . I did buy one for my mp10
@@Malick_ibn_dinar Yep, I saw that. My issue with that unit is that it’s lithium ion (if I’m recalling correctly). It’ll degrade at twice the rate that lithium iron phosphate does. But it’s a dang good option for the price. Better than the EcoTech Marine battery, that’s for sure.
Man YOU are 100 percent right....I used to follow or basically follow some reefers on here...but then I realize they are now sponsored or a company is sponsoring them, so I stop paying them any mind... especially when they are doing a Positive Review, one week after the product is released...
@@Theaquaplex The pool of people I’m willing to accept legitimate information/thoughts from, on the influencer side of this hobby, shrinks by the day. So much interference out there. And sadly, very few reefers have wised up to it.
I should start a channel called Reef Wars. My first guests would be you and the Dudes guy! BTW, that was a very pricey Li
FePo battery that he got for freeeeeee!!!! Id rather spend that much on a bigger ecoflow and have built in AC plugs for convenience.
Most sponsored influencers don’t know what they’re talking about I worked with one who had little to no clue about the hobby etc lol… also side note lead acid batteries for the most part are not meant to be charged and discharged from 0-100% they should ideally not fall below like 90% charge (similar chemistry to car batteries) that’s why we see fast degradation… lithium electrolyte batteries can handle way more charge cycles and are meant to go from 100%-0% however some you only wanna charge to 80%
Thanks for the note on batteries! And as for the sponsored folks…yeah, that doesn’t shock me to hear. It’s obvious sometimes in some of their videos.
Always a pleasure I hope people read my comments and learn something that’s what the hobby is about!
I just noticed that you upgraded to the River 2 max. I watched your first video and because we have 5 aquariums and live in a hurricane zone on the gulf coast, we opted to go with the Delta 2 max with the 220 solar panel. I believe that’s our best option than buying 5 separate river battery back ups ( plus it was on sale). Great co Brent again. Thanks for your honesty and matter of fact videos.
That’s awesome! I also picked up a couple EcoFlow 100W solar panels. Figuring out how to best install them. The 220W panel is slick! Great call, brother.
Might as well just say reef dude's. The videos only a few hours old. I watched a melevs reef video over the weekend about ph with Richard Ross and could only think that if people still believe the earth is flat then there's no way to get everyone on the same page with reefing. I think he mentioned his sponsorship and explained the battery good enough. He mentioned you may get 20+ years with lithium. Any serious reefer or adult needs a Generac.
Felt no need to call it out. Those who know, know. Also, it’s not about the unit he made the video about, though there are better value similar units. My focus point was the inaccurate comments about EcoFlow product capabilities, which is misdirection/misinformation, or could be construed as such, even if it was ignorant/unintentional.
@@kalamazoo_reefer I know you're coming from a good place. It's why I like your videos so much. I like to keep the conversation going especially when it's raw and unscripted.
@@MrGarciaJr Much appreciated, my friend. Haven’t caught the Melev-Ross discussion yet, by the way, but it’s on the docket!
And yes, I have strong views on the hobby, but I try to walk a line (don’t always succeed) where I spur people to critically think about “the game,” rather than direct hate or spite at the players within that game. It’s hard to do, because I have to utilize a skeptical lens, through which I analyze the activities and tactics of individuals in the hobby. So inevitably, people who pay attention (like yourself!) will often know what or who I’m referencing 🤣
When I bought the house and the wife said let’s do Saltwater I went out and bought a Generac for it.
👍
So are you against reefers that receive free gear? or do you wish they disclose this information up front that they got it for free?
@@ReefingwithO If I were against reefers who get free gear, I’d have to be against every celeb or Internet personality who gets free perfume, high end food, clothing, etc. Considering this is just the nature of marketing now, and there’s nothing I’m going to do to change how capitalism works in the 21st century, I see no point in standing against “the system” itself. But that system and its agents should be improved, and held to a higher standard. This video isn’t a call for reefluencers to disclose their free gear (though they always should), because the reefluencers involved in the backup battery sphere typically at least mention their sponsorship. Rather, this video is a call for accuracy and honesty, on everything from product limitations/uncomfortable realities, to portrayal of competing product capabilities, if those competing products are brought up in published content.
How would I connect my mp40s 12vdc port to the Ecoflow? Am I able to? It looks like I need an adapter?
@@andymingni You’ll need a $10 adapter, to do so. Just type “12V DC35135 Car Charger Cable” into Amazon, and take your pick!
That's why i like Devin from ReefDudes becaise he has a DIY Kraken but anyone would be hard pressed to DIY the featureset u get with eco flow. Ive built LiPO and LI bettery arrays for RC stuff but its easy to build them wrong its easy to pick the wrong BMS, solder the wrong size wire and burn ur house down. EcoFlow is a solid, innovative offering, just like ReeFi Uno. Too bad there isnt a channel talking about the innovatirs in th hobby. Oh wait, thank you ❤😊
off topic question, are those Vermetid Snails all over your rocks?
Yep, most are dead now, but I had them explode a while back.