[Prev][Next][Index]

re: Dupla of 1996



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 10:22:16 -0500
From: "K & A, P.A." <kapa at netrunner_net>
Reply-To: kapa at netrunner_net
To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Subject: Re: Dupla of 1996

Dear James:

> Are there any subscribers to this list who can still get Today's
> 
> Aquarium, in either the German or the Italian editions? 

I just subscribed to Aquarium Oggi, the Italian version of Aquarium
Heute.

> Is there any indication in current copies of that magazine just what Dupla is up to?


I don't know, but I'll post to the list anything I find.


> The reason I'm asking about this is not to criticize the company. George
> 
> Booth obviously thinks their system works and has published wonderful
> 
> articles and photographs proving his success with both Dupla's methods
> 
> and their products. I hope it works (or else I'm going to end up with
> 
> 120 gallons of stinking swamp in my living room). But when I think about
> 
> all of the changes that have taken place in this hobby over the past ten
> 
> years (anybody talked to a Marine hobbyist lately?) I find it hard to
> 
> believe that a company like Dupla would just stop their research. Or
> 
> maybe I'm just ticked that they no longer seem to take those of us who
> 
> live on this side of the pond (and speak English) very seriously - hence
> 
> their lack of recent published information in English.

James, the Dupla system does work.  It works very well.  However, it is
very expensive.  Also, it is not the only system that works.

Dupla's Australian branch is the one conducting the current research on
the hobby.  Maybe any Australians on the list can give us an update.

Many people were (are are still) upset that Dupla pulled the English
version of Aquarium Heute (Today's Aquarium).  In my opinion, Dupla just
got a bad taste in their mouth about Americans.  They came into the US
hoping to double their sales, but they ended up taking a bath.  They
created a domestic subsidiary here, Dupla U.S.A., that was to be the
equivalent of Dupla Germany.  They began printing Aquarium Heute in
English as well.  Unfortunately for them, this area of the hobby was not
as well developed as it is now.  
The market was just not there and they didn't want to create one, so
they pulled out.

> Does anybody think that a write in campaign to Dupla / AD Aquadocumenta
> 
> would have any positive effect, i.e. get them to publish something in
> 
> English which would document Dupla's (or any other European company's)
> 
> current thinking about F/W aquarium maintenance?

In the past, I have spoken to J.P. Burleson, Dupla's importer, about
getting them to begin reprinting Today's Aquarium.  No luck.  They just
don't believe our market is big enough.

I am trying to get Kaspar Horst to realize that we, on this side of the
pond, have grown up, if you will, and are now demanding quality
information on the subject.

I think an email campaign to Mr. Horst may be helpful.  We should also
get the folks on FISHNET to help.

As a side note, IMHO, Aqua Design Amano's Aqua Journal has much more
practical advice than does the somewhat technical Aquarium Heute or Aqua
Planta.  We should also inform Mr. Amano that and English version would
be nice.

Art Giacosa
Miami, Florida