Our team was blessed with the opportunity to visit Interzoo 2016 this year in Nuremberg, Germany. Interzoo is a pet supply show that happens once every two years and it’s the one that all the big boys come to show off their best and brightest products. Everything from doggie treats to cat toys to aquarium goods, only the top companies make it to show. Unfortunately, we were unable to exhibit our great bucephalandra collection due to a time crunch, but we did get some snap shots of the best aquascapes that Europe had to offer. And boy did they bring their A game!

Most of the scapes were done by Mr. Oliver Knott himself while others were done by Filipe Olivera. There were also some scapes done by Tropica that were really amazing. What was surprising to me was the emphasis on planted aquariums. Generally, in the states we are a reef dominant market. You can tell just by the forum presence that marine aquarium hobbyists generally out number aquascape or planted tank enthusiasts. However, the tides are changing as we saw most booths showcasing beautifully scaped freshwater tanks.

Tropica had the best tissue culture plants including displays that showcased their new and patented plant medium to help plants last longer in cups. One sales person boasted that the new cups could last MONTHS in cooler temperatures. They also brought on a new beginner’s guide app that is sure to bring newcomers to the hobby. It is targeted towards the younger generation that is always on their phones. The new app comes with interactive scheduling and timers to make sure you are checking your tank for the right parameters and carrying out necessary tank maintenance. Pretty cool!

Aqua Innova also had some really great stuff to show for plants. Although we don’t currently see too much of their products in North America, we believe this will change soon. They had a great display of their plants in a refrigerator much like you would see at a super market. Imagine walking into your LFS, looking through the tissue culture plants in an open air refrigerator! How cool is that?

Of course the Anubias booth had some of the best scapes thanks to Oliver Knott. He really killed it with his live demonstration of an aquascape. A decent sized crowd showed up to watch him scape a scene while dressed in full Kylo Ren gear. He is a crazy character and we were so excited to meet him for the first time. He utilized two Kessil LED pendents as well as Dragon Stone for a great shallow display.

Also, one of the best experiences of the trip was a presentation by Frederick Fuss, the proclaimed King of Wabi-Kusa! His presentation was simply awesome. Many people in the crowd were completely new to the idea of aquatic plants grown emersed, but he made a very easy to follow demonstration and even handed out free plants! As soon as we got back from the states we setup 2 wabi-kusas right away.

Another brand we were excited about was Biopod, which is a company that got funded on kickstarter and Indiegogo. Although they aren’t in the Aquarium market, their idea for an all-in-one for terrariums was really cool. We all can’t wait for them to bring their product to market. Shout out to Tom Lam and Jared Wolfe!

Twinstar is also making a big move in the freshwater aquarium space. Look out for their new lights that is sure to shakeup the existing LED game. True RGB LEDS with high CRI and the slickest design yet.

All in all, this trip was truly a delight for the Buce Plant Team. We want to give a shout out to all the friends we met along the way. Nuremberg was a beautiful city and the people were warm and inviting. We could not have asked for a more productive yet eye-opening business trip.

Link after the break for the entire photo album...

PICTURES LINK