Hands-On: IVS – The Portal

Ingenious gadget – The portal is fun and useful!
So far there are relatively few gadgets in the aquaristik branch,  because most of the products have a practical use and less a fun factor. My latest and first gadget has exactly that:  enormous fun for me and for all the guests in front of the aquarium. And even a practical use, but more on that later.

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The portal, promised in the product description “allows you to enjoy the details of your fish, corals, and invertebrates like never before. It magnetically attaches to your aquarium, allowing you to instantly move the viewer in any direction you wish.”

 

The portal consists of two parts. The exterior dryside is a frame and the lens, the wetside inside without lens for underwater use.

In principle the portal works like a magnetic cleaner – but with an integrated lens. Outside the lens does not get wet and therefore not dirty.

At first sight a high class workmanship is noticeable – the magnets lying heavy in the hand and the plastic shell looks very robust. The lens is fixed by 4 screws tightly. We did not wait long and set the portal to our tank – the wetside in the tank, the dryside with the lens is outside the tank.

The effect, that immediately appears, which is staggering and difficult to describe with words. Tiny polyps that are 5-20cm away from the glas are huge at once, sometimes several cm tall pictured on the lens. And almost no distortion and ultra-sharp. One tends to start looking very close to and through the lens.
But: From a distance, about 2-3 meters from the portal, you can seen another great view the portal creats. By the distance the magnification appears very impressive.

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The supplied lens images sharp, which is located between 0 and 30 cm from the lens. That’s enough in our case . People who have a deeper tank or want to see details in the background wit more than 30 cm should order the replacement lens for greater distances.

 

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The fun factor: Immense. To look in the eyes of a  tiny acropora crab, to observe zooplankton, to see individual Acanthastrea polyps at several centimeter size when eating with no distortion is certainly the non plus ultra for the reefing lovers.
Due to the capability to slide the portal like a algaemagnet children and adults can easily play around with it.

The practical use: You can see details that are not visible at all with the naked eye. The polyps and even eating SPS ployps can be studied after adding powdered food. Also any parasites such as flatworms can be certainly discovered with the portal. In addition, extremely interesting and beautiful macro photos can be shot, which we will cover in a separate article.
The possibility to use the portal as an algae magnet are certainly available. However, it does not really replace a real algae magnet due to the large dimensions of the portal.
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Conclusion: The portal should not be attached when guests are expected, that you want to leave as quickly as possible. Similarly, one should not buy the portal if you are criticized spending too much time in front of the tank.
But those who seek the perfect gift for a reefing lover and his family should acquire the portal.

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