Animal Planet's "Tanked". 2nd season in April - To love or to hate???

tannersmith200

tannersmith200

Member

Hello everyone
I am pretty sure everyone here has either watched or heard of Animal Planet's new TV series "TANKED". I must say I was quite interested in the idea considering its a show consisting of unique aquarium builds but mostly artificial reef settings (ughhh gross). I myself found the show to be entertaining and interesting but nonetheless irresponsible.
We as seasoned marine aquarists and reef junkies know that you do not install an aquarium and dump bags of fish in the tank and call it good. I was somewhat surprised by the guys ignorance with their critters to say the least. From what I see, they are big business men in the marine aquaria industry so they are focused on one single thing and that's money. But with any big business, there comes responsibility. I find their practice very irresponsible with the way they just throw fish here and throw fish there. I am very interested in how these fish fare with a couple days post installation. I just find it reckless.
I like the show but then again I am not such a big fan considering their misconception to how the marine industry should be practiced. All I am saying is that it would be nice if they were more detailed and thurough with their installations rather than throwing it all together in one day and wahhlaa...complete. Maybe just maybe they are more complete behind the scenes. I am not sure though as their deadlines appear to be within a day or two.
I would like your opinion about this TV series and your comments regarding the show.
Tan
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I have seen pics of their work after the cameras are long gone. Everything these people do is shotty from the stocking, plumbing, electrical work, you name it. I have a friend that had to essentially rebuild the tank they installed in a hotel. The tank was a fire risk due to the way the wiring was installed.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
They are filling up the tanks with a hose straight from a facuet with city water, dump the salt mix it a bit, and Presto! Time to add the fish!
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Tiger http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3463034
They are filling up the tanks with a hose straight from a facuet with city water, dump the salt mix it a bit, and Presto! Time to add the fish!

You've never filled a tank with tap for a fish only system with no live rock then drain it to fill it with your mixed water? It's a much quicker way to clear up a tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3463061
A product that cycles a tank overnight?? Sounds sketchy...

Yes there are products available for this. Those very methods are used all over the world for public aquariums. All they are doing is dosing the beneficial bacteria which would normally take a good month or two to populate using the methods the way your average hobbyist would.
 
tannersmith200

tannersmith200

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3463071
You've never filled a tank with tap for a fish only system with no live rock then drain it to fill it with your mixed water? It's a much quicker way to clear up a tank.
Yes there are products available for this. Those very methods are used all over the world for public aquariums. All they are doing is dosing the beneficial bacteria which would normally take a good month or two to populate using the methods the way your average hobbyist would.
So explain their QT process. How are they able to dump fish straight in the aquarium from the wholesaler without consequences? I know public aquaria take the time to QT their animals.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tannersmith200 http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3463075
So explain their QT process. How are they able to dump fish straight in the aquarium from the wholesaler without consequences? I know public aquaria take the time to QT their animals.
If you want you can search out video interviews of these guys on the web. I've checked out a few before because this topic has already been discussed here a couple times in the past. There's one interview that I seen were he talks about the main supplier they use to get all of their livestock from does the quarantining for them. When they do these builds they know months in advance when they'll need the fish typically. Whether or not that's true I can't see. I'm sure there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than any of us realize.
If you want to know more about how public aquaria uses specially designed products to cycle huge tanks quickly then I guess you can start here and get a better idea watching the interview below. Fact of the matter is there are lots of various ways to quick cycle a tank. People do it all the time when they find themselves in situations where they need to set up a quarantine or perhaps move a tank. It doesn't mean the fish won't go through any stress but there are methods to deal with issues of toxicity and how they can be neutralized.
http://www.mrsaltwatertank.com/bacteria-in-a-bottle-snake-oil-or-worth-trusting/
Would totally agree with you guy's though in the thoughts that I've seen them do some pretty of the things ridiculous things that I certainly wouldn't do, myself.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
For those of us that are in the hobby, might be able to understand some of their methods, although they dont show it, But for the viewers out there that have never picked up a SW book, will mislead them to think that its an easy process and neglects to show any husbandry.
I know its for entertainment purpose, but you will get those that will go out and spend 50 bucks, and think they have a healthy environment for their companions.
 
wartooth1

wartooth1

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Tiger http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3463132
For those of us that are in the hobby, might be able to understand some of their methods, although they dont show it, But for the viewers out there that have never picked up a SW book, will mislead them to think that its an easy process and neglects to show any husbandry.
I know its for entertainment purpose, but you will get those that will go out and spend 50 bucks, and think they have a healthy environment for their companions.
And if the people who got interested in the hobby due to watching the show will learn that it takes much more than dumping water and fish into an aquarium. They're will either read a book or, failing that, the LFS will most likely instruct them on the process of cycling the tank when they go to buy all the things needed to get started.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
We'll see how thier second season goes. They're supposed to be changing things up a bit. By the time the show first aired they were already done filming the first season. So they claim they are going to take some of the criticisms to help improve the show. They lost me half way through the first season. Just wasnt that interesting.
 
southern wolf

southern wolf

Member
I've lost all respect for Animal Planet a long time ago. Somehow this series doesn't do anything to help get it back. This network has gone from educational to sensationalism. NatGeo isn't far behind them with some of the crap they have been airing as well.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Meh. We can argue the pros and cons of the way they set up and stock till we're blue in the face...the fact is, we don't KNOW what goes on behind the scenes. They have to take a 3-month build and setup and dumb it down to 10 minutes, so of course it's going to look sloppy.
The point is, this show doesn't interest me as a hobbyist. The kind of show *I* would want to see would last exactly 1 episode...'cause everyone else out there in TV Land wouldn't give two chips for the science and the methods behind the scenes, and the studio execs would be clamoring for its cancellation before the final reel was even filmed. People want Jersey Shore style drama with fish tanks.....staged "reality" TV where there's some bit of contrived dilemma in each and every episode, and that's essentially what Animal Planet is giving them.
Pass.
If season two has been revamped a little, I'll probably watch an episode or two, but I'm not expecting miracles here.
 
coldjd

coldjd

Member
i read an interview and it said for the pilot season they had to make it non sw veiwer friendly and now they hav an official long term contract they are going to show the legit stuff. if u want to read it look through forum history the link popped up in this same question like 6 months ago.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by rickross23 http:///t/390830/animal-planets-tanked-2nd-season-in-april-to-love-or-to-hate#post_3469734
I'm very! Like seeing the shark and ray tanks they put up. How bigs your tank Quills?
I've had my 50g going for almost 2 years. I have a 120g that has been in the process of rebuilding for approximately the same amount of time which I had up and running for quite a few months before I took it down.
I don't have any freshwater tanks anymore but I've had several of those over the years all different sizes. I've never had anything larger than a 125g.
 
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