Anyone else watch TANKED on Animal Planet?!? If so...

theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
Is it just me, or do they put three times the amount of fish in every tank they build, that would be safe?

It's like, "Oh here's your 220 gallon tank; and here is your naso tang, niger trigger, powder blue, spotted grouper, mooray eel, white tip shark, school of 200 firefish, 800lbs of live rock, anenome, clown fish, tomato clown, maroon tang, clown tang, and lionfish. Have fun!"

And I remember when I was a newbie I got yelled at for trying to put a single yellow tang in a 75 gallon! Ha!
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I rarely see they use real live rock. Mostly the fake stuff that they make themselves.

Pretty much like all people who set tanks up for a living. They go for the initial WOW, not the long haul conscientious planning.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I think Beth is on the right track... Their setups are mainly for the instant WOW factor and then the local LFS has to come in and correct it little by little and do maintenance on the really weird and screwed up tanks. Basically.... they build tanks. They like the hobby, but their job is to put the tank together and to initially fill it with fish so that the customer is happy. Once they get a local fish store to maintenance it and fish start getting eaten, die, or disappear, then it's the LFS's fault, not the guys who "just built the tank."

I got to meet the guys. They were... interesting. A bit shorter then I imagined.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
I think Beth is on the right track... Their setups are mainly for the instant WOW factor and then the local LFS has to come in and correct it little by little and do maintenance on the really weird and screwed up tanks. Basically.... they build tanks. They like the hobby, but their job is to put the tank together and to initially fill it with fish so that the customer is happy. Once they get a local fish store to maintenance it and fish start getting eaten, die, or disappear, then it's the LFS's fault, not the guys who "just built the tank."
I got to meet the guys. They were... interesting. A bit shorter then I imagined.
You forgot dumb as a box of rocks. Since i am in the pet industry i see them at trade shows at least once or twice a year. My friends also i. The business always try to egg me on to go talk with them. Its kind of like being kicked in the balls. Every guy goes through the experience once. But after that it is avoided at all costs.
Darth (i like my balls) tang
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member

The guys from Tanked just called.  They claim to have them hanging on display in Red Neck's trailer. At least there we know they can be marveled upon by someone who will appreciate them.
2 (just the messenger) Quills
I am unsure if you are trying to insult me or the tanked guys.
Darth (they shoot blanks now anyway) tang
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
You guys are awful....LOL

I did see those guys on a talk show once, and they said that the show cuts off a bunch of time, their claim was that it just "looks like" they add all the fish at once right after set-up. I still shake my head at them, they put fish together that have no business being in the same tank, and as pointed out WAY TOO MANY for the size of the tank, all at once, or even a years space..

IMO Live rock or fake home made decorations doesn't really matter, it isn't any different then adding dry rock.

The show does get peoples interest up when it comes to trying SW tanks, so it not all bed...unless the folks try to set up their tanks like they do. After watching the show, I realized that wood could be treated with resin to be used in a SW tank safely. It inspired my anchor and ships wheel design that I have in my 90g, and the wedding cake columns I have in the 56g...nonetheless, I still have live rock along with the fake décor.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I like the show. Its fun to watch their antics. They clearly make it fun and so it shouldn't be taken as 101 course on how to set up a SW fish tank. Its reality TV (which means fake).
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Why do they call fake tv, reality tv? Never made sense to me. lol

I'm sure they do care about the fish,... it's one thing that probably got them in the hobby in the first place. I'm not saying that I agree with their stocking practices, but sometimes they actually do get it right. Sometimes, it's a whole nother matter. I think some of the tanks that they stock like that, it's because the customer asks them to do it that way. As they say in business: The customer is always right."
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Very likely they stock for the camera. It wouldn't look so cool to put a handful of fish in 200 gal tank. The finale for their show is to showcase the tank they built, and a tank mostly empty of fish doesn't showcase well. People in the fish tank business are not necessarily in the same place as die-hard hobbyists such as you see on this and other forums. They also are not necessarily terribly aware of all the fish compatibility and suitability issues that we are.
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
You guys should watch "Fish Tank kings" on National Geograghic Wild. It's a much better program than "Tanks". Check it out.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I'll watch an episode or two of either of the shows while the good shows are in between seasons. The tanked guys are goof balls and they play up to that as characters a lot. It's kind of annoying since I really just like to see the show for the creative build stuff. But it is the more entertaining show to watch for me. FTK's, don't seem to be acting out as characters quite as much and it's only marginally more interesting to me from a hobbyist perspective. It's been hard for me to get into.

Flower, I think they seal everything up with epoxy to make it safe. In that sense their artificial rock isn't as good in terms of bio filtration as real live/dead rock would be. Think I've only ever seen them build 1 real reef tank. The Feng Shui tank.
 
aquiman

aquiman

Member
I find Tanked entertaining but agree their practices are sometimes questionable even for me being a newbie. I find the two leads on the show to be really corny in front of the cameras, but like seeing the creativity and what goes into the builds. I only saw FTK once or twice and liked it better.
 
ironeagle2006

ironeagle2006

Active Member
Except on FTK I want to take Francis on a ONE WAY trip to the Marianas Trench put 300 pounds of lead on his Feet and Throw him Over the Side of the Boat. He is worse than some of the KIDS I play with online with his Know it all Attitude.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
TExcept on FTK I want to take Francis on a ONE WAY trip to the Marianas Trench put 300 pounds of lead on his Feet and Throw him Over the Side of the Boat.  He is worse than some of the KIDS I play with online with his Know it all Attitude. 
Tell us how you really feel. I offer a compromise. How about one swift kick to the head instead. Will that satisfy your anger?
Darth (the sensible one) tang
 
foodshape

foodshape

Member
Have not watched Tanked. I did watch FTK for awhile out of curiosity. I gave up on it because the directors/producers of the show seemed to feel it was more important to fabricate and focus on personality conflicts between the staff members than to provide genuine hobby-related information that would actually be of interest to the audience such a show should appeal to. Fish Tank Idol, Survivor Fish Tank, whatever, no thanks. I'm sure the season-ending shocker could have been Jose and Francis forming a secret alliance against the boss (I forget his name already).
 
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