overanalyzer
Active Member
Just submitted this to the CBS news feedback links.
To Whom It May Concern:
RE: Nemo Tank Setup on CBS Morning Show
I am sure you are receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of letters regarding your early morning spot on setting up a small “Nemo” tank by the folks @ Tetra. Hundreds of fellow Bulletin Board members have fired off nasty e-mails to both CBS and Tetra, but I don’t agree with just yelling back loudly because I disagree with your position.
I have watched the CBS evening news with Dan Rather ever since I can remember. I have often times felt like CBS did an excellent job of presenting the facts with minimal bias. I do realize your weekend morning shows mix news in with entertainment but I still expect the consistent high quality facts regardless of format.
I know that several people are talking about the “Nemo Effect” since the movie’s release. This is similar to the news pieces that appeared after the Disney movie “101 Dalmatians” was released. The stories won’t appear in this case though – because dead fish won’t end up at an animal shelter.
I have always believed in the integrity of CBS news but after watching a 4 minute clip of one news show I seriously question the quality of all news broadcasts. I have high expectations for the news media regardless of whether it is a fluff piece or a hard hitting expose. After seeing this piece though I seriously question your company’s commitment to journalistic integrity and delivering the truth.
In the interest of being brief I thought I would end here, but I have watched the clip of your morning show just three times and have come up with the following list of issues which I feel I must present in support of my argument:
1.The news personality states that keeping fish is often times seen as “idiot proof” but it is not as easy as people think. This is true with fresh water fish, but with salt water fish there is a delicate balance of water chemistry, bio-load and water movement that needs to be balanced.
2.The statement is made that if a “few simple rules” are followed then keeping salt water fish gets easier. While many will agree that following the guidelines for keeping fish increases your chance of success, keeping a salt water fish tank is an ever changing pursuit and even individuals who are not “idiots” often times have tank melt downs for no identifiable reason.
3.The set-up is a 5 Gallon Aquarium – which in the salt water fish hobby is often times referred to as a Nano Tank. I myself have a 5 gallon fish tank and it contains exactly 1 fish. I’ve had as many as 2 fish in it, but there is no way that I would be able to fit the fish, star fish and seahorses exhibited on your broadcast, in my 5 gallon tank. The main issue with a 5 Gallon Aquarium is that the water parameters change so quickly because the volume of water is minimal. A small change in those parameters quickly turns a 5 gallon fish tank into a box of water and dead animals.
4.Gravel – should not be used. Crushed coral or sand or a bare tank bottom should be used as a substrate. The epoxy coated rocks will eventually leach harmful chemicals into the water. Most bags of gravel have a warning statement stating they are not safe for salt water fish tanks.
5.Rocks – yes they are needed – and thought I’d praise you using rocks instead of dead coral ripped from the oceans. Yet, the conservation of reefs and marine life in general is not even addressed.
6.Ornaments should not be used. Even though they may be labeled as safe for fish tanks, salt water is more corrosive and once an ornament’s protective coating starts corroding it will leach harmful chemicals into the fish tank.
7.The Tetra representative puts water conditioner in prior to adding the fish. She neglects to mention that right on that very bottle of conditioner it states that it needs to be added to the water prior to mixing the water with the salt. Water chemistry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, issue with successfully keeping salt water fish. To show the water treatment applied in such a cavalier manner is distressing. Also, the salt needs to mix and aerate for 24 hours before it can be added to an established tank. An established tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle before it can be considered “established.” This process usually tank 3-6 weeks.
8.The Tetra representative also suggests you acclimate a fish for “5 to 10 minutes” prior to releasing them into your tank. Most fish stores require that a fish be acclimated for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours. The Blue Tang introduced needs a nice slow acclimation as it is prone to a disease called ick. Ick can wipe out an entire tank of fish.
9.The tetra representative has the morning news person touch the starfish. Starfish are delicate creatures and touching them while out of the water will stress them out. Many experts agree that starfish should be acclimated for 2-6 hours prior to inclusion into a fish tank. Taking one out of a bag, by hand, and dropping it into a tank takes it through three environments. Most likely a star fish exposed to its shipped environment, the open air in the palm of your hand and then into the new tank, will go through shock and perish.
10.Sea horses are magnificent animals and are lovely additions to any species specific aquarium. The same environment for clown fish would not be as beneficial for seahorses. Also, many species of wild caught seahorses will not eat prepared food and will need to be feed live food on a regular basis.
11.I applaud Tetra for suggesting the use of tank raised fish. Most of the fish I see for sale in the fish stores and on line are wild caught fish though. I paid extra money for my pair of percula clowns that were tank raised. It would be great if all fish were tank raised but it is a very costly venture and sadly does not happen as often as it should.
12.The discussion turns to the inch per gallon rule. In a salt water tank with fish only – meaning minimal rocks for hiding – then the average should be 2 inches of fish per gallon. In a setting with rocks and plants it is 2 inches of fish per 5 gallons.
I know many of my peers will look on this list and think it is too lenient, but my point is not to rip apart the broadcast and point out all the wrongs. As state above – I used to believe in the integrity of the CBS news casts. Such blatant disregard for the truth makes me now understand how a reporter can just fabricate up news stories, and not get caught.
I would love to hear from your company that you are providing a segment on how difficult and expensive it is to keep a salt water fish tank. Many individuals estimate that it costs anywhere from $20 to $55 dollars per gallon to maintain a salt water fish tank per year. I currently have roughly $400 invested into a 20 gallon fish tank in my daughter’s bedroom. It houses our pair of tank raised clown fish (Mrs. Salt and Mr. Pepper). Your news claim that $50 for the complete setup of that 5 gallon tank, plus the cost of fish, is highly misleading and an injustice to the consuming public.
Sadly, a former CBS news viewer,
Jerome Hilscher
PS - I will be forwarding this letter to all of the CBS News Programs.
To Whom It May Concern:
RE: Nemo Tank Setup on CBS Morning Show
I am sure you are receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of letters regarding your early morning spot on setting up a small “Nemo” tank by the folks @ Tetra. Hundreds of fellow Bulletin Board members have fired off nasty e-mails to both CBS and Tetra, but I don’t agree with just yelling back loudly because I disagree with your position.
I have watched the CBS evening news with Dan Rather ever since I can remember. I have often times felt like CBS did an excellent job of presenting the facts with minimal bias. I do realize your weekend morning shows mix news in with entertainment but I still expect the consistent high quality facts regardless of format.
I know that several people are talking about the “Nemo Effect” since the movie’s release. This is similar to the news pieces that appeared after the Disney movie “101 Dalmatians” was released. The stories won’t appear in this case though – because dead fish won’t end up at an animal shelter.
I have always believed in the integrity of CBS news but after watching a 4 minute clip of one news show I seriously question the quality of all news broadcasts. I have high expectations for the news media regardless of whether it is a fluff piece or a hard hitting expose. After seeing this piece though I seriously question your company’s commitment to journalistic integrity and delivering the truth.
In the interest of being brief I thought I would end here, but I have watched the clip of your morning show just three times and have come up with the following list of issues which I feel I must present in support of my argument:
1.The news personality states that keeping fish is often times seen as “idiot proof” but it is not as easy as people think. This is true with fresh water fish, but with salt water fish there is a delicate balance of water chemistry, bio-load and water movement that needs to be balanced.
2.The statement is made that if a “few simple rules” are followed then keeping salt water fish gets easier. While many will agree that following the guidelines for keeping fish increases your chance of success, keeping a salt water fish tank is an ever changing pursuit and even individuals who are not “idiots” often times have tank melt downs for no identifiable reason.
3.The set-up is a 5 Gallon Aquarium – which in the salt water fish hobby is often times referred to as a Nano Tank. I myself have a 5 gallon fish tank and it contains exactly 1 fish. I’ve had as many as 2 fish in it, but there is no way that I would be able to fit the fish, star fish and seahorses exhibited on your broadcast, in my 5 gallon tank. The main issue with a 5 Gallon Aquarium is that the water parameters change so quickly because the volume of water is minimal. A small change in those parameters quickly turns a 5 gallon fish tank into a box of water and dead animals.
4.Gravel – should not be used. Crushed coral or sand or a bare tank bottom should be used as a substrate. The epoxy coated rocks will eventually leach harmful chemicals into the water. Most bags of gravel have a warning statement stating they are not safe for salt water fish tanks.
5.Rocks – yes they are needed – and thought I’d praise you using rocks instead of dead coral ripped from the oceans. Yet, the conservation of reefs and marine life in general is not even addressed.
6.Ornaments should not be used. Even though they may be labeled as safe for fish tanks, salt water is more corrosive and once an ornament’s protective coating starts corroding it will leach harmful chemicals into the fish tank.
7.The Tetra representative puts water conditioner in prior to adding the fish. She neglects to mention that right on that very bottle of conditioner it states that it needs to be added to the water prior to mixing the water with the salt. Water chemistry is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, issue with successfully keeping salt water fish. To show the water treatment applied in such a cavalier manner is distressing. Also, the salt needs to mix and aerate for 24 hours before it can be added to an established tank. An established tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle before it can be considered “established.” This process usually tank 3-6 weeks.
8.The Tetra representative also suggests you acclimate a fish for “5 to 10 minutes” prior to releasing them into your tank. Most fish stores require that a fish be acclimated for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours. The Blue Tang introduced needs a nice slow acclimation as it is prone to a disease called ick. Ick can wipe out an entire tank of fish.
9.The tetra representative has the morning news person touch the starfish. Starfish are delicate creatures and touching them while out of the water will stress them out. Many experts agree that starfish should be acclimated for 2-6 hours prior to inclusion into a fish tank. Taking one out of a bag, by hand, and dropping it into a tank takes it through three environments. Most likely a star fish exposed to its shipped environment, the open air in the palm of your hand and then into the new tank, will go through shock and perish.
10.Sea horses are magnificent animals and are lovely additions to any species specific aquarium. The same environment for clown fish would not be as beneficial for seahorses. Also, many species of wild caught seahorses will not eat prepared food and will need to be feed live food on a regular basis.
11.I applaud Tetra for suggesting the use of tank raised fish. Most of the fish I see for sale in the fish stores and on line are wild caught fish though. I paid extra money for my pair of percula clowns that were tank raised. It would be great if all fish were tank raised but it is a very costly venture and sadly does not happen as often as it should.
12.The discussion turns to the inch per gallon rule. In a salt water tank with fish only – meaning minimal rocks for hiding – then the average should be 2 inches of fish per gallon. In a setting with rocks and plants it is 2 inches of fish per 5 gallons.
I know many of my peers will look on this list and think it is too lenient, but my point is not to rip apart the broadcast and point out all the wrongs. As state above – I used to believe in the integrity of the CBS news casts. Such blatant disregard for the truth makes me now understand how a reporter can just fabricate up news stories, and not get caught.
I would love to hear from your company that you are providing a segment on how difficult and expensive it is to keep a salt water fish tank. Many individuals estimate that it costs anywhere from $20 to $55 dollars per gallon to maintain a salt water fish tank per year. I currently have roughly $400 invested into a 20 gallon fish tank in my daughter’s bedroom. It houses our pair of tank raised clown fish (Mrs. Salt and Mr. Pepper). Your news claim that $50 for the complete setup of that 5 gallon tank, plus the cost of fish, is highly misleading and an injustice to the consuming public.
Sadly, a former CBS news viewer,
Jerome Hilscher
PS - I will be forwarding this letter to all of the CBS News Programs.
