Response from Tetra

[dockery07]

Thank you for writing to us about Tetra's appearance on the CBS Early Show.
The brevity of the segment prevented us from covering all of the points that we would have liked to cover. Tetra understands that setting up any aquarium is a complicated process and we refer people to responsible sources of information, such as a local retail pet professional or www.tetra-fish.xxx for more detailed information.
Your point is well taken. I can assure you that we will consider your concerns in all of our future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Tetra Consumer Relations

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Original Message

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Standard form letter.

 

[joerdie]

this accually makes me more upset

 

[dockery07]

All the deaths they will have on their hands.

 

[thomas712]

Isn't it nice to be able to just tell your PR or Disclaimer people to write something to calm the masses. Remember the only thing that counts with big buissnes = Sales. I agree rather upsetting with a "and why don't you join us on our website and buy a few things" sales pitch.
Thomas

 

[elan]

i think the most upsetting thing is that there is nowhere on their site which describes saltwaterkeeping...
Is Tetra mainly freshwater???

 

[elan]

Originally posted by mmmmsushi
a new market: Those that have no prior experience.
I think my LFS does the same... its a crying shame....

 

[simm]

Originally posted by mmmmsushi
No they mainly suck.
ROFLMAO!!!!

 

[buzz]

Yeah, that was a typical blow off reply from Tetra. It was probably automated too. They have email response systems that shoot off autoreplies without a human even looking at it.
I hate taking the time to send in a concern to have it blown off like that.

 

[discusking]

Down with tetra!

 

[c_bell]

I got the same response

 

[simm]

Well for Tetra to have an automated email reply about the subject there must have been more than just the people off this board complaining about it.

 

[broomer5]

I wanted to do a segment on a TV show describing how to raise a litter of St. Bernard puppies in my hall closet - but due to the brevity of the segment, it would have prevented me from covering all of the points that I wanted to cover - so I just decided not to do it.

 

[overanalyzer]

OK first - the internet nazi's are monitoring our work internet usage so this will be short and sweet.
Feel free to flame me but I think that tetra's supplied response was adequate (note adequate does not equal good). In this day and age when everyone sues they can't very well admit that doing what they showed on TV is a cause for death. They do tell you to do more research and give you two options (never been to their website so don't know if they have any info or a sales pitch). They neither claim what they did was right or wrong - nor do they claim pet stores and their website is the only place to find information.
If any of you know me then you know I am all for tank raised and conservation - Tetra is in business because it is a business. Build a business case for doign an totally eco-friendly store - meaning only tank raised critters - not buying from any corporate giant who espouses differnt opinions and take a look @ the cost benefit analysis.
Now - ways around these types of places and stores exist - support a valid and worhtwhile LFS. Build your own stuff and such - but to trash a large corporation because they put out a bland and uninformative response is just wrong.
If you said Tetra sucks because they advocate the killing of fish I would disagree - BUT if you said Tetra sucks because they mis-represented how easy it is to keep salt water fish then I'd back you.
I did not see the segment but I imagine that boomer's tongue in cheek statement below would be a better metaphor if he said:
" I wanted to do a segment on a TV show describing how to raise a baby elephant and new born kittens in my hall closet - but due to the brevity of the segment, it would have prevented me from covering all of the points that I wanted to cover - so I just decided not to do it. "
the discomfort of the larger critter will most likely end up killing all the critters - like a hippo in a nano tank ... its discomfort will lead to ick and then to the death of the tank mates and you'll have 9 year olds everyehwere burying nemo's all over the place ....
Hmmm I have an interesting notion of short ....

 

[overanalyzer]

also - if you are upset with Tetra's corporate policys then start a protest and a boycott .... because as Simm stated we were not the only ones who complained......

 

[simm]

HAHA make this your avatar.

 

[brent595]

Originally posted by overanalyzer
If you said Tetra sucks because they advocate the killing of fish I would disagree - BUT if you said Tetra sucks because they mis-represented how easy it is to keep salt water fish then I'd back you.
No one thinks that Tetra advocates the killing of the fish. They simply sent the most ignorant rep they had to the interview and she mis-represented the difficulty of keeping the fish. Which does reflect back on how Tetra must not know Jack$%#@ about SW aquaria. So now every kid in the world will have a dead NEMO because she made it look like it was OK. I think they need to make her come back and explain that she is actually a dumb@#!, and she lied on her application and knows nothing about Saltwater fish.
Did anyone notice if there was a Spongebob background on the 5 gal? I think I've seen those.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by brent595 No one thinks that Tetra advocates the killing of the fish. They simply sent the most ignorant rep they had to the interview and she mis-represented the difficulty of keeping the fish.
I agree - she totally misrepresented the degree of difficuluty it takes to keep SWF.
Originally posted by brent595
Which does reflect back on how Tetra must not know Jack$%#@ about SW aquaria. So now every kid in the world will have a dead NEMO because she made it look like it was OK. I think they need to make her come back and explain that she is actually a dumb@#!, and she lied on her application and knows nothing about Saltwater fish.
Did anyone notice if there was a Spongebob background on the 5 gal? I think I've seen those.
Do you really think they picked someone who was a SWF geek to make the presentation?? that would be like assuming Alex Trebek knows all the answers on Jeopardy or that Dan Rather is one of most educated men in the world because he is a news caster ...... or that a super model knows which beer tasts the best because she regularly samples all of them .....
Also - welcome to the board - hope you enjoy it here!!
Simm - that's the spirit ....

 

[beth]

Everyone is getting that same lame form letter. We should send them a form letter back with all of our members signatures on it.

 

[bigred]

I got the same reply. We are BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA. This pisses me off.

 

[krux]

i am blessed with 4 very knowledgable and ethical lfs in my area.
if anything getting all your information from one place can be a bad thing... trends seem to steamroll this hobby, many times without any serious investigation into alternatives or side effects. having a forum where you can ask questions and bounce ideas off of people is a great resource, but so is a guy who has had a saltwater store for 20 years, and has had just as much sucess using the same systems he always has.
new ideas spread like wildfire on the internet. in my opinion this is not always completely productive.
and as for fish dealers in general, swf is basically just a lfs that you cant quite drive to because it is too far away. just because their employees dont log on to your favorite message board and chit chat with you, doesnt mean if you take the time to call them and talk to them, they will not have valuable information to share. in fact swf is gracious enough to give us a forum where we can talk about livestock and equipment options that they do not stock. we have a place to advise people to shop elsewhere in effect. that i believe is a sign of an interest in ethical and sustainable business.
i am all for supporting my lfs, it is the guy i have built a relationship who will loan me a pump for the night until i can get to the bank on monday, or who will tip me off to a used tank someone is trying to sell, or who will have the test kit i need when i suddenly need a water parameter check i never knew i should be monitoring before. if you and your local fellow reefers let your shops know that you are educated, that you have interests in responsible reef keeping, and that you will go out of your way to help educate other people new to the hobby in your area, in most cases they will either feed off of that and operate their businesses in ways that will get your paycheck and that of your neighbors, or they will see their sales suffer as you tell people not to visit their store. simple economics.
wtg dvskin for backing up the backbone of this hobby (of course i guess you arent exactly impartial hehe).
that said, i plan on discussing this tetra incident at my local reef club meeting next month, and a couple friends about to start tanks i will be sure to tell not to support tetra. thats about all i can do against a corporate giant... toss sand grains at them till a piece lands in their eye...
oh and thanks for the update, i was curious as to how they would respond.
respectfully,
kruxypoo