"Tanked" Animal Planet Show

I hadn't caught any episodes of this show until a few days ago and I am now so incensed with their ignorance (perhaps even arrogance) that I get so angry watching this show that it could probably be used as a "stress test" to check on heart problems for me instead of running on a treadmill. I don't understand how 2 men that supposedly are experts and set up and stock tanks for a living and recommend fish out of (so called) expertise can say some of the utter drivel that comes out of their mouths!!!!!

Case in point: This is their Top 5 Saltwater Fish for Residential Saltwater Aquariums
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/tanked-top-5-saltwater-fish.html

They recommend a group of Blue Tangs (presumably Paracanthurus hepatus)- WTF, you idiots! Why would you blindly recommend a group of fish that get about 12” long and thus are inappropriate for grouping in most residential tanks due to size constraints.

They also recommend Sharks (as one of the top 5 picks)- “They’re aggressive, they’re cool, there’s a lot of different species” Yeah, you dolts, there are a lot of different species, none of which are appropriate for most Residential Aquariums. And if you keep recommending these to people who have no business owning them, then there won't be a "a lot of different species".... The two species I've seen them use the most are: Nurse Shark- that get over 9 feet & Black Tip Shark- that can get up to 6’. Both of these species would need 10s of 1,000s of gallons to even begin to provide for them. Some people may disagree because they keep certain species of sharks, but without ample space (you would need 5,000 gallons plus for even a small shark like a Epaulette Shark that gets 3' 6") to provide for them and their unique needs, you would just be shaving years off their projected lifespan.

If those are their "Top Choices" for the average aquarist then heaven help the next generation of fishkeepers and the ravenged oceans, lakes and rivers they leave behind.


http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/10-aquarium-fish-for-every-budget.html

In this little ditty they tell you about 10 fish for any budget and foolishly include such species as arowanas, (marine) angelfish, butterflyfish & puffers all of which require at the very least large aquariums to keep them healthy and happy over the course of their lifetime (and that's 5 out of their 10 for "any" budget).



Not to mention how they set up a tank for an unveiling and then throw fish in the same day.... Ludiocrousy! And I might of made up that word, but nothing I can think of quite covers how ridiculous it is that the Animal Planet network would air such inept fish "experts". They can build some nice acrylic tanks, but they need to leave the fish to someone who knows what the hell they are talking about!!!

Ok, vent finished, for now...

HAHAHA i feel the exact same way
a buddy of mine told me about the show and i thought it sounded cool but ended up beein complete SH!T.
i also noticed how they throw the fish in the disply tanks minutes before they unveil
the dam thing...show is complete cr@p
the dudes on it sound like idiots when they talk dont waist 1 hour or however long this show is worth of your life watching it.
stare at your own tank. its 10000010101010101 times better

I enjoy the show for the entertainment aspect. You guys have to understand that its tv, nobody wants to see a fish aclimate for hours. No everything is shown. They only have an hour to make an entertaining show. At least the hobby is mainstream and will hopefully spark more interest in people who wouldn't normally think about it. The new episodes are showing them acclimate and they use cycled water. Just my opinion, I like the show and will keep watching. There is also another show supposed to be starting in may on National Geographic called Fishtank Kings. I'll probably watch that as well

While I can respect your opinion and you are fully entitled to it, I am just incensed with their promotion of irresponsible fish keeping tactics. When I worked at Petco (in the Aquatics department) there were enough yahoos that thought they could just buy the tank and the fish the same day, we don't need to promote this myth with television.

Jstump wrote:

You guys have to understand that its tv, nobody wants to see a fish aclimate for hours. No everything is shown. They only have an hour to make an entertaining show.

I do understand that it is television, and the length of acclimation is not the debatable aspect here. The issue is that they are throwing very large amounts of fish in an uncycled tank and presenting this as "how the professionals do it". No tank, cycled or not can withstand that amount of increased bioload and work well. At the very least they could offer a warning at the beginning or ending of the show that what they are doing is irresponsible and not good for the health of the fish. Plus the fish species that they are recommending (or the numbers of them) is rather ridiculous and not in line with any sort of responsible fish keeping practices.

Jstump wrote:

The new episodes are showing them acclimate and they use cycled water.

As has been discussed here and other websites, cycled water (freshwater more so than saltwater) does very little to speed up a cycling process, as the beneficial bacteria are housed on surface areas, not the water column. That is why media like bioballs and biomax have large surface areas to be colonized by the good bacteria.

Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just feel very strongly about this issue. If we as aquarist don't take care of the natural sources of our hobby, there will be no hobby years from now.

S&FW_FishyFriend wrote:

While I can respect your opinion and you are fully entitled to it, I am just incensed with their promotion of irresponsible fish keeping tactics. When I worked at Petco (in the Aquatics department) there were enough yahoos that thought they could just buy the tank and the fish the same day, we don't need to promote this myth with television.

Jstump wrote:

You guys have to understand that its tv, nobody wants to see a fish aclimate for hours. No everything is shown. They only have an hour to make an entertaining show.

I do understand that it is television, and the length of acclimation is not the debatable aspect here. The issue is that they are throwing very large amounts of fish in an uncycled tank and presenting this as "how the professionals do it". No tank, cycled or not can withstand that amount of increased bioload and work well. At the very least they could offer a warning at the beginning or ending of the show that what they are doing is irresponsible and not good for the health of the fish. Plus the fish species that they are recommending (or the numbers of them) is rather ridiculous and not in line with any sort of responsible fish keeping practices.

Jstump wrote:

The new episodes are showing them acclimate and they use cycled water.

As has been discussed here and other websites, cycled water (freshwater more so than saltwater) does very little to speed up a cycling process, as the beneficial bacteria are housed on surface areas, not the water column. That is why media like bioballs and biomax have large surface areas to be colonized by the good bacteria.

Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just feel very strongly about this issue. If we as aquarist don't take care of the natural sources of our hobby, there will be no hobby years from now.

I have to agree... it's a bunch of wack-a-doo's ..... I would never let any show just throw in fish to a tank that isn't cycled... the good bacteria is on the rock... they need to actually show how to do it right... it's even on animal plant where it's about animals health and how to take care of animals and how animals live.

tank, I watch it only because i like the interesting tanks they build nothing more.... there is no good info..... how many times have I been at petco getting dog food, and yes I have a gold fish tank and I been watching tanked... i'd like to start a saltwater tank. then I see them get a 10 gallon and buy two clowns, no live rock dry sand etc and say this should do. then I'm the no it won't you need to buy this this and this, and then your tank is going to do this... but no they don't want to listen because I'm not a employee and saw some dumb butts how the pro's do it, and well this person works at a fish store etc......

I personally love the show. you gotta figure, the clients they deal with aren't keeping a 75 gallon reef tank so the tank inhabitants they recommend are based on their views from their business which typically have at minimum a thousand gallons.

Did you ever bother to read the recommendations at the chain stores? or the supposed max sizes of those fish they keep? 12 inches for a pangasius catfish???? are you crazy? Find me a shop that doesn't keep something they shouldn't. Red tail catfish, Pacu, pangasius cat's, ripsaw cats, tiger shovelnose, panther grouper's and the list keeps going. Everyone has their own ideas. I see bad advice on forums every day by supposed expert hobbyists. I'm sure some of my own advice is probably incorrect, but we say what we believe.

This hobby has taken a huge hit over the past few years. There's not a single aquarium shop in Oklahoma City anymore.... This show will at the very least get people interested and maybe help the hobby.

I watch the show for the entertainment value (you can't tell me they aren't entertaining) and to see the tanks. who cares about the fish they put in the tanks. Kyle

snakeskinner wrote:

I personally love the show. you gotta figure, the clients they deal with aren't keeping a 75 gallon reef tank so the tank inhabitants they recommend are based on their views from their business which typically have at minimum a thousand gallons.

Did you ever bother to read the recommendations at the chain stores? or the supposed max sizes of those fish they keep? 12 inches for a pangasius catfish???? are you crazy? Find me a shop that doesn't keep something they shouldn't. Red tail catfish, Pacu, pangasius cat's, ripsaw cats, tiger shovelnose, panther grouper's and the list keeps going. Everyone has their own ideas. I see bad advice on forums every day by supposed expert hobbyists. I'm sure some of my own advice is probably incorrect, but we say what we believe.

This hobby has taken a huge hit over the past few years. There's not a single aquarium shop in Oklahoma City anymore.... This show will at the very least get people interested and maybe help the hobby.

I watch the show for the entertainment value (you can't tell me they aren't entertaining) and to see the tanks. who cares about the fish they put in the tanks. Kyle

snakeskinner wrote:

Did you ever bother to read the recommendations at the chain stores? or the supposed max sizes of those fish they keep?

Yes, yes I did and I do. I used to work at Petco and it infuriated me the fish that we were supposed to sell. Fish that had no business being in people's tanks. Let alone in a newbie's tanks. I have worked at 3 different Petco stores and at 2 of them we already had a very well informed Aquatics department at the third I tried my best to teach others so we could get there. It is mostly corporate who decides which "stock" fish every store must keep, but individual stores have the ability to order certain fish that are popular and suitable for their customers and, in my experience, "forget" to order fish that were poor choices. It was always the bane of my existence to see ridiculous information posted for the fish that were kept.

snakeskinner wrote:

Find me a shop that doesn't keep something they shouldn't. Red tail catfish, Pacu, pangasius cat's, ripsaw cats, tiger shovelnose, panther grouper's and the list keeps going. Everyone has their own ideas. I see bad advice on forums every day by supposed expert hobbyists.

Using the argument that because chain stores and lfs don't stock appropriately sized fish then that gives others a free ride to do something they shouldn't as well. That is a ridiculous way to justify things that shouldn't be the way they are. It's like saying, well Bob does drugs and holds up convenience stores, so if I do drugs and rob a shoe store, then it's ok. Ever heard the term, 2 wrongs don't make a right? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, yes, but spouting off drivel as if it is a fact that has been proven again and again is just ridiculous. Just because the same mistake is made repeatedly, by different people, doesn't mean that it is NOT a mistake. It just means it is a popular thing to do wrong. And usually, not always, when someone spouts off bad advice on a forum, someone else comes along later and corrects it, that way we can all see a better alternative. We collectively grow on forums such as this. I have learned quite a bit from the back and forth between us all. That is the beauty of this form of communication. And saying you could just use regular florescent lighting when you really should have suggested T5 lighting is an example of a mistake of which you would soon learn from. Building a tank out of an old Jukebox specifically for someone and then throwing in a bunch of saltwater fish all at once is just ludicrous, especially if you are a "professional".

snakeskinner wrote:

This hobby has taken a huge hit over the past few years. There's not a single aquarium shop in Oklahoma City anymore.... This show will at the very least get people interested and maybe help the hobby.

Operative word here being "maybe".....

snakeskinner wrote:

I watch the show for the entertainment value (you can't tell me they aren't entertaining) and to see the tanks. who cares about the fish they put in the tanks. Kyle

I DO!!! I care about the fish that they throw in those tanks, just as I would refuse the sale of a bala shark to go in a fishbowl (yes, this happened), I find it irrepressible to practice a business in this manner. Ask yourself, if you hired a business to build and stock you a fish tank, how would you respond to the way they go about it? Would you laugh off the crashing tank due to an overloaded bioload because the guys are so funny? NO! You would jump on here and vent about how awful their service was and how they don't have a clue about what they are doing!!!

Bottom line, if someone doesn't CARE enough to speak up about responsible fish keeping then we can laugh at antics and continue to rescue giant fish off Craigslist until all that's left is a wrecked ecosystem and a bunch of burned out fish keepers. We have to take care and educate in this hobby or eventually there won't be a hobby left to enjoy! Education is half the battle.

lol what is there left to say, that hasnt already been said.

S&FW_FishyFriend wrote:

snakeskinner wrote:

Did you ever bother to read the recommendations at the chain stores? or the supposed max sizes of those fish they keep?

Yes, yes I did and I do. I used to work at Petco and it infuriated me the fish that we were supposed to sell. Fish that had no business being in people's tanks. Let alone in a newbie's tanks. I have worked at 3 different Petco stores and at 2 of them we already had a very well informed Aquatics department at the third I tried my best to teach others so we could get there. It is mostly corporate who decides which "stock" fish every store must keep, but individual stores have the ability to order certain fish that are popular and suitable for their customers and, in my experience, "forget" to order fish that were poor choices. It was always the bane of my existence to see ridiculous information posted for the fish that were kept.

snakeskinner wrote:

Find me a shop that doesn't keep something they shouldn't. Red tail catfish, Pacu, pangasius cat's, ripsaw cats, tiger shovelnose, panther grouper's and the list keeps going. Everyone has their own ideas. I see bad advice on forums every day by supposed expert hobbyists.

Using the argument that because chain stores and lfs don't stock appropriately sized fish then that gives others a free ride to do something they shouldn't as well. That is a ridiculous way to justify things that shouldn't be the way they are. It's like saying, well Bob does drugs and holds up convenience stores, so if I do drugs and rob a shoe store, then it's ok. Ever heard the term, 2 wrongs don't make a right? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, yes, but spouting off drivel as if it is a fact that has been proven again and again is just ridiculous. Just because the same mistake is made repeatedly, by different people, doesn't mean that it is NOT a mistake. It just means it is a popular thing to do wrong. And usually, not always, when someone spouts off bad advice on a forum, someone else comes along later and corrects it, that way we can all see a better alternative. We collectively grow on forums such as this. I have learned quite a bit from the back and forth between us all. That is the beauty of this form of communication. And saying you could just use regular florescent lighting when you really should have suggested T5 lighting is an example of a mistake of which you would soon learn from. Building a tank out of an old Jukebox specifically for someone and then throwing in a bunch of saltwater fish all at once is just ludicrous, especially if you are a "professional".

snakeskinner wrote:

This hobby has taken a huge hit over the past few years. There's not a single aquarium shop in Oklahoma City anymore.... This show will at the very least get people interested and maybe help the hobby.

Operative word here being "maybe".....

snakeskinner wrote:

I watch the show for the entertainment value (you can't tell me they aren't entertaining) and to see the tanks. who cares about the fish they put in the tanks. Kyle

I DO!!! I care about the fish that they throw in those tanks, just as I would refuse the sale of a bala shark to go in a fishbowl (yes, this happened), I find it irrepressible to practice a business in this manner. Ask yourself, if you hired a business to build and stock you a fish tank, how would you respond to the way they go about it? Would you laugh off the crashing tank due to an overloaded bioload because the guys are so funny? NO! You would jump on here and vent about how awful their service was and how they don't have a clue about what they are doing!!!

Bottom line, if someone doesn't CARE enough to speak up about responsible fish keeping then we can laugh at antics and continue to rescue giant fish off Craigslist until all that's left is a wrecked ecosystem and a bunch of burned out fish keepers. We have to take care and educate in this hobby or eventually there won't be a hobby left to enjoy! Education is half the battle.

I'm not trying to say that it's ok to recommend fish like this, simply stating that it is a widespread problem among everyone from chainstores to LFS's to individuals as well as this TV show. What's the difference between someone watching Tanked and thinking they can put a dozen sharks in a 2000 gallon tank and someone going to Pet&^%$% and getting sold a dozen goldfish for a 10 gallon?

Keep in mind that this is a TV show so who knows how much is being pushed by the producers instead of the cast. My thoughts are this: I like the show and believe there will be some people who get interested enough by the entertainment value to actually look into getting a tank themselves. They will more than likely find an LFS near where they live. then it is up to the LFS to teach them the right or wrong way to do what they want. Or, hopefully they find a forum such as this and educate themselves. This hobby needs all the help it can get in recruiting interested people. Kyle

look. i worked at PETsmart. at one point you just stop trying to convince people they are wrong. let them buy it; kill the fish; spend a ton of money fighting a losing battle; give up on aquariums; and sell the equipment to a hobbyist dirt cheap.

as a hobbyist i would encounter loads of customers who sold me quality equipment for dirt cheap because they got sick of fishkeeping.

As us experienced hobbyists know, you can't set up a tank over night. We all know that. And to go and bash these guys for what you "assume" they are doing wrong, you in your own mind are wrong. Do you honestly believe they became the world biggest custom tank builders on a sham? I mean seriously! Stop with the hatin already. Mercy!

I think I am getting more upset at the all bashing that is going on. These guys are pro's at what they do and know exactly what they are doing.

It's a good show for about 90% entertainment and 10% learning. You can't look at it for anything but. No offense but if you don't like it...don't watch it. I find it very entertaining and simply amazing at what they can build.

It's all in the editing folks. There is simply no way you can take what they do and make an hour long show of it. They are only showing the meat and potatoes of it. Heck...I'd even say they leave out the potatoes and just show the meat. Quite possibly uncooked at that.

Yes...this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. If I hurt your feelings, my apologies. I would just like the bashing to stop and people to see this show for what it actually is. Pure entertainment.

Ok...vent over. Now go watch the show for entertainment.

James0816 wrote:

As us experienced hobbyists know, you can't set up a tank over night. We all know that. And to go and bash these guys for what you "assume" they are doing wrong, you in your own mind are wrong. Do you honestly believe they became the world biggest custom tank builders on a sham? I mean seriously! Stop with the hatin already. Mercy!

I think I am getting more upset at the all bashing that is going on. These guys are pro's at what they do and know exactly what they are doing.

It's a good show for about 90% entertainment and 10% learning. You can't look at it for anything but. No offense but if you don't like it...don't watch it. I find it very entertaining and simply amazing at what they can build.

It's all in the editing folks. There is simply no way you can take what they do and make an hour long show of it. They are only showing the meat and potatoes of it. Heck...I'd even say they leave out the potatoes and just show the meat. Quite possibly uncooked at that.

Yes...this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. If I hurt your feelings, my apologies. I would just like the bashing to stop and people to see this show for what it actually is. Pure entertainment.

Ok...vent over. Now go watch the show for entertainment.

well put... there's also no telling how much the producers make them do that they wouldn't on their own. Michi Tobler was part of a TV special on extreme conditions. His group was studying the sulpher cave molly inhabiting a cave system which the water source was high in Sulphuric acid. During the TV show, they are wearing wet-suits and respiration devices. In actual life, they simply went in short times without this garb and took frequent breaks outside to prevent being overcome by the fumes. The press/media wants shock & awe and whatever they can do to create sensationalism, they will.

Tanked is set to record on my DVR and my wife and I love to see their custom tanks. I have already had several people that were not really interested in aquariums ask me if I could assist them in setting up an aquarium in the short span of the show. THAT is worth having the show out alone.. Kyle

lol couldnt agree more. blame the network, blame ignorant folk who get inspired to start fish keeping.

but i can attest, i was no expert when i started fishkeeping (16yrs old) , i made huge mistakes. i didnt even want to have a fish tank. but some poor lady paid me in fish tank for mowing her lawn cuz she didnt have money. my little teenage mind didnt know the financial drain and pain in the a$$ it would be .

but shoddy stupid fishkeepers some day learn to be experts, given some common sense and the ability to listen to folks that know what they are talking about. (ie people on this site)

James0816 wrote:

As us experienced hobbyists know, you can't set up a tank over night. We all know that. And to go and bash these guys for what you "assume" they are doing wrong, you in your own mind are wrong. Do you honestly believe they became the world biggest custom tank builders on a sham? I mean seriously! Stop with the hatin already. Mercy!

I think I am getting more upset at the all bashing that is going on. These guys are pro's at what they do and know exactly what they are doing.

It's a good show for about 90% entertainment and 10% learning. You can't look at it for anything but. No offense but if you don't like it...don't watch it. I find it very entertaining and simply amazing at what they can build.

It's all in the editing folks. There is simply no way you can take what they do and make an hour long show of it. They are only showing the meat and potatoes of it. Heck...I'd even say they leave out the potatoes and just show the meat. Quite possibly uncooked at that.

Yes...this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. If I hurt your feelings, my apologies. I would just like the bashing to stop and people to see this show for what it actually is. Pure entertainment.

Ok...vent over. Now go watch the show for entertainment.

Very well put. They couldn't be successful if they set up all these tanks and the fish died right away. They know what they are doing. It's also set on my dvr! I'll also be watching for the new show on Nat Geo called fish tank kings. Looks good!

James0816 wrote:

As us experienced hobbyists know, you can't set up a tank over night. We all know that. And to go and bash these guys for what you "assume" they are doing wrong, you in your own mind are wrong.

I am not "assuming" that they are doing things wrong, I am referring specifically to what they ARE doing wrong. That is why I listed links to specifically point out egregious mistakes. http://animal.discovery.com/videos/tanked-top-5-saltwater-fish.html <---- Check this out and tell me that they are correct in everything that they are saying and that these are completely reasonable suggestions for the average RESIDENTIAL aquarium!?
Also, you CANNOT feasibly throw in such large quantities of saltwater fish all at once (Editing has nothing to do with putting a whole tank full of fish in a brand new, just set up tank, --i.e. I'm not referring to acclimation here-- it doesn't matter if it takes them hours or days to acclimate these fish- it should take weeks to go from empty to fully stocked, if not months)

James0816 wrote:

Do you honestly believe they became the world biggest custom tank builders on a sham? I mean seriously! Stop with the hatin already. Mercy!

No, not sham. And as I said, they build nice tanks. The BUILDING of tanks is unparallelled. And yes, yes you can become famous on television even if you are not doing things correctly. Even if what you are doing has long term detrimental effects on the animals that you work with. Case in point: Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer" who has had a tremendously lucrative career on television and with related sales by using a charming and entertaining personality to win over audiences while he uses completely scientifically unsound and dis-proven techniques that have actually caused such dogs that became like ticking time bombs that upon "blowing up" became much more difficult to work with that some required euthanasia. Yes, his techniques achieved a quick outcome that gave the illusion that dogs were "cured", but the long term behavioral health of the animal was not addressed. There is plenty of information about that on the internet for those that wish to learn. I am not "hatin" simply frustrated that society continues to sacrifice morals in the name of entertainment.

James0816 wrote:

It's a good show for about 90% entertainment and 10% learning. You can't look at it for anything but. No offense but if you don't like it...don't watch it. I find it very entertaining and simply amazing at what they can build.

I don't watch it, not anymore. And I agree, it is amazing what they are able to build.

James0816 wrote:

It's all in the editing folks. There is simply no way you can take what they do and make an hour long show of it. They are only showing the meat and potatoes of it. Heck...I'd even say they leave out the potatoes and just show the meat. Quite possibly uncooked at that.

Raw meat, absolutely!

James0816 wrote:

Yes...this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. If I hurt your feelings, my apologies. I would just like the bashing to stop and people to see this show for what it actually is. Pure entertainment.

Entertainment, yes. But at what cost, I guess only time will tell.

I appreciate how we have represented both sides of this issue so well. My feelings are unhurt, as I hope everyone else's are. I love that we can debate between each other- this in turn educates those that are unaware of an issue and gives them a fair representation of each side. Bravo!