Neptune Aquatics

Tanked - New TV series

Thales said:
I am on the fence about writing about this on blogs anymore. They suck, they aren't going anywhere, they are getting worse and all press is good press. Whaddya all think?
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In the grand scheme of things, I don't think it matters all that much, and I just see it as something fun to talk about.
It's TV.
So when it is no longer fun, just ignore it.
It looks like rating from "Pawn Stars" and "Storage Wars" are much higher, so doubt it will stay around that long.

Most people willing to go to the effort of a huge/fancy tank will generally know better.
A true beginner is not that likely to try to start with a tank remotely like that.
Even most early grade school kids know that an octopus is not a fish.
Sure, there are exceptions (ie morons), but I doubt they add up. Then again, looking at our politicians these days...

Things like global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing, and so on have orders of magnitude more impact.
 
Thales said:
I am on the fence about writing about this on blogs anymore. They suck, they aren't going anywhere, they are getting worse and all press is good press. Whaddya all think?
Click to expand...

Don't stop writing about them....yes all press can be good press but it's going to be a long hard battle to undo the damage they've done. If people see educated dissenting opinions (backed with good ol common sense and a little humor you’re so good at) prior to seeing the show they may at least view these clowns with a jaundiced eye. That will make the damage control easier in the long run.

Can you and/or Matt use your positions at the Steinhart to get an interview with the Chronicle or Mercury News and get some education out o the public? Maybe SF Gate or Salon? Maybe something around ”When TV Meets Reality” and talk about what people wound really need to do to keep tanks like those in the show and what a disservice the show is doing to the fish hobby/industry? Point out the 60 fish quarantine system they put in for one family because they needed so many replacement fish and how a properly designed and maintained system doesn’t need that.

It’s not really the rating of the show we need to fight right now, it’s the public’s perspective that this is an easy hobby and fish are disposable baubles. Just hammer on the cost of a well designed 100 gal FOWLR and the yearly cost of maintenance, food, and PG&E. That will turn a lot of people off to the idea.

Just my $0.02


-Gregory
 
"Most people willing to go to the effort of a huge/fancy tank will generally know better.
A true beginner is not that likely to try to start with a tank remotely like that.
Even most early grade school kids know that an octopus is not a fish.
Sure, there are exceptions (ie morons), but I doubt they add up. Then again, looking at our politicians these days..."

The people they are catering to are new, they aren't hobbyists they are looking to make they're living rooms look cool, it's a status symbol. They are willing to pay big and pay people to take care of it so that they can just look at it and enjoy what hobbyists do without much hassle. The worst part is that the new people they have buying their systems are using them as a resource of what can be done and what is correct. IN MY OPINION :)
 
Erick said:
"Most people willing to go to the effort of a huge/fancy tank will generally know better.
A true beginner is not that likely to try to start with a tank remotely like that.
Even most early grade school kids know that an octopus is not a fish.
Sure, there are exceptions (ie morons), but I doubt they add up. Then again, looking at our politicians these days..."

The people they are catering to are new, they aren't hobbyists they are looking to make they're living rooms look cool, it's a status symbol. They are willing to pay big and pay people to take care of it so that they can just look at it and enjoy what hobbyists do without much hassle. The worst part is that the new people they have buying their systems are using them as a resource of what can be done and what is correct. IN MY OPINION :)
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I covered that, (ie morons)
Kidding. That is a very good point. Once you switch to the status symbol mentality, it is very different, and I was thinking as a hobbyist.
And often, even if they do know better, they may not care anyway.
Think we will see add artificially dyed coral in those tanks soon?
 
GDawson said:
Thales said:
I am on the fence about writing about this on blogs anymore. They suck, they aren't going anywhere, they are getting worse and all press is good press. Whaddya all think?
Click to expand...

Don't stop writing about them....yes all press can be good press but it's going to be a long hard battle to undo the damage they've done. If people see educated dissenting opinions (backed with good ol common sense and a little humor you’re so good at) prior to seeing the show they may at least view these clowns with a jaundiced eye. That will make the damage control easier in the long run.

Can you and/or Matt use your positions at the Steinhart to get an interview with the Chronicle or Mercury News and get some education out o the public? Maybe SF Gate or Salon? Maybe something around ”When TV Meets Reality” and talk about what people wound really need to do to keep tanks like those in the show and what a disservice the show is doing to the fish hobby/industry? Point out the 60 fish quarantine system they put in for one family because they needed so many replacement fish and how a properly designed and maintained system doesn’t need that.

It’s not really the rating of the show we need to fight right now, it’s the public’s perspective that this is an easy hobby and fish are disposable baubles. Just hammer on the cost of a well designed 100 gal FOWLR and the yearly cost of maintenance, food, and PG&E. That will turn a lot of people off to the idea.

Just my $0.02


-Gregory
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I hear you. Not sure if I want to go to war on this or if its worth it. They may fizzle. Committing work to go against something is a tricky idea. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.
 
So they fill a tank with hot water, dump ice in it... all for TV... because of course they drained it later?

Oh and yeah fish only systems get cycled chemically with products we have... products that are coming out soon! :D
 
The drained it later seems like total bunk to me - besides making no sense at all. His story changed over the course of MACNA so it feels like he is doing damage control but doesn't realize that people are listening.
 
Well, I have to question their engineering skills as well.

They made a large tank that went above a kids bed, and built a large/tall steel stand.
They even made a big deal about loading some huge pile of plywood on top, to show how strong it was.
But there sure seemed to be a major lack of sheer bracing for side forces.
Lots of steel, but it was completely vertical or horizontal.
Zero diagonals. No corner plates. Nothing that I could see.
Not for California, but still ... it wobbled when they pushed on it.
 
Joost_ said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKu04QUxuGo
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Thanks for the interview link! Some choice soundbite gems:

"We made this show because we love the industry. Ultimately our industry over the last few years have taken a major decline. In 2006 we did $10 million, in 2009 we did $2 million."

Could it be that ATM's revenue decline coincided with the global economic climate, the beginning of the tail end of a 60-year debt expansion super-cycle that resulted in the worst economic downturn in 80 years? And somehow in this environment businesses and households are more reluctant to splurge on a 500 gallon aquarium in the shape of a gumball machine, phone booth, skating ramp, or what have you (birdhouse next?). :p

I would consider ATM a cyclical company that does better than most businesses in good times, and worse than most business in poor times. It's inaccurate to apply their revenue growth/decline to characterize the entire industry. Coming back into the hobby after many years, I am seeing a general expansion in the industry in terms of the number of hobbyists, products, and animal husbandry techniques. In hard times, everyone re-evaluates their priorities, and frankly I am surprised by how many parents and pet owners (of all types of animals) have tightened their belts to ensure that their dependents are well-provided for.


"You don't see a 100,000 gallon tank in a public aquarium with 8 damsels in it."

New business idea: Rent whales to public aquariums to cycle their 100,000 gallon tanks. :D
 
Nah just reroute the men's bathroom urinals to the tank :D

Actually it is kind of sad to hear them talking about using fish to cycle a tank too. Don't know why they need to be the Walmart of aquariums, you get everything from one place, they build tanks... stick with building tanks. Let some maintenance company deal with the water/livestock side of things.
 
As I keep up on this thread, I have a really hard time not reading ATM as something else....and it's probably less full of shit than the youtube video joost posted :p
 
Sad to say they're getting a second season :(
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/27/tanked-renewed-by-animal-planet-for-a-second-season/105083/
 
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