Aquatic Showroom in San Jose
- Thread starter D to the P
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D to the P
New member
Thanks for the response guys.
I'm not looking for everyone to agree with me and I simply want to have a discussion about it rather than the trading of insults that was going on in the ATB thread.
I can understand where you are coming from T-T-Trigger. And no, the species is not endangered, but it is still a species of concern. I know most pet stores won't sell wild bangaii cardinals, and other smaller red listed fish, so I was wondering why there seems to be so many sharks be sold (I'm not sure that the Aquatic Showroom owner is going to sell them, or if they are just display).
It would be too far fetched to try and say his 3 sharks were the last straw in deciding whether or not this species of shark was going to exist. But I do think that if people see display tanks in LFS that show off something like a shark, than it may inspire some people to try and start tanks of their own like this and create demand.
Is his one tank gonna create a whole bunch of demand? Probably not. Is he the only one around keeping a shark like this in a smaller tank? Not by a long shot.
Essentially I wanted to open up discussion about sharks in the aquarium trade, and his tank was a prime example of what we shouldn't be doing in my opinion.
I honestly hope that the owner of the store does go forth and try to educate the people who visit his store about the plight of sharks in the wild. From the sounds of it he would probably be one of the very few pet stores in the area (not picking on San Jose) that would actually do that.
xinumaster, thanks for the response. I agree with you that even some aquariums could stand to have some bigger tanks for their inhabitants. Of course some things are just out of question because they're obviously not going to make a million gallon aquarium. One thing that most aquariums do that most pet stores don't though is educate the people. The idea behind a LFS is to sell fish. While aquariums are essentially just selling tickets, they also provide the service of letting people know about the condition of some of their inhabitants.
Have you been to the Aquatic Showroom?
shiveley, this forum is about discussion not attacking one another. I respect your opinion so please show some respect for others.
I agree with you that it would be great to solve all of those problems you listed (some of which I mentioned in a previous post), but because reef central is about aquarium keeping I figured this is the appropriate area to talk about certain sharks in the aquarium trade. That is a problem that can be solved by people like you and me if we talk about it, and let the owners of LFS know that what they are doing is wrong. Whereas a problem like stopping the finning of sharks (which I agree is much worse of a problem) is something that involves government regulations, predominantly with 3rd word countries, and I don't have the connections to direct influence those people. So, if you don't agree with me that's fine I'm not trying to start a cult. I just want to talk about something that I see as being wrong.
Thanks
I'm not looking for everyone to agree with me and I simply want to have a discussion about it rather than the trading of insults that was going on in the ATB thread.
I can understand where you are coming from T-T-Trigger. And no, the species is not endangered, but it is still a species of concern. I know most pet stores won't sell wild bangaii cardinals, and other smaller red listed fish, so I was wondering why there seems to be so many sharks be sold (I'm not sure that the Aquatic Showroom owner is going to sell them, or if they are just display).
It would be too far fetched to try and say his 3 sharks were the last straw in deciding whether or not this species of shark was going to exist. But I do think that if people see display tanks in LFS that show off something like a shark, than it may inspire some people to try and start tanks of their own like this and create demand.
Is his one tank gonna create a whole bunch of demand? Probably not. Is he the only one around keeping a shark like this in a smaller tank? Not by a long shot.
Essentially I wanted to open up discussion about sharks in the aquarium trade, and his tank was a prime example of what we shouldn't be doing in my opinion.
I honestly hope that the owner of the store does go forth and try to educate the people who visit his store about the plight of sharks in the wild. From the sounds of it he would probably be one of the very few pet stores in the area (not picking on San Jose) that would actually do that.
xinumaster, thanks for the response. I agree with you that even some aquariums could stand to have some bigger tanks for their inhabitants. Of course some things are just out of question because they're obviously not going to make a million gallon aquarium. One thing that most aquariums do that most pet stores don't though is educate the people. The idea behind a LFS is to sell fish. While aquariums are essentially just selling tickets, they also provide the service of letting people know about the condition of some of their inhabitants.
Have you been to the Aquatic Showroom?
shiveley, this forum is about discussion not attacking one another. I respect your opinion so please show some respect for others.
I agree with you that it would be great to solve all of those problems you listed (some of which I mentioned in a previous post), but because reef central is about aquarium keeping I figured this is the appropriate area to talk about certain sharks in the aquarium trade. That is a problem that can be solved by people like you and me if we talk about it, and let the owners of LFS know that what they are doing is wrong. Whereas a problem like stopping the finning of sharks (which I agree is much worse of a problem) is something that involves government regulations, predominantly with 3rd word countries, and I don't have the connections to direct influence those people. So, if you don't agree with me that's fine I'm not trying to start a cult. I just want to talk about something that I see as being wrong.
Thanks
I like the pirate ship but have no knowledge about sharks. Many people home betta fish in small can ( you can go to Walmart to get an idea on how big the can is) what you think about this? Many people keeping birds in a small cage, are those birds happy compared to flying around the sky? what you think about this? I heard many people mentioned that they hate T-bond and only eat NewYork steaks, these people they may or may not know million people in the world and many of them are children, at the same time are hungry and sleeping on the street in a cold winter nights? what you think about this?.....
The sharks would be happier in a larger tank or best the ocean
Betta fish would be happier in a larger pot or best the lake
The birds would be happier in a larger cage or best the sky
Hungry people would be happier if they have food or best italian or seafoods
Happy is a relative term, if a person has been ever hungry they would appreciate food more than the one who has never been hungry....
The sharks would be happier in a larger tank or best the ocean
Betta fish would be happier in a larger pot or best the lake
The birds would be happier in a larger cage or best the sky
Hungry people would be happier if they have food or best italian or seafoods
Happy is a relative term, if a person has been ever hungry they would appreciate food more than the one who has never been hungry....
Last edited:
D to the P
New member
Thanks for chiming in Mpeer.
The more I think about it and discuss it with people, the less important I think it is how much the fish usually swim in the wild. Others are right that it is not a fair attribute for deciding on whether a fish should be in the aquarium trade. The fish prefering to have open area to move yes, but the fact that it may travel 2 or 200 miles no.
I hope the owner doesn't put hammerheads in the tank. Many hammerheads too can be found on the red list. I'm mentioning the red list again because I feel that animals that are red listed (no matter the level) shouldn't be sold in the aquarium trade.
The more I think about it and discuss it with people, the less important I think it is how much the fish usually swim in the wild. Others are right that it is not a fair attribute for deciding on whether a fish should be in the aquarium trade. The fish prefering to have open area to move yes, but the fact that it may travel 2 or 200 miles no.
I hope the owner doesn't put hammerheads in the tank. Many hammerheads too can be found on the red list. I'm mentioning the red list again because I feel that animals that are red listed (no matter the level) shouldn't be sold in the aquarium trade.
D to the P
New member
I think the pirate ship is a very cool display, very imaginative. Betta fish can generally be found in rice patty puddles where they may not be able to swim more than a few inches to the right and left, but of course every animal would supposedly do better in a bigger environment. Very nice quote at the end. Thanks for the response
D to the P
New member
I had a few people from around your area say they've seen the sharks in the stores before, but you're saying you've never seen a price tag on them? That's intresting.
I would like to know where the LFS's are getting the fish. Unfortunately I feel that a sales man could put a price on almost anything, and after seeing how some people throw money at their tanks I'm sure there would be a decent bit of customers that would want to buy it.
I got out of this hobby about 10 years ago .. primarily because my interest in reef sustainability began to outweigh my own 'selfish' wants. There also seemed to me to be a lack of relative progress within the hobby.
This site has been a 'major' factor in my return. I've seen much greater responsibility here, not only in the home hobby but also towards the natural environment. The steps made in hobby husbandry, chemistry and knowledge have been immense.
Then I saw 'that' thread :-
- an explicit statement that 'making money' was a justifiable reason for the display ( sorry but responsible, more ecologically aware retailers will always get my money)
-Members here suggesting that the nature of the display meant that it should be visited ( it may be an amazingly well - kept and responsible outlet but that doesnt come through from the posts made by the owner/manger to date) and that display doesnt do it for me .. I thought the anything, at any cost and the rarer the better mentality had disappeared.
We can all argue the various points on sustainability as many are not yet proven, but science and research will get there.
I just think its very important for those of choosing to keep reef creatures in captivity need to have the highest personal standards otherwise we will, eventually, have our hobby withdrawn.
Glorying in, and displaying irresponsible exhibits ( that is my opinion .. not necessarily a fact) will do us no good in the future.
Perhaps I should reconsider my own return .. thankfully I've seen a lot more responsibility from others so this (hopefully) rare behavior of a few will be drowned by the majority's higher standards.
Just an opinion ...
This site has been a 'major' factor in my return. I've seen much greater responsibility here, not only in the home hobby but also towards the natural environment. The steps made in hobby husbandry, chemistry and knowledge have been immense.
Then I saw 'that' thread :-
- an explicit statement that 'making money' was a justifiable reason for the display ( sorry but responsible, more ecologically aware retailers will always get my money)
-Members here suggesting that the nature of the display meant that it should be visited ( it may be an amazingly well - kept and responsible outlet but that doesnt come through from the posts made by the owner/manger to date) and that display doesnt do it for me .. I thought the anything, at any cost and the rarer the better mentality had disappeared.
We can all argue the various points on sustainability as many are not yet proven, but science and research will get there.
I just think its very important for those of choosing to keep reef creatures in captivity need to have the highest personal standards otherwise we will, eventually, have our hobby withdrawn.
Glorying in, and displaying irresponsible exhibits ( that is my opinion .. not necessarily a fact) will do us no good in the future.
Perhaps I should reconsider my own return .. thankfully I've seen a lot more responsibility from others so this (hopefully) rare behavior of a few will be drowned by the majority's higher standards.
Just an opinion ...
D to the P
New member
Thank you for the response eme. It is a thin line that we tread whether we can say we are being responsible or not.
To be fair though I do not think the owner of the store ever made a post in either thread. I can not make assumptions of his personality/mentality because I've never met or talked to the guy.
The owner of the store may be a very responsible aquarist (or have been), but I agree that the display tank does not convey that message.
To be fair though I do not think the owner of the store ever made a post in either thread. I can not make assumptions of his personality/mentality because I've never met or talked to the guy.
The owner of the store may be a very responsible aquarist (or have been), but I agree that the display tank does not convey that message.
D to the P
New member
No problem eme, I just didn't want
1) others to think the owner has voiced his opinion
2) others to come down on you harshly for mentioning the owner.
Thanks again for your response.
1) others to think the owner has voiced his opinion
2) others to come down on you harshly for mentioning the owner.
Thanks again for your response.
shiveley
Active member
The LFS's in my area which do have sharks (there are two or three of them) only have them for display purposes and do not advertise them as being for sale. but, as you commented, i wouldn't be surprised if they were to give in to an offer that was too good to pass up. so, you might have a valid point there...though I"m still not sure how many people would be willing to fork over a couple grand for a black tipped reef shark on a lark.
but i have to tell you, virtually every lfs that i've ever been to still sell those live cat shark eggs, which are more of a gimmick than anything else I've ever encountered at a fish store. to me, that's the real tragedy...because it's so prevalent, because they're so inexpensive, and because people often don't do the research until after they've bought something, and by then it's often too late.
D to the P
New member
I thoroughly appreciate you deciding to participate in this thread constructively. I agree about those shark eggs. It's like maybe 50 bucks for a egg that may not even hatch. Plus the sharks that come out of them can get up to 3 feet, but most people still think they'll work out in their 75 gallon tank.
There is a lot that many people still have to learn about sharks. Even outside of the aquarium trade (ie they're not all out in the ocean waiting to eat you).
D to the P
New member
The red list is simply just that, a list. Unfortunately, even though there are certain international laws that have been accepted by the UN, there is no enforcement. Mostly because, like I said, things like this are an international affair.
The US department of commerce is where NOAA and NMFS can be found, but even they don't have law enforcement.
I think you can write to your state officials about it, but even then it would probably just get lost while people try to figure out who does what and why they should even care.
timschmidt
Premium Member
I just appreciate that D to the P moved this discussion to the proper forum and is trying to hold a true discussion/debate.
D to the P
New member
I've been informed that the store has a website. It looks like a lot of time and money went into the store. You can also see more views of the fish tank of interest. It does give a different perspective to the aquarium as you can see how wide it is.
http://theaquariumshowroom.com/
I'm not going to harass the owner. I'd like to still have a discussion about the tank. I'll weigh the two sides, and if after I've talked to people I feel differently than the issue will be dropped. If not, then I might send Max (the owner) an email to hear what he has to say about it.
Does that sound fair?
Again, yes there are many other atrocities of the world that we should have more of a focus on. But reef central is a place to discuss salt water aquariums and their husbandry. I feel that there is an issue with his decision to stock the aquarium and even though he isn't the only one ever to do this, I would still like to use his store as a platform for discussion about why certain sharks shouldn't be in the aquarium trade.
Thanks
http://theaquariumshowroom.com/
I'm not going to harass the owner. I'd like to still have a discussion about the tank. I'll weigh the two sides, and if after I've talked to people I feel differently than the issue will be dropped. If not, then I might send Max (the owner) an email to hear what he has to say about it.
Does that sound fair?
Again, yes there are many other atrocities of the world that we should have more of a focus on. But reef central is a place to discuss salt water aquariums and their husbandry. I feel that there is an issue with his decision to stock the aquarium and even though he isn't the only one ever to do this, I would still like to use his store as a platform for discussion about why certain sharks shouldn't be in the aquarium trade.
Thanks
timschmidt
Premium Member
I say just talk to him, get it from the horses mouth. You are level headed. (most of the time 
) Just ask but don't harass. It is his decision and if you don't like it then approach the situation with level head. I think after you talk to the owner you will feel better. If he is going to put that much money into the tank (even if it is small for adult sharks as most people say) there may be more going on. You will only know if you ask. Good luck.
My .02
) Just ask but don't harass. It is his decision and if you don't like it then approach the situation with level head. I think after you talk to the owner you will feel better. If he is going to put that much money into the tank (even if it is small for adult sharks as most people say) there may be more going on. You will only know if you ask. Good luck.My .02
D to the P
New member
I thought about just sending him an email, and trying to figure it out that way. But I wasn't sure if there was more to hear from the other side before I question him.
