Memphis zoo help

[ducklabdad]

I do not think that you killed it, and it is something that we need to discuss at the meeting.

I have found some additional information on the situation with the aquarium, and some of the changes that have ocured that I will also, bring up at the meeting (If that does not change between now and the meeting).

Every endeaver has different hurdles that need to be jumped over, you are just pointing some of those "very valid" hurdles out there, and you have some experience to fall back on.

As my dad always told me "Never let your mouth try to write a check that your a** can't cash!!"

 

[dsiu25]

wow... I just finished reading this entire thread.. I know the zoo's tanks are not in the best condition, but they are definitely TRYING their hardest. I'm a zoo volunteer, and I work in the aquarium. They really are underfunded and understaffed, and there is basically only one full time curator and another working part time in the aquarium. As far as I know, I'm pretty much the only volunteer working in the aquarium.... I volunteer during the weekends and when I'm free during the week, and I help perform water tests, clean the glass, top off water, and feed the fish sometimes. The building itself is one of the oldest buildings in memphis, and the equipment is old, but they work VERY HARD for what they have.

For what its worth they're nitrates in most of the freshwater tanks are under 40.. That itself is pretty impressive considering the amount of fish they have in each tank. And about the reef tanks; they really only have two reef tanks the one in the front and a longer one in the left corner. The one in the front actually has a prizm skimmer (crappy I know, but better than nothing) and a berlin one.. The tanks themselves are old, but the majority of the fish are actually pretty healthy, ( minus that one purple tang in the front, and maybe some of the yellow ones).. It is also expected to have some overcrowding, I mean obviously the tomato clowns, purple tang, and flame angel in the front tank is crowded, but it could be MUCH MUCH worse.

I know a lot of people on this forum are obviously concerned about this, and I'll try to talk to my supervisor about it, but only so much can be done with what they have...

People shouldn't just assume they know the situation and bash it, they need to try to see it from the zoo's side. I mean although my supervisor is very very knowledgeable, if they don't have enough funds or staff, they can't really change anything to a large extent.....

(BTW I'm just a volunteer, I am in no means talking for the zoo)

 

[bshumake]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15178357#post15178357 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dsiu25
if they don't have enough funds or staff, they can't really change anything to a large extent.....

Well said. I would have to say you summed up my post in 17 words. It might be upsetting for us to see, but I can imagine how helpless it feels being on the other side of the glass, so to speak.

 

[ducklabdad]

Let me see How does that Go,

God Grant me the abillity to change the things that I can, to accept the things that I can not, and the abillity to know the difference!!

 

[Zann]

the main thing is we see what the zoo has put money into and what they havent i guess most of us are upset because they arent doing anything for the aquarium. im not upset about the people working there i know its not in their control. But just think at the people that would gather to see a great aquarium something like what they did for the polar bears.

 

[MarineFlake]

As I said before, may I paraphrase myself, anyone can bitc....er, complain. The challenge is to have a working solution in hand to present for the issues we can only surmise are present. I say surmise becase some of the 'elder' of the club state that previous attempts to help have fallen on somewhat deaf ears. If you convey anything (dsiu25) to your contacts at the zoo, on my behalf anyway, please convey that there are people in (the) Memphis (area) who know what needs to be done. But please don't stop there. Please continue to explain that, from what I have read, this club would *love* to contribute time, money and (wo)man power to the solution. Help us get our foot in the door so we *can* get a true picture of the situation, please? (Oh, and prove Richard WRONG : )