PS I am looking to get a large tank shortly when I move and out of curiousity got a bid on the cost of a tank from ATM. Needless to say the price was not the best and I seriously doubt anyone truly interested in the hobby goes to them as their first choice for a setup. Their work seems tailored towards the individual who wants something pretty to look at and can shell out what it takes to have something unique without having to do the maintenance. I would think most people who want to tailor a tank after this show but care little for the hobby would be individuals who could afford to do the same. Sure maybe someone goes out and buys a 55 gallon tank for a dollar per gallon after seeing the show, but even if the stocking lists on the show were spot on, I can absolutely gaurantee that they would overstock it when they found out what they could put in it. Everyone wants tons of large beautiful fish and the person who doesn't care about the hobby is going to get them no matter what they are told. The best you can hope is that the costs add up so fast they give up. It makes me sad to enjoy a hobby so much and see people get so wound up over something they can't control and act like somehow what they do is more meaningful. Yes, these are delicate animals but all animals suffer this same neglectful fate. How many dog owners are there that own three dog toys, buy the cheapest dog food at wal mart, and never exercise their dog all of which leads to health issues, poor life quality, and often early death. For every one reality show with a fish tank there are hundreds with dogs where the animal is never shown getting quality care and I'm sure somewhere people complain about this too. Anyways, my point is that the issue isn't television its the owner, people want things cheap and to their specifications and honestly if you want that to change people have to want to understand the hobby which they wont without shows like this peeking interest. Once people start to recognize then standards come about for the care of the animal. I think this is an extremely intriguing and special hobby so why not share it and honestly the best way to instill responsible reefkeeping habits is by talking to new hobbyists and helping them out. There is a reason colleges teach using a knowledgable PERSON not a televsiion show. There is no way to make marine keeping exclusive and in my opinion I feel that is what some (definately not all or even most) people having issue with the show are trying to do. No offense aquagoddess but it makes me a little sad that they have trade secrets about how to successfully keep fish as much as anything because this is a hobby that works best built on collaboration. Anyways, I love this hobby and honestly hope that no fish have suffered because of this show but I see this as a cost/benefit scenario and right now it seems to early to judge to which side this will actually tip. (On a side note I am pretty sure that finding Nemo made keeping aquarium fish seem immoral... so really it doesn't matter what the message is just how people choose to percieve it)
"Tanked" Poor Example
- Thread starter Marinworld
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Aqua Goddeess
New member
The trade secrets are for acrylic molding, you won't see much about how they make the tanks. They are great at fish keeping and I like talking to their whole staff. They are the ones that taught me how to buff my acrylic underwater. They had to show me a lot of techniques so I didn't harm the fish. As I said, a lot of the technicians are themselves hobbyists.
I'm enjoying the thread that has erupted from 30second montages of footage that is so over-edited it's from days of filming the same process more than 100 times.
I'm enjoying the thread that has erupted from 30second montages of footage that is so over-edited it's from days of filming the same process more than 100 times.
Just out of curiousity what where you looking for and how much did they quote you? I'm interested in their pricing just for shyts and giggles because they don't talk about much pricing on their show, probably for a reason. I also wonder how much they charge to come set it up with fish and then how much they want to maintain it.
Either than that I really like the show. I know sometimes they put incompatible livestock together, but i'm just glad they have a cool aquarium show on tv rather then something stupid like another real world or jersey shore.
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scionreefing
New member
Yeah, I kinda forgot they're all guidos also. Ive only seen the first two shows
sledge760
Member
God Almighty...What a bunch of cry babies!!! Finally get a show on TV that at least shows the pleasures of fish-keeping, and from what I have been hearing has revitalized the industry, and all you people do is complain that they are not to the tee on their methods.
Please bring back the show next season.
Please bring back the show next season.
mikezalewski
New member
I know when I saw the skateboard episode i did the same! Now the one with the little boy that has had to have a lot of surgeries and they made a bed under the fish tank was sweet!!! almost made me cry just to think that it would help his recovery 
AcroporAddict
There is no substitute.
They got renewed for Season 2.
camaroracer214
New member
I'm sorry, but you couldn't be more wrong. The water isn't full of bacteria like you would imagine. The bacteria live in the live sand and on the rock...that's why they are called live and that's why they (or some other type of media substitute) are necessary for a chemically balanced aquarium.
And a fish only tank with no live rock does need a cycling time. If you have a brand new tank, dump in 50-300 fish at one time, they are all going to be excreting ammonia...and all at the same time. The bacteria cannot convert the ammonia fast enough, hence the fish die. sure, you could add different chemicals to the water to speed up the cycle, but with no real surface area to grow bacteria, you're shooting yourself in the foot.
gon08
New member
I think you couldn't be more wrong, although her explanation wasn't clear. You absolutely can seed a new tank with bio media from an established tank which can allow you to skip the cycle period. Add to that, they use a proprietary bacterial additive and it is very possible to add fish to a brand new tank. We used to have barrels filled with bio balls which were plumbed into our fish systems at the shop we then used them in our installs which allowed us to stock new tanks immediately. We also kept about 1000 lbs of cured live rock which we used for reef set ups. You are trying to compare your tanks at home to a commercial set up which is under time constraints.
camaroracer214
New member
she said "bacteria and water add-in", not media. i agree, you can seed new bio media with media from an established tank or simply dump a bunch of established media into a new aquarium to help with the cycle. however, she didn't use the word media. perhaps she meant it, who knows.
and no, i'm not comparing home setups to commercial setups. i'm well aware of the difference since i've worked for commercial and public aquariums alike. and by the way, both of those facilities did things far differently than ATM.
lordofthereef
One reef to rule them all
I am sure you saw WAAAAYYYYY more of the facilities where you worked than you have of ATM (unless of course you have toured their facility, I do not know that you didn't). Assuming you haven't been to tour their facility as well as where they get all of their product and livestock from, I am not sure you have room to judge.
camaroracer214
New member
i have never toured anything they have built, but the entire community has seen the garbage equipment they place under their aquariums.
camaroracer214
New member
+1
gon08
New member
Not if the entire bio system (bio balls in my cases and theirs from what I've seen) is from an established system. We can debate this till we're blue in the face but I am speaking from my personal experiences installing and servicing commercial systems. If the entire bio media comes from a system with hundreds of fish then it will have no problem handling 50 fish.
lol, yeah, total guidos. Jersey shore.
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