TV Tanked learns a hard lesson from hasty fish stocking.

[Coral Dreams]

Idiots xxxx me off!!!

On Reef Builders site:

When you rush in this hobby, things go wrong — really wrong. This is evident in the news that one shark is dead and another wounded in a fiasco for the Animal Planet‘s Tanked team at a Coney Island, New York, Applebee’s. The ATM team was hired the team to do a themed installation for the restaurant and in typical fashion, they unveiled a fully stocked tank and shortly after, mayhem ensued.

A blacktip shark was removed from the 20-foot, 5,000-gallon aquarium installed by the Tanked team that contained replicas of iconic Coney Island boardwalk rides for devouring three Lookdown fish in front of employees and the Tanked film crew. Later that day a Whitetip died after colliding with a three-foot replica of the Wonder Wheel.

The restaurant owner was even quoted in the article in the New York Daily News saying the sharks “were in shock. We moved them in too quickly. They went from being in an ocean to being in a tank. They were all disoriented.”

This quote speaks volumes. The quick stocking of the tank to be able to meet a deadline for a restaurant opening or an on-screen reveal is a recipe for disaster. Even with an expert on hand 24/7, there are bound to be issues and struggles that come up that could easily be circumvented with a slow and steady stocking approach.

This disturbing story has so many lessons on what not to do, reiterating the need for more responsibility from experts in the hobby. The main lesson is the speed factor in installing and stocking tanks like this goes against everything we tell new hobbyists. In order to get the biggest impact to make compelling TV, the tank was most likely filled and fully stocked in a short period of time.

This is the trouble when you have a client without the background and training with demands and a copious amount of money dictating the what and when of the system instead of the experts. Going for a tank full of sharks for the “Ahhhhh!” factor over responsible tank stocking is deplorable — especially when doing a tank to attract customers.

There are many other awesome fish that will capture customers’ attention without bringing in fish that grow up to 1.5 meters in the wild. We need to do our best to educate clients on responsible and practical fish to keep in systems, regardless of the size of the tank.

We appreciate more exposure for the hobby from shows like this along with some pretty interesting tanks. However, shows like this need to do their part to show some responsibility. You want drama for your show? How about standing up to your client and telling them what they are NOT going to get and why. Then with a big grin and telling them “trust me, we’ll blow you away” surprise them with a tank that is responsible and stunning.

You, Mr. Aquarium Expert, know more about the beauty in the ocean than these people. Bring your knowledge to the table to deliver beyond expectations. A slower and responsible stocking strategy will help establish long-term success for the installation and allow your client to become more involved with the process.

Honestly, we are surprised this hasn’t been publicized before and hope this serves as a wake-up call for these types of shows to be more responsible.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/death-shark-tank-coney-article-1.1374327#ixzz2WWGQ86vB

 

[maddmaxx]

like you stated. its always a matter of time before chaos settles in with these tanks. I understand they are using ocean water and levels should be there. but the whole chemistry of the tank is def not settled in yet. and they just stock these things like its nothing. also they put many many tangs in 3ft wide tanks. they over stock on specimens that should only house one or two per system...great write up here....

 

[dkeller_nc]

Well, honestly, what do we expect from a company that will agree to build and install a ferris wheel in a saltwater tank.

A kid that wants neon glofish and pirate chest with a skeleton in a 10 gallon tank is one thing.

And I understand that many company's won't turn down a customer no matter how weird their tastes are. But then again, there's an aspect of having your company's name on something that's pretty questionable.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I always feel like most all there builds must crash or have serious issues after the cameras leave.. I'm amazed it hasn't been published before this it has to be really common with that company..

 

[lostintheocean]

they are all about money and fame and not about the well being of the animals.

 

[FTDelta]

It's a show for God's sake! If you don't like it, don't watch it! Simple as that. Tanked is for entertainment value.

 

[slief]

Every time I watch that show I cringe at their practices. That said, I am not in the least bit surprised by the Black Tip eating the lookdown fish. Although if it was well fed, it wouldn't necessarily prey on the other fish in the tank. That said, if this particular fish did just get transplanted from the ocean, then it will act on instinct as opposed to habit of being fed by people.

As for the White Tip reef shark, that one surprises me and in all honesty, I'm not buying it. While both the Black Tip and White Tip are reef sharks, the White Tips typically live in (rest) in more confined spaces within the reef than the Black Tips. They will find their way into caves and very small confined areas to rest or sleep. That is not to say they don't swim around in open areas but they do very well navigating in and out of confined spaces including maneuvering in spaces much smaller than their lengths. They can turn on a dime.

While it is very likely that the fish got spooked and crashed into structure within the tank, I don't believe that would cause it's rapid demise. While it is possible, I don't believe its likely to be the root cause. I'd suspect there may have been another issue with that particular shark that caused its death. Also, given their ability to maneuver very well in small spaces, I have to wonder if their was some electrical interference or something else that may have interfered with the sharks ability to navigate such that it didn't sense the structure.

I can say this with some confidence as I used to import White Tip Reef Sharks that originated from the Christmas Island which is south of Hawaii. I've handled dozens of those along with Black Tip reef sharks as well as Lemon Sharks. Of all the sharks, the White Tip Reef sharks are by far the hardiest where as the Black Tips and Lemons are by far the most sensitive. The White Tips do well in confined spaces as opposed to the other two afore mentioned species.

For that White Tip to die according to what was said, something else had to be going on. I've handled dozens of White Tips and never lost a single one. It was one fish species that would always eat within minutes of being transferred to the tank or holding pools. The key I found to a successful transfer was starving them for up to a week prior to crating so they don't pollute their water and it also helps that they arrive hungry.

Again, there is more to this story than meets the eyes of somebody like a store owner who really doesn't know the species. Having said that, as I mentioned above, I always cringe at their practices as it's sends the wrong message to hobbyist's and it sets up a situation where a high casualty rate is not out of reason.

 

[slief]

I will add to this that I just went and read the article and saw the photos of the tank.. That tank does not look big enough for the Black Tip, especially given the clutter in it. Also, from the pictures, it looks like the water is cloudy which could just have to do with reflections. The Ferris wheel however could cause issues with the white tip as it has lots of little openings so it could have become confused or had issues determining that it was a solid item as opposed to sea grass or soft corals. Under the right circumstances, I would say it would be possible for it to crash into it assuming it got startled by something.

Still, I'd be checking for power leaks among other things and would not expect that fish to die from a self induced collision. As such, I'd speculate that the White Tip may have had something else going on with it. It would be easy to suggest that the water quality was an issue but given that it sounds like the black tip was thriving, I'd lean away from that. It could be low O2 though. The Black Tips are much more active than the White Tips which enables them to gain more O2 across their gills. If the White Tip was truly in shock, the first thing I would have done is thrown some air stones in there to saturate the water with O2.

Having said that, it's a very neat tank but not what I would consider to be very suitable for either of those to sharks but I'd certainly expect a White Tip to fair much better in the long term in that system than a Black Tip.

 

[Gandolfe]

Dont forget newspapers sensationalize stories to also sell copies. Even if something else was wrong with the shark before it's collison that wouldn't have made the Story "sell' AS IF IT DIES FROM THE COLLISION. While i don't agree with the way the guys from tanked stock their tanks, they are in a business and it's Animal Planet who is really at fault! they are the ones making these guys produce for the veiwers! Nat geo wilds "the Fishtank Kings" is just as bad!

 

[footballdude2k3]

It is fun to watch something about the hobby, but it sucks the things they put those fish through

 

[Crimson]

I think they need to use the word "blood with shark" more often

 

[danil]

Check another thread about the show. They do contract service companies to take care of their tanks after 'reveal'. And by the contract service company has to '..remove' fish from the tank if there is any issue with compatibility. So most of the fish in 'reveal' just for show. Client can opted out though.
It's all about show. Tricks and hidden cut scenes and its all about business. Enjoy the show if you like it and don't watch it if you don't. LFS(s) kills ten times more fish and there is no such publicity and rage about it.

 

[VegasUSP]

Check another thread about the show. They do contract service companies to take care of their tanks after 'reveal'. And by the contract service company has to '..remove' fish from the tank if there is any issue with compatibility. So most of the fish in 'reveal' just for show. Client can opted out though.
It's all about show. Tricks and hidden cut scenes and its all about business. Enjoy the show if you like it and don't watch it if you don't. LFS(s) kills ten times more fish and there is no such publicity and rage about it.

Couldn't have said it better myself. That newspaper acts like the applebees employees are going to be the ones who clean and maintain that tank. I'm willing to bet that at 90% of people who get extravagant tanks from ATM are well off enough to hire a maintenance company. IMO the Tanked crew has done alot in recent seasons (opposed to the 1st season) to illustrate the precautions they take to protect the fish. Fact of the matter is that many of these commercial sites use alternative methods i.e. natural seawater, live sand, and bacteria in a bottle to jumpstart a tank so it can be running from day one. It may not be what we reefers prefer but it doesn't make them wrong. Bottom line if you don't like the show....don't watch it.

 

[Unome]

It's a show for God's sake! If you don't like it, don't watch it! Simple as that. Tanked is for entertainment value.

Correct, sir. And if anyone watches the show and decides they want a SW tank based on just what they see there:

1. They are doomed for failure.
2. They will be tossing lots of money into the failure.

 

[silverwolf72]

Correct, sir. And if anyone watches the show and decides they want a SW tank based on just what they see there:

1. They are doomed for failure.
2. They will be tossing lots of money into the failure.

Of course that even applies to most of us when we first started.

 

[Unome]

Correct, sir. And if anyone watches the show and decides they want a SW tank based on just what they see there:

1. They are doomed for failure.
2. They will be tossing lots of money into the failure.

Of course that even applies to most of us when we first started.

While true, most of the people on here did a little research before jumping into a SW tank. If someone just watched that show and decided to setup a SW tank based on just the knowledge from a TV show, then they're in worse shape than the rest of the people on here.

 

[Coral Dreams]

It's not like if you don't like the show don't watch it. It's about the animals so many fish are lost on this show just tossed out and the show must go on.

 

[Curious George]

these guys could care less about the animals or promoting the hobby

they care about money and justify everything else like a politician

I'll leave the karma on this one up to God

and shame on the guy that keeps selling them the fish they send off to certain death

 

[Dapg8gt]

Correct, sir. And if anyone watches the show and decides they want a SW tank based on just what they see there:

1. They are doomed for failure.
2. They will be tossing lots of money into the failure.

Agreed and most rookies will take the advice of the show as they are a huge televised company vs what they read in the little to no research most beginners do other than taking the advice of the first FS they walk into that carries saltwater fish and coral.. Might I add they use a hydrometer on those million dollar tanks..

That being said I do believe the big guy(on the show) really is into the animals it's just a show and they have to do things for ratings and that's what we see.. It's crap and misinformation but they do make some nice tanks minus the themed tanks Imo.
I am also on the side that if you don't like it so much that you are really upset about it don't watch it.. This thread or that article will do little to nothing to make any change so it's just upsetting you for something that's way out of your control. It's good that it got out but most don't know or care at all. I can just hear people saying "it's just a fish".

 

[chopper320]

I prefer to watch fish tank kings because they seem to care much more about the fish and they highlight the fact that you have to do your research before adding livestock. It also seems a little less scripted then tanked.