Boycott Tetra

[fishfreek]

I don tknow if you can contact CBS and ask for a transcript or not. I think the enitre show is quite long so that would be a very large file. I do know someone who did manage to tape the show. They are over on RC.

 

[HoopsGuru]

this was a 4 minute discussion on "how to set up a kit tank". I think it is unreasonable to expect anyone to be able to go into every arguable minute detail on setting up a tank in 4 minutes. How long do we spend discussing filters, CC, DSBs etc on here? And our discussions are always on going. I think it is unfair to call for a boycott simply because they "glossed over" over stocking and over feeding. They DID mention, after all, to be careful of these things and did give general "rules of thumb" as we give "rules of thumb" on our own discussion board all the time. Should we expect Tetra to turn down the invitation to appear on the Talk show simply because the producers of the show wouldn't give them a full hour to discuss how to set up a fish tank? (and many here would argue that even an hour wouldn't be enough time... and in my opinion they're probably right)

Regardless of the amount of time, they could have approached it completely different. Why not just stock the tank with one single "Nemo"? What was the need to flood it with a variety of fish that cannot exist in that environment?

I completely agree with fishfreek. After watching it over and over, it appears they tried to quick change a freshwater presentation into a saltwater one....and in doing so didn't put in that much effort.

Is it blatantly true or false when she says "All of these fish, unlike the ones in Nemo are farmraised fish, they were NOT CAPTURED from the ocean they're actually raised here in the United States, actually MOST fish in the United States are raised in Florida."

It is examples such as this that is causing the uproar, justified IMO.

 

[Hara]

you state "Slow and quiet never works" and you're right, it doesn't. but Irate and Mis-informed doesn't work either because it makes us look like dim-witted reactionaries and we throw away any hope of companies actually listening to us now or in the future. Trust has little to do with it Hara, I'm sure you've heard the grapevine theory before, word of mouth rarely carries accurate facts.

I completely agree with the fact that "irate, misinformed reactionaries" screw things up for those of us who are of the "rationally irate, militant" persuasion
You must be able to present your side of the argument in an intelligent, firm, and less inflamatory manner in order to get points across.

The grapevine theory would be a logical argument, but I still feel that if Reefrunner, Fishfreek, or any of the other long time aquarists that I respect, told me something, I dont have to wait for the book to read it if it is unavailable. I can make an informed decision based on a news source. ie: I do not have to be standing in the desert at high noon to believe it is hot if someone tells me so.

 

[HoopsGuru]

"rationally irate, militant" persuasion

I like that.

 

[d9hp]

I do not have to be standing in the desert at high noon to believe it is hot if someone tells me so.

I think just saying this would have gotten the point, but either way I agree with everything you said.

 

[loganj]

Well, here's my opinion FWIW. I think if Tetra wanted to promote responsible fish keeping, they would have spent their 4 minutes cautioning people not to rush out and buy a small tank and a clownfish without doing any research. They would have suggested resources for people to conduct this research. They could have stated that they promote responsible fish keeping. They should have told the talk show producers that they couldn't properly show how to set up any aquarium in 4 minutes. What they did was irresponsible and clearly (to me at least) proves that they are a "grab the $ and the $%#! with the well being of the fish" company. I won't buy any of their products as long as they have that attitude. I wonder how much they donated to buy netting so that less cyanide would be used on the reefs? IMO, they had a chance to make a difference and they blew it big time!

 

[fishfreek]

Hm, it seems making these videos sure did stur up the hornets nest.

 

[totalbeginner]

Ok, for starters i would like to say hello to everyone, i,m back after my computer went bang a couple of months ago. Not so much of a beginer now. now have 3 tanks, 20gal + 29 gal + 60 gal. all doing really well.

i have read everybody's comments, and also downloaded the video (thanx fishfreek,) and have come to a conclusion.

Yes, the tetra rep did'nt have much of a clue
Yes, knowing what we know there was a large cataloge of mistakes, and,
yes, those poor fish who were manhandled on the show were probably very stressed,

BUT
When some mother or father goes to the LFS and asks the attendand for a 5 gal microbow and all the fish on the show and wants to take them away there and then. I hope that they will then ask these mums and dads if they know what there doing and advise them accordingly.

OK the show was a marketing ploy hopping on the bandwagon and trying to make money from a film but the failsafe must be the LFS

do you believe everything you see on TV

 

[totalbeginner]

also forgot to mention.

i dont know what percentage of people make an educated descision when choosing and buying an aquarium, but, this program gives people information (albiet some is misinformation,) but at least an efort was made

most people i speak to say there biggest mistake was lack of information/ research.

i can vouch for that

 

[fishfreek]

you make good points about hopeing the LFS is where any lack of information given is caught up. Problem is that we all know that there are LFS's out there that will gladly sell the customer what ever they want with out a second thought.

There are also other LFS's that would not dare sell such a setup to someone and would explain why.

I think one thing that I and Kevin both disliked about the clip was that they did not even suggest to the viewer that more information could be obtained from their local aquarium shop. Doint that would lead one to possibly belive there was more to it than they where able to show.

Now the clip did end with them going to another tank so I have to wonder if there was a longer segment on aquariums or fish in general. I would prefer to have seen ALL the parts about aquariums vs just the nemo tank segment of the segment. It very well could be that such information was conveyed at the end of all the aquarium segments and we just dont have access to that.

 

[HoopsGuru]

OK the show was a marketing ploy hopping on the bandwagon and trying to make money from a film but the failsafe must be the LFS

As mentioned, a great deal of LFS will gladly take the increased sales over responsible fish-keeping. It also isn't their responsibility to clean up the mess left by one of the largest aquarium keeping related manufacturers in the world.

do you believe everything you see on TV

No, but we are talking about a presentation on a major morning show on a major television station, a huge name in the industry. This was not a movie or late night infomercial.

Tetra made it clear that people should go to their website for more information.........although many have noticed that their website doesn't have any detailed saltwater information.

 

[bizzybeas]

My husband does video production for a local television station. I have personally seen one hour of filming cut down to a two minute segment. (In fact this is the norm) In giving the benefit of the doubt it is possible that they filmed an entire segment which was informative, and CBS edited out most of the material. Believe me, I doubt that the editors knew which fish keeping material was crucial. Just a thought. 8O

 

[reefrunner69]

In giving the benefit of the doubt it is possible that they filmed an entire segment which was informative, and CBS edited out most of the material.

While I am sure that CBS put a time constraint on it...no editing was done, it was a live show.

 

[fishfreek]

I also feel that if it would have been a taped segement inserted into a live show and the informative part got left on the cutting room floor that tetra's response to all of our e-mails would be different aswell.

 

[d9hp]

Yes, if the editing part was true I am sure tetra would let all of us know that, and when I say all of us i mean that. Everyone that emailed them would get the exact same email saying how they did a good job and got screwed. Regardless, they still put a tang! into a 5 gallon tank.

 

[bizzybeas]

They do edit live shows (just not as much) I certainly dont have any idea why they would put a tang into a 5 gallon tank. :x

 

[michealprater]

Bottom line is what they did could ruin our hobby. With all the restrictions being put on us, just like Hoops said, this is just fuel for the fire. And you know who will get screwed on the deal? Responcible hobbists like us, and that includes people who have defended the segment. If you like keeping fish tanks in a responcible manner, it is your duty to stand up against people who try to take it away from you and the people who give them a reason to take it away. And that my friends would be a company named TETRA. So once again I say, Boycott Tetra!!

 

[d9hp]

I am not gonna buy anything from them, but again, they are more FW.

 

[HoopsGuru]

I understand the desire to hope that they really weren't "that bad". But as I said before, whether 4 minutes or 4 hours....the majority of the information given was blatantly false and there was no way to make it true by explaining it more. "Most fish" are not captive bred in Florida, "1 inch per gallon" is not acceptable in saltwater, and "live plants" do not "thrive" in saltwater aquariums. And those statements are just a few pulled from the hat of irresponsible statement CHW and Tetra put forth.

 

[fishfreek]

I have to wonder Hoops. If you took those three statements and converted that tank into freshwater I bet you could say that at lest 2 of the 3 where true.

I still hold to the fact that this was a presentation that was not really planed out that well and that was made from freshwater to saltwater on the spur of the moment. maybe the same morning of the show. Maybe the day before.

I feel the information conveyed was wrong and they should have given more about how to get additional information by looking on the internet or at their local aquarium store. I do not feel strong enough to boycott a company.