Television show "Tanked"

[Lucas82]

I was on Facebook's "tanked" page watching their interview from the Tonight Show. On the comments list a guy said "go to aquariumadvice.com and you'll find out what happens when the cameras are off. He was trying to say the fish are mistreated in some way. I know they are on TV but it seems like Brett R and Wayde K have a passion for aquaria that can't be faked. I hope this is only a rumor and that nothing malicious actually happens to the fish

 

[HUKIT]

On the comments list a guy said "go to aquariumadvice.com and you'll find out what happens when the cameras are off.

I'm sure that was one of "super educated" Tanked bashing Aquarium Advice members, I think have a special handshake to their super secret club too.

I hope this is only a rumor and that nothing malicious actually happens to the fish

It's a rumor and nothing more. Everyone who has been is this hobby has had tank crashes for varying reasons such as disease or shipping delays but being they are in the public eye it's scrutinized more.

I contacted the company last week discussing some of "experienced" members concerns who will tell you everyone of their tanks crash and that simple nonsense. After corresponding with them I don't even feel like I need to post their comments to defend them, they are two of the most caring, genuine, and knowledgeable aquarist that I've spoken to.

 

[saltcreep1025]

You mean like dumping a boat load of them into an uncycled tank? No, they would never do anything like that!

 

[HUKIT]

You mean like dumping a boat load of them into an uncycled tank? No, they would never do anything like that!

You must know the secret handshake then? You really can't be that ignorant to think that happens? You've never cycled a new tank with seeded media? Come on at least try better to bash them than that! I'm sure they only take 36 seconds to acclimate the fish since that's how long it takes on the show.

 

[bud29]

On the comments list a guy said "go to aquariumadvice.com and you'll find out what happens when the cameras are off.

Good grief - I highly doubt there are any top-secret tanked insiders on this forum. I think I may know what goes on behind the scenes though - the proper steps to setting up a tank. Cycling w/seeded media, good acclimation procedures, etc. etc.

Are some of the tanks not ideal? Yes. (Angelfish with puffer comes to mind.) However, you have to consider the show aspect of it. Nobody wants to watch a show in which they just go on and on about cycling or correct stocking.

 

[aquandrew]

yeah you can buy used seeded filter media off aquabid so whats to say they dont. i do like this show a lot, i wont say anything bad about them not cycling a tank, because its a tv show why would they show that. there are a couple that did make me mad though. bala sharks and rainbow sharks in a 14 gallon television? i mean come on and 600 glow fish in a 450 gallon tank. if the inch of fish rule were used there the that would be roughly about 1800 inches of full grown fish and thats just ridiculous. dont get me wrong, i really enjoy this show, they just need to be less like kids in candy stores and actually think it out

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

I'm pretty sure they are good at taking care for the fish while they are there(1 day) then it's disaster(1week) example, the maybe15 gallon tv tank with two rainbow sharks and two or three bala sharks

 

[bud29]

I am fairly uneducated as to what goes on after the tanks are set up, just like all the people who are making awful claims against them. But if you think about it, if every one of their tanks crashed after a week, and if all their stocking was awful, do you really think they would have become such a large business? I am fairly positive word would get out, and business would tank (pun intended). But instead, they are a very large business with a TV show. I think they must be doing at least something right

 

[aquandrew]

well yeah i agree with that they probably make a boatload of cash doing it its just misleading to people who dont know about fish and some of the tanks make the people that actually know about stocking mad. the glow tank has almost 5 times its recommended stock its shows like that, that make the people that dont know just think you can put as many fish in as you want and not care about what fish are not suppose to be with others. honestly i love this show but it makes the aquarium hobby look much easier than it actually is. they should at least set something up on their website to educate people. im also not too big a fan of coral inserts haha

 

[Evansimp]

In my opinion, I don't think it's their job to tell all their viewers everything to know about aquariums. Their goal is to get people into the hobby, which they have done! I am one person who only started this hobby because of the show. Now i have a love for it and am pretty knowledgeable. I started out with a 10 gallon fresh and made every beginner mistake. Is it tanks fault?! Absolutely not. If anything I blame petsmart and petco for not telling me the things I need to know. It's their job to educate us about caring for the fish, not a tv show.

 

[bud29]

In my opinion, I don't think it's their job to tell all their viewers everything to know about aquariums. Their goal is to get people into the hobby, which they have done! I am one person who only started this hobby because of the show. Now i have a love for it and am pretty knowledgeable. I started out with a 10 gallon fresh and made every beginner mistake. Is it tanks fault?! Absolutely not. If anything I blame petsmart and petco for not telling me the things I need to know. It's their job to educate us about caring for the fish, not a tv show.

+1 - it is not the show's fault if you don't do your research.

 

[aquandrew]

i know this is true but a lot of people do as they see i think they should just say at the end of the show "want to see whats really going on with the tanks go to animalplanet/tanked instead of them just talking about the install on the aftershow they should talk more about whats going on inside the tank rather than out. animal planet is one of those channels that people will believe anything like the finding bigfoot show. i know its not their job to tell us what really goes on, but it would make people that know about fishkeeping and would teach people who dont know at least some of the basics

 

[bettasalltheway23]

I never really cared for Tanked, I mean there tanks are cool. But tht's about it. They put fish in there that will grow twice the size of the tanks size. Like the one where they put guppies, bala sharks, and rainbow sharks in an 8 gallon tank. Balas grow to 16" why would they put them in there?!

 

[DragonFish71]

yeah you can buy used seeded filter media off aquabid so whats to say they dont. i do like this show a lot, i wont say anything bad about them not cycling a tank, because its a tv show why would they show that. there are a couple that did make me mad though. bala sharks and rainbow sharks in a 14 gallon television? i mean come on and 600 glow fish in a 450 gallon tank. if the inch of fish rule were used there the that would be roughly about 1800 inches of full grown fish and thats just ridiculous. dont get me wrong, i really enjoy this show, they just need to be less like kids in candy stores and actually think it out

Being that the "inch per gallon rule" isn't a rule and is a joke, I doubt they would even consider the use of it.

Seriously.

Inch per gallon is a fallacy. 600 glo-fish (zebra danios) can survive and dare I say it, THRIVE (yep, I dared) in a 450 gallon tank.

Just like 150 neon tetras survived, thrived and ohmygosh even spawned in my 115 gallon tank along with 4 angelfish, 14 albino corys, 7 harlequin rasboras, 7 black neons and 7 glow-light neons, 6 golden dojo loaches, 7 zebra loaches and 2 albino BN plecos. Although the store I got them from almost wouldn't sell them to me because they were too caught up on the inch per gallon fallacy as well. (I was slowly stocking by buying 25 every other week)

The inch per gallon does not take various things into consideration and should be used more as a guideline. A 10 inch oscar vs a 10 gallon tank.

Inch per gallon rule right? Ummmm not.

When you take how the eventual adult size of a fish, what section of the water they dwell in (top, mid tank, lower tank or all over the tank) temperament, filtration, maintenance schedule, decor etc etc and factor in all together, you'll get what I'm saying.

 

[Lucas82]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. It seems most people are in agreement that the "tanked" rumor was only a a rumor and no facts were behind it. I think these guys really care about animals in general and wouldn't be in this business if they built tanks and then overstocked or didn't put proper fish in with each other. I also agree the "inch per gallon" rule is merely a guideline. It isn't recommended to have one Tang in anything less than a 75 gallon tank, and I know they don't grow to 75 inches. It all depends on the types of fish. Thanks all, fish on!