# Tanked on Animal Planet beginning Aug. 19th 9 PM E/P



## jh82

Another so called "reality" show. This one follows an aquarium manufacturing company. Looks like there will be some cool setups.

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/


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## vann59

Yeah, I saw that, planning to check it out.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

The first episode was pretty good. Who else watched it?


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## Norm66

I did. It was cool but pretty standard reality show garbage other than the cool tanks.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

True dat! :lol:


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## TailorJay

yeah, i saw it. Was kinda disappointed. It showed more arguing than tank building. Of your course i had the same problem as a fashion designer trying to watch project runway...


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## dillon0990

my question is why would they set up these awesome tank tanks with very expensive fish and not cycle the tanks first? they had the fish there with them when they filled the water and just threw them in. I would hope they atleast use an instant cycle?? but i wouldnt trust that stuff with fish so expensive


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## moneygetter1

8) That's the magic of TV. A lot of prep was done off camera. I mean c'mon you don't really think they pulled off all that drawing, cutting, sealing, building, shopping ect. in less than an hour do you?? opcorn: "T"


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## mccluggen

I was thinking the same thing about the cycling. I have to assume guys don't get that big with the business without knowing how to take care of fish. Not going to get a lot of repeat business if all the fish die a week after they leave.

I have to assume they have a stock of live rock, substrate, and biomedia that is cycled and ready to go that they use to basically instant cycle the setups.


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## JimA

So I watched this last night and thought it was horrible. Some nice tanks but the two bozo's running the show don't do it for me. Hopefully the next shows will get better.

I did like the part when the guy and his wife were eating dinner and he couldn't stop looking at the tank behind her :lol: But that was about it.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

If the show was more about actually building the tank's it would be much more better.

Who agree's?


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## dillon0990

i know there is lots of preping but they show the fish in the boxes while their filling the tanks


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## DJRansome

Maybe they had established filters or filter media. I know I never have to cycle a tank anymore...just run the new filter on an established tank and move it over when ready.


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## lucid_eye

> Maybe they had established filters or filter media. I know I never have to cycle a tank anymore...just run the new filter on an established tank and move it over when ready


Why cycle if you don't have too. My biggest issue with the show is their hang up with saltwater. I appreciate saltwater, but even when they do salt, the only living thing in the tank is the fish with phony decorations.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

If you think about it 90% of tank builder's do a SW setup.


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## natalie559

Did you all see the one, I think it was last week, when they did a 90G keg shaped hap/peacock tank with fake saltwater corals? Weird. Wondering about the fish not having much room to swim and about how to clean the substrate. . I wasn't impressed by that one. And the church that built a 57,000 tank, cool- but in a church? My thought was how many people could the church have helped with the money they invested in the tank. It was awesome looking though.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

That's exactly what I though about the all male tank. It could of been better.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean

Yeah - and there was barely any footprint for the fish to swim in... As a fish enthusiast I was pretty disappointed, and the 57k gallon tank was pretty monstrous


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## mccluggen

I thought the 57000 gallon tank built by a church was pretty obscene. Not that the guys on the show did a bad job on it or anything, looked sweet, but a church should have done something more altruistic with the money something like that would cost.

As for the keg tank I was in the same frame of mind. As expensive a customer job like that was likely to be most fish keepers I know would have rather spent the money on a functional but off the shelf monster tank.


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## football mom

My lfs SW guy thinks the show is promoting cruelty to fish. The tanks are cool, but he has spotted
some very unhealthy looking SW fish that they do "close-ups" of. 
Also, as limited as I am in SW fish keeping, they put 15 or more damsels (two very aggressive species- think demasoni) and a flame angel (grows quite large) in their teeny-little "juke-box" tank. 
I even said to my hubby, "they should come back in a few days and see how many of those damsels are still alive!"


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## hey_wood1981

I noticed they had only one tropheus in that keg tank with all the peacocks and haps.


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## czar_wilson

the reason they do SW is for the higher profit margins


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## heaya

Just watched a recent episode where they had a ton of peacocks stuffed into an overly decorated refrigerator. I think the show is cool, and they usually seem to be pretty good about how they stock the SW fish, but the size of that fridge and the amount of large adult peacocks they had is a disaster waiting to happen. I do wish they would do more FW fish, but I think most the clients they show on the television show don't really know much about fish so they go for the SW for the color and appeal.


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## nauTik

heaya said:


> Just watched a recent episode where they had a ton of peacocks stuffed into an overly decorated refrigerator. I think the show is cool, and they usually seem to be pretty good about how they stock the SW fish, but the size of that fridge and the amount of large adult peacocks they had is a disaster waiting to happen. I do wish they would do more FW fish, but I think most the clients they show on the television show don't really know much about fish so they go for the SW for the color and appeal.


ha I just watched this and thought the same. Seriously 20+ peacocks (had to cost near 1k) stuffed into a fridge tank with shelves and decorations.

I noticed them nipping at eachother already. There's no way those fish are lasting 2 weeks... I mean the tanks they build are cool and all, but their fish knowledge is definitely not very high which is odd.


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## heaya

I think they're better with SW fish compatibility and what kind of space they need. Those poor peacocks had like no territory space... I guess they could consider each shelf a different level for their floorspace :/


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## lucid_eye

my sentiments exactly, my wife kept telling me to quit yelling at the TV. But when they were done with the tank and put the fish in she said "Wow you were right the fish are all stuck at the bottom and rest of the tank is useless"


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## mamospreng

Did everyone see the fridge tank with Malawi i'm it with like 3x3 foot print? It was 120 gallon and way over stocked. And talk about cross breeding... Other wise cool looking tank.


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## lucid_eye

that is what I was referring to, but I think that it was all male so hybrids wouldn't be an issue.


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## aprildawn

i saw the same episode & thought the same thing. too many peacocks & not enough space. and that orthodontist must be loaded to afford that shark tank.


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## 13razorbackfan

aprildawn said:


> i saw the same episode & thought the same thing. too many peacocks & not enough space. and that orthodontist must be loaded to afford that shark tank.


Yeah...imagine trying to clean either of those tanks!!

That shark tank was awesome though....2000g...


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## brinkles

I imagine the owners don't do anything other than sprinkle a little food in, and somebody comes by to clean them and get the dead fish out. There's money to be made constantly restocking, so no worries there! The wealthy customers that buy these gimmicky tanks just want something to impress their friends, so they get an expensive version of the goldfish tank with the neon gravel and "no fishing" sign they had as a kid.


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## Vancitycam

What station is this show on ?? I have never heard of it sounds cool


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## lucid_eye

animal planet
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/


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## Vancitycam

Sorry for my ignorance I just re read the first post and saw that shark tank and yeah they make too much money I just got my wisdom teeth out and it cost me 1200$ and I got 80% coverage and it only took about 30-45 mins I'm told I was put out


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## lucid_eye

I went on their site and the tips for rookies section is laughable.



> The Ã¢â‚¬Å"LobsterÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## lucid_eye

And I still don't understand this comment



> Two Fish Are Better Than One
> Another way to improve compatibility is to introduce fish in groups or schools. "Certain fish do better in groups, like humans. Put them in a group and they shine," said Brett. So, if you were thinking about adding another male betta fish later, think again.


Its like saying everything in excess is bad remember that when you are lost in the desert and want water.


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## AulonoKarl

These guys seem to think it's ok to mix tropheus and peacocks in a cyclindrical tank that's probably 2 feet in diameter. :-?


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## rp-photo

, i figured if no one has said something, theres a new show out as well thats jumping on the band wagon of Tanked, its calling itself Fish Tank Kings on NatGeo


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## Guest

when is that going to be coming out? they better make it better than Tanked if they want my ratings lol


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## JAyliffe

just changed my channels so I don't get AP or NatGeo any more.. Oh well I'm sure if I saw either of those shows I'd just want to spend more on my tank 8)


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## rp-photo

phister said:


> when is that going to be coming out? they better make it better than Tanked if they want my ratings lol


*Fish Tank Kings*
_"......the show, Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fish Tank Kings,Ã¢â‚¬Â_


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## afoctober2

I've been watching tanked its the only reality show I will probably be watching. For ratings they probably don't show more step by step or work that goes into it. I would love to see more of the work being done but for the average audience it would get boring.


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## Guest

rp-photo said:


> phister said:
> 
> 
> 
> when is that going to be coming out? they better make it better than Tanked if they want my ratings lol
Click to expand...

*Fish Tank Kings*
_"......the show, Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fish Tank Kings,Ã¢â‚¬Â_


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## afoctober2

I searched that show found some clips seems interesting. To bad it looks like they also focus on salt water fish .


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## 13razorbackfan

afoctober2 said:


> I searched that show found some clips seems interesting. To bad it looks like they also focus on salt water fish .


Yep...I wish they would spend more time, even if talking about saltwater, going into more details about the tanks and how they make them, etc...


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## brinkles

They must think these shows have to be more like "Jersey Shore" than "How it's Made"! 
That said, of course I watch it!
They put freshwater fish in the smaller tanks.


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## 13razorbackfan

brinkles said:


> They must think these shows have to be more like "Jersey Shore" than "How it's Made"!
> That said, of course I watch it!
> They put freshwater fish in the smaller tanks.


Yep...that is my main complaint. I guess it is all personal taste but would prefer it or another show like it to be more like "this old house" or something along those lines. Show how the tanks are made, how thick the acrylic needs to be, general cost of these tanks, lighting systems, sumps and other filtration, etc....

I am just not much on the cheesy acting and obvious set up. Again...this is all personal taste. I am sure some people would totally disagree.


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## Reemer

13razorbackfan said:


> brinkles said:
> 
> 
> 
> They must think these shows have to be more like "Jersey Shore" than "How it's Made"!
> That said, of course I watch it!
> They put freshwater fish in the smaller tanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Yep...that is my main complaint. I guess it is all personal taste but would prefer it or another show like it to be more like "this old house" or something along those lines. Show how the tanks are made, how thick the acrylic needs to be, general cost of these tanks, lighting systems, sumps and other filtration, etc....
> 
> I am just not much on the cheesy acting and obvious set up. Again...this is all personal taste. I am sure some people would totally disagree.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I watched about 20 minutes of the show and had to stop because it just seemed so staged. The acting was terrible.


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## Guest

the way they think is that people are only gonna watch the show is if they only talk about fish and fish and fish...

little did they know is that on our forum, we are more interested in the TANK MAKING...

maybe we should all email this joint and tell them we want more details on the tank before we don't give them the ratings lol


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## 13razorbackfan

phister said:


> the way they think is that people are only gonna watch the show is if they only talk about fish and fish and fish...
> 
> little did they know is that on our forum, we are more interested in the TANK MAKING...
> 
> maybe we should all email this joint and tell them we want more details on the tank before we don't give them the ratings lol


You would have to email the producers and GOOD luck with that!! Again....they may have just as many viewers that feel the exact opposite as we do.


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## afoctober2

I'd be able to enjoy these episodes more if I actually knew more about salt water fish. When they are picking out salt water fish they are giving a description of them and how they behave and close ups. Than they built that refrigerator tank and they didn't go into any detail or even pick out any better looking peacocks. He mentioned that one was an albino and eats a lot and that they are from lake malawi.


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## frank1rizzo

the way the brother talks with his teeth out drives me nuts.


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## Mjonesy88

frank1rizzo said:


> the way the brother talks with his teeth out drives me nuts.


he reminds me of Gary "Baba booey" Dell'Abate from the howard stern show...lol!!


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## 13razorbackfan

afoctober2 said:


> I'd be able to enjoy these episodes more if I actually knew more about salt water fish. When they are picking out salt water fish they are giving a description of them and how they behave and close ups. Than they built that refrigerator tank and they didn't go into any detail or even pick out any better looking peacocks. He mentioned that one was an albino and eats a lot and that they are from lake malawi.


I agree. While I know quite a bit about both salt and fresh it is quite clear to me that the TV show and the wholesaler where they are picking out the fish have some sort of arrangement. That is why they highlight where they are buying the fish and the different fish they sell. Great advertisement. I believe he said they were getting the africans from segrest farms which is in florida if I am not mistaken. That was a terrible tank for those fish. All vertical with little floor space. Going to be some dead fish before long.


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## lucid_eye

Maybe someone from the show came across this thread, I was happy to see a lot more of the behind scenes tank building in this last episode. Kudos to them for this, I hope it is something they concentrate on in the future. However I could do without watching the guys act like they were lost in the store for 5 minutes. And finally, I have to to build a tank above my bed as soon as possible.


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## lilcountrygal

I absolutely loved the headboard tank. i would SOOO buy one of those for myself!

However, they completely lost me when the furniture store guy came out and said "SpecTANKular!". :roll:


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## lucid_eye

oh and "tanks" a lot guys


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## 13razorbackfan

lucid_eye said:


> Maybe someone from the show came across this thread, I was happy to see a lot more of the behind scenes tank building in this last episode. Kudos to them for this, I hope it is something they concentrate on in the future. However I could do without watching the guys act like they were lost in the store for 5 minutes. And finally, I have to to build a tank above my bed as soon as possible.


I agree....they need to show even more. It was pretty cool seeing them build the template out of wood to bend the acrylic. That tank was awesome.....


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## lucid_eye

*** never worked with acrylic on the scale they do. So my question is wouldn't bending the bow in the manner they did cause issues? The way I see it you are making the middle section (the area under the greatest pressure), thinner and weaker.


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## 13razorbackfan

lucid_eye said:


> I've never worked with acrylic on the scale they do. So my question is wouldn't bending the bow in the manner they did cause issues? The way I see it you are making the middle section (the area under the greatest pressure), thinner and weaker.


I think it was so thick I doubt they have issues. It looked around 1.5" or so. I am sure they take everything into account and have some sort of formula they use to calculate thickness.


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## afoctober2

I guess is you want to see how they are made wait until "How its made?" has an episode of fish tanks


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## 13razorbackfan

afoctober2 said:


> I guess is you want to see how they are made wait until "How its made?" has an episode of fish tanks


As far as my criticism, it stems from wanting to see a show where they actually discuss the hobby a bit more and focus less on trying to make it funny. That includes everything from tank building to species and everything in between. Then again...that is just me. I will still watch it unless they get away from tank building completely.

I guess what I am saying is I understand how tanks are made but still find it interesting. The same as I understand how houses are built but still watch this old house. There are always new innovations and little details to be discussed. It would be a great way of educating people newly entering the hobby. Things such as cycling, filtration, differences in salt and freshwater, lighting, heaters, sumps, etc......


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## brinkles

I Loved the headboard tank! Forming the acrylic arch actually probably strengthens it a little. I've bent some Corian like that, and it isn't easy!


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## vann59

Structurally, an arch is stronger and will carry more weight than a flat panel. The issues of any fine cracks or anything are no doubt avoided by using proper heat and allowing it to be totally formed by gravity under heat.


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## vann59

The interesting thing for me would be to see how they make a large cylindrical tank.


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## 13razorbackfan

vann59 said:


> The interesting thing for me would be to see how they make a large cylindrical tank.


In one episode they actually made a tank in the shape of a barrel. It was really cool but they didn't go into all the details which is what I really wanted to see. I find the forming of the acrylic fascinating.


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## vann59

13razorbackfan said:



> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> The interesting thing for me would be to see how they make a large cylindrical tank.
> 
> 
> 
> In one episode they actually made a tank in the shape of a barrel. It was really cool but they didn't go into all the details which is what I really wanted to see. I find the forming of the acrylic fascinating.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's neat. But I'm sure that barrel must be a maintenance nightmare.


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## 13razorbackfan

vann59 said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> The interesting thing for me would be to see how they make a large cylindrical tank.
> 
> 
> 
> In one episode they actually made a tank in the shape of a barrel. It was really cool but they didn't go into all the details which is what I really wanted to see. I find the forming of the acrylic fascinating.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yeah, it's neat. But I'm sure that barrel must be a maintenance nightmare.
Click to expand...

Yeah...they filled it will africans and it had very limited floor space. It also had a large insert in the middle which limited it even more.


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## Red Triangle

13razorbackfan said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> The interesting thing for me would be to see how they make a large cylindrical tank.
> 
> 
> 
> In one episode they actually made a tank in the shape of a barrel. It was really cool but they didn't go into all the details which is what I really wanted to see. I find the forming of the acrylic fascinating.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yeah, it's neat. But I'm sure that barrel must be a maintenance nightmare.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yeah...they filled it will africans and it had very limited floor space. It also had a large insert in the middle which limited it even more.
Click to expand...

It was so ****ty to see them put a coral theme to the fesh water cichlid tank. The guy having it built even used to have cichlids, so I think they could have taken that into consideration when designing the center piece. I also would have liked to see them use baby Africans. I think it's more of an experience to watch them grow, plus it wouldn't have been so crowded looking.


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## afoctober2

I just noticed the most common problem they always put these heavy tanks on hydraulic lifts that werent made for that weight. You would think they would be prepared for this.


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## brinkles

They can't get a fork lift in a living room, that's why!


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## afoctober2

lucid_eye said:


> Maybe someone from the show came across this thread, I was happy to see a lot more of the behind scenes tank building in this last episode. Kudos to them for this, I hope it is something they concentrate on in the future. However I could do without watching the guys act like they were lost in the store for 5 minutes. And finally, I have to to build a tank above my bed as soon as possible.


That part I could relate with I remember going to Ikea and if you don't follow the arrows its like a maze.


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## masonv

Just watch the one where they make the tank in the bus, and nail salon. They use a nitrifying bacteria to cycle their tanks. http://www.petco.com/product/118773/ATM ... ement.aspx


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## lucid_eye

I noticed that too, I am beginning to think someone is reading these threads and trying to keep us interested.


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## matt121966

stupid show


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## Aulonocara_Freak

lucid_eye said:


> I noticed that too, I am beginning to think someone is reading these threads and trying to keep us interested.


Which is true, the producers and all the behind the scene people look through stuff like this to make sure they dont get a low rating.


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## lucid_eye

In that case, I am by no means a television producer, however: I would like to see a profile of the fish they are using, not necessarily every fish but pick one of the fish and talk about origin, diet, tank requirements, ect. The casual viewer is not interested in detailed explanations of tank assembly or the nitrogen cycle, however the little tidbits that you have been adding (as mentioned above) are greatly appreciated and make the show much more enjoyable. I may be speaking for myself, but the hokey staged scenes (I'm lost in the furniture store, I stole ******** bed, etc.), have been played out in reality TV and the audience sees right through them and will quickly turn their back on a show. It was a great template that worked for years but its time has passed (operation repo is the king of this genre). I may be delusional thinking I'm speaking to someone from the show. If not I love the idea of there being a show about my favorite hobby and wish to see it succeed good luck.


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## AulonoKarl

13razorbackfan said:


> Yeah...they filled it will africans and it had very limited floor space. It also had a large insert in the middle which limited it even more.


Yeah, that bothered me too. I guessed the tank was probably 50-60 gallons, but was only maybe 2 feet in diameter, and after all of the junk in the middle there was probably only actually 25 gallons of water in there. If I recall they mixed tropheus with peacocks in this barrel tank.

On another note, I finally saw how they "cycle" their tanks on the most recent episode. They dump a bottle of some instant cycle bacteria in the tanks. That's it.I've heard the success ratio of such products aren't exactly great. They should be considered a jumpstart at best. I can't imagine using that and then throwing THOUSANDS of dollars worth of fish into the tank.

They really should invest in a large fishtank of their own that they can use exclusively to farm seeded filter media to use on their tanks.


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## Genski84

I actually love watching Tanked. My husband gets so annoyed when I scream at the tv when they make mistakes. I can't believe how many fish they put in one tank sometimes. But I will definitely be DVRing FTK's. Very interested. My poor husband.....


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## ChoxRox

I saw a show called "Fish Tank Kings" on NatGeo and I like it a whole lot more than Tanked. It's a lot more "behind the scenes"


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## 13razorbackfan

ChoxRox said:


> I saw a show called "Fish Tank Kings" on NatGeo and I like it a whole lot more than Tanked. It's a lot more "behind the scenes"


Is it weekly? I will look for it....


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## Genski84

Yep. Every Saturday at 10/9 watching it right now. There's kind of a lot of drama.... I just want to see happy fish in badass aquariums!


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## ChoxRox

There is drama, but they go into a lot more detail than tanked. More the business end of it all... They even mentioned a "quarantine tank".


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## Genski84

I saw that, but even on tanked they had whole episode dedicated to installing a quarantine tank into someones home.


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## jh82

13razorbackfan said:


> ChoxRox said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw a show called "Fish Tank Kings" on NatGeo and I like it a whole lot more than Tanked. It's a lot more "behind the scenes"
> 
> 
> 
> Is it weekly? I will look for it....
Click to expand...

I was all set to check this out but couldn't find it listed in the channel guide. A show called shark men was there instead. After further investigation it seems this on Natgeo-wild. I channel that I don't have.


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## 13razorbackfan

jh82 said:


> 13razorbackfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ChoxRox said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw a show called "Fish Tank Kings" on NatGeo and I like it a whole lot more than Tanked. It's a lot more "behind the scenes"
> 
> 
> 
> Is it weekly? I will look for it....
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I was all set to check this out but couldn't find it listed in the channel guide. A show called shark men was there instead. After further investigation it seems this on Natgeo-wild. I channel that I don't have.
Click to expand...

I found it....but directv doesn't show it in HD though so I will watch it in standard definition. If you have directv I will point you to the right channel.


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## ChoxRox

Yeah, I saw it on "NatGeo Wild" on Directv.


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## lucid_eye

Well I was impressed to hear that the guys do not rely completely on bottled bacteria. They also use cultured filter media to keep the tanks from having cycling issues.


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## AulonoKarl

lucid_eye said:


> Well I was impressed to hear that the guys do not rely completely on bottled bacteria. They also use cultured filter media to keep the tanks from having cycling issues.


I heard that too. On the casino tank episode, I think. Thank goodness. Now if they could just figure out which african cichlids can go together.


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## lucid_eye

I am really digging the fish tank kings. They show a lot more of the hows and whys. They also put informative tid bits in the corner of the screen.


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## 13razorbackfan

lucid_eye said:


> I am really digging the fish tank kings. They show a lot more of the hows and whys. They also put informative tid bits in the corner of the screen.


Agreed....much more serious and I like it.


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## matt121966

My 9 year old son likes the show. That is the only reason to watch. They did a nice build at Weldwood (sp?) were they slid in a huge tank. That was cool. But I hate the little office politics that they show. Show the tanks being built, not red neck stealing Julio's tv and then three minutes of Julio looking for his **** tv while a camera follows him around.

watch bluezootv.com online - more interesting other than the commerical breaks.


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## 748johnd

I think the program is stupid from what little I have watched. Frankly, I don't know how the fish can survive in many of their setups, if indeed they do. It must be fun cleaning some of them.


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## 13razorbackfan

748johnd said:


> I think the program is stupid from what little I have watched. Frankly, I don't know how the fish can survive in many of their setups, if indeed they do. It must be fun cleaning some of them.


Was thinking the same the the other day. I have OCD and it would drive me crazy trying to clean them.


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## smitty814

If you have any questions about the how's and why's of the show you can email them. They are very helpful and do (although it takes time) respond. They answered all my questions on cycling and stocking. The only show that I have enjoyed was one about 2 out door koi ponds they did. Built into a 2 tier deck. I think it was for one of the NY jets.


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## lucid_eye

I cant watch it anymore. They show 3 new episodes and then they do 2 episodes of best of the season.


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