sick....needs addressing.

[nice1bruva]

hi guys
my names wayne from south wales uk.
i've been around the site for a few years now but i dont think i've ever posted in the sump?
anyhow...just posted to show you guys what a few of us in the uk are trying to stop....this guy....
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fGtM2VABOjg
(not the nicest vid so discretion advised)
any members of youtube please help out!
thanks
wayne

 

[Anonymous]

Ehm... Stop him from what? Mixing fish that are inappropriate? Or from showing video of the end result?

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're going to try your hand at keeping any sort of animals, then you need to have the stomach for what may result, especially when trying to keep wild animals. These folks mentioned that they stocked according to the recommendations of a marine biologist, so I'm not sure what more they could have done outside of not keeping fishes at all.

 

[Anonymous]

A degree in Marine Biology means jack squat when it comes to knowledge of stocking fish species in captivity together. About as useful as saying you are a certified Petco Aquatic Technician or whatever they call themselves.

 

[nice1bruva]

im a little supprised at the response here~?
these guys deliberately put these fish in....without any aclimation....to simply watch them get ripped apart?
i've been keeping marines for just under 20 years and have seen many things but this is no diferent to throwing a couple of dogs in a pit to slug it out?
:?:

 

[Anonymous]

I think their attitude is sick. The dialogue shows they expected casualties, but added fish anyway. I'm not sure what can be done though. They've already had a justified flaming on YouTube.

 

[nice1bruva]

I think their attitude is sick. The dialogue shows they expected casualties, but added fish anyway. I'm not sure what can be done though. They've already had a justified flaming on YouTube.

thats my way of thinking .....the title also...'mafia fish'?
:evil:
if enough people flag inappropriate at least the guy wont get his 15 minutes and all that kinda stuff!

 

[Anonymous]

I watched that whole video. I heard nothing in the commentary that told me that the only reason they put the fish in there was to watch them have it out. It's not at all like fighting dogs (or bettas), in my opinion.

Where in it do you find that the only reason they put the fishes in there that they did was the watch them get torn apart?
How do you know they did no acclimation?
They showed the initial introductions in a bucket, which happens to exactly how I was taught to introduce new fish -- place in a container then net out so as to avoid putting bag water in the tank. Just because they didn't show that the bags had been floated doesn't mean that they weren't acclimated. Just because they didn't show a drip or testing to ensure match of pH and temperature doesn't mean that it wasn't done.

They joked about some of the fishes being Mafia Dons, that's it. I think the mix of fish is unattractive and tacky, and that the tank (which I'm guessing is about 150 gallons, not the 50 gallons noted) is overstocked.

So, I'm at a loss as to what exactly it is you hope to achieve, other than possibly educate people that keeping wild fishes (any fishes, actually, they're not domesticated) means you run the very real risk of witnessing injury and death. These folks appear to have made good attempts to address the aggression and well-being of the fish by consulting those they considered to be experts. They were not entirely successful, and documented it on video with commentary. They even removed two fish that they felt were the aggressors (I could clearly see it with the yellow tang, not so much with the angel, expected far worse from the puffers and clown trigger) in an attempt to bring balance.

They consulted with a marine biologist according to the voice-over, so, what exactly was wrong? I heard no laughing, no "Hey! We're gonna put this woefully inadequate fish in here with these fish so we can watch them tear it up!" I don't draw the same conclusions that you and those who commented have drawn.

Honestly, if it bothers you so much, in my opinion, you should stop keeping fish, and especially saltwater, altogether, because the sheer numbers of animals lost in the process to get them from ocean to your local shop are ASTRONOMICAL.

A degree in Marine Biology means jack squat when it comes to knowledge of stocking fish species in captivity together. About as useful as saying you are a certified Petco Aquatic Technician or whatever they call themselves.

Well... that's what I wanted to say but thought better of it. I think, though, that the people whose tank it is might have made the understandable assumption that having a degree means that you do know something about keeping captive fishes.

 

[nice1bruva]

i guess im a little more sceptical than you guys and looks like we'll have to aggree to dissagree.
fwiw i do have experience with wild animals of many types native and exotic but i guess i'll leave you all to chat and not bust in.
it was nice chatting to to you!
:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Look, I'm sorry you didn't get the reaction you were looking for. But this place is peopled by people like me. People who've spent years trying to help and advise those who will still do things their way. People who may also have seen the sheer numbers of "shrink" associated with the aquatic and exotic trade.

Not to mention the fact that a lot of us tend to draw our own conclusions based on evidence presented, and I, in particular, don't really take to being led in one direction or the other. I know you wanted a particular reaction, and I know how it feels to not get that reaction. But, in this instance I can't give you that reaction.

What I WILL do is suggest that, if at all possible, someone like yourself who may have an account with YouTube contacts these people and gets them to start going to the people who have real life experience with stocking and handling all of these animals that we see in their set-up. Here, wetwebmedia.com (lord knows I've spent many years there working with people on stocking issues), or any other site that you use and know to have good, reliable information. I've seen your last set-up and that, along with 20+ years of hobby experience certainly counts for a lot (and in this instance, certainly a bit more than having that ubiquitous marine bio degree).

I think that's more productive and constructive than jumping to the kind of conclusions you have. Besides, everyone around here knows that conclusion-jumping is my forte.

 

[Anonymous]

A degree in Marine Biology means jack squat when it comes to knowledge of stocking fish species in captivity together. About as useful as saying you are a certified Petco Aquatic Technician or whatever they call themselves.

Yep.
Seen that one play out before...in herpetology with regard to reptile husbandry as well.

 

[stubbsz]

I don't get a video when I click on the link and i don't find anything searching on Mafia Fish... Probably just as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Apparently enough people were distraught enough to have it removed. Better to keep the cover over your head!

It was a video of people putting newly purchased fish from a bucket into a tank. A large tank, with a couple of puffers, clown trigger, tangs, angel, and some various other fish all cobbled together from different oceans and habitats.. Oh yeah, can't forget the Monos. So, they video tape and one guy is talking about survival of the fittest and how some fish are making it in this mix and apparently other fish aren't. By the time they realize one or two of the other fish aren't going to make it in this mix (one of them a wrasse the species name of which escapes me, but I learned to call it a ****head wrasse because it's so aggressive, I would have pegged THAT fish as one of the ones to make a lot of trouble in that tank) it's pretty much too late.

So, they remove the fishes they believe are the "Mafia Dons", the most aggressive of the group, including a yellow tang who sure is showing a LOT of aggression. They talk about how they're trying to find a compatible mix of fish and they've consulted a marine biologist no less. They add some other fish, including a pair of Clarkii clowns. One of the clowns does fine, the other doesn't. People are OUTRAGED! The only reason they put the fish in the tank was to watch them die, according to them. I didn't hear it or see it. They didn't acclimate them! I want to know how they determined this, and suggest that if they're really that terribly upset by fish dying maybe they should rethink keeping fish (especially marine) altogether.

That goes over like a lead balloon. :lol: :|

Enough people complained about it, and somehow this is construed as "stopping" them. From what that really means anything I sure would like to know. It hasn't stopped them from buying fish. It won't stop them from continuing to try to find a compatible mix of fish. It won't stop people from stuffing too many fishes into their tanks. What it accomplished, other than simply removing the video from circulation (which is ultimately meaningless in my opinion) I have NO earthly idea.

But, there you have it.

You didn't miss much. I thought it was an unattractive mix of fish. I also thought that a better purpose might be served to steer these people towards a site such as RDO or wetwebmedia (where the crew spends countless hours advising people on stuff like compatibility). <shrug> I thought it was a good idea and better than just having the video removed.