Nemo Scheme Page A10 of Vancouver Sun

[Ryan7]

I read this article this morning. Would like to hear what others think. Anyone know anymore about this?

[snaggle]

can any one scan that article I want to read it.

Brad

[Bob I]

The Vancouver Sun is available online. Unfortunately I have not yet found the article in the online edition. :sad:

[WWWD]

can we get the gyst of the article ryan?

[christyf5]

dang I found it but you have to subscribe to the electronic edition :sad:

maybe this is it?

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Front/465625.html

http://myweb.dal.ca/dibarra/

[Petcrazy]

I saw it in the National Post, funny how I just grabbed the article and walked into my room with it, checked the forum and voila.

It all started with one Prof trying to breed clownfish and hoping to get funding for his breeding project to help deter 'wild caught' practices.
Since he couldnt get the funding, it all crashed. Leaving 250 Ocellaris clowns without a home, sitting in lab tanks only to await euthanasia.

Some of the students (one in particular) decided to sell these clownfish to the public to make up for some of the profs losses and get these clownfish good homes(apparently).
Now where the educated eye sees a problem is the KITS these guys were selling these fish with were.

2-Occellaris Clowns
1-small FISH BOWL
- Some coral and sand
- caretaking instructions
For 50 bucks.
Does anyone else notice the issue here?

So as anyone else would expect, mothers, fathers and their young children came rushing in. Since they put up a "Save a Nemo" website and posters all over the place. He sold them to anyone who came of course...

The administration put an end to this since they didnt want to face legal liabilities after the fish were sold.
DUH

The remaining fish did find good homes apparently in a research facility in a simulated sea tank deal.

Which is better than a fish bowl...or direct Euthanasia. I hope....

I'm still shocked a student who should have known better would have encouraged the sale of these fish in bowls...but I won't get into that.

[Petcrazy]

"He’s created a Save-a-Nemo kit for $50, including two fish, a 4.5-litre tank, air pump, hose and air stone, under-gravel filter, hood with light, anti-evaporation acrylic lid, two plastic plants, coral-based sand, marine rock, a one-month supply of sea salt and food, and a pamphlet with instructions on clownfish care and information on the species and the coral reef ecosystem."
Funny how you read one article and they say BOWL and quite little else
then another states all sorts of junk and that its a tank...though...barely over a gallon....for two clowns.
And...well...I'm not even going to go into the rest.

[OCDP]

There's a thread floating around on RC somewhere about this.

Pretty sad... they posted a picture of what the "kit" is , and it's just a 1g "tank" ? with two ocellaris, and air pump.. then they have a pop can to the right of it for size reference hah.. ahhhh :(

[christyf5]

http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/nanaimo/story.html?id=cf415498-ad82-490c-b6f6-f51d19924500

[Samw]

Thanks Christy.

Wow, the idea came from someone with a PhD too.

[Petcrazy]

I know
It's pretty ridiculous...
But it doesn't surprise me...
I remember that one day at a pet store a customer argued with me over the effects of water changes. I tried to explain that animals are defecating in the water, of course you have to clean it.
He swore up and down that that was BS and he could slam as many goldfish as he wanted into his tiny tank....he knew better than me of course...after all...he was a Veterinarian back where he came from and was angry that we wouldn't accept his degrees here.
....well dude....since you won't admit that fish are living animals and crap...well...I'm thankful you are not operating on any of my pets.

Another one was a Marine Biology student who argued with me over filtration, water changes and the whole "fish grow to the size of the tank" ordeal.
-sighs-....it's sad that someone with apparently so much education...can be so stupid.

I've had doctors argue with me as well over algae as well after all I must have a low IQ since I am not a doctor, I'm younger and well...working in a store.

-sighs-....

[Johnny Reefer]

Wow, the idea came from someone with a PhD too.

I don't think he actually had the PhD, yet. The article says he is a PhD candidate. But, still. He should have known, better.

While reading this thread, and the part about one source saying tank and another saying bowl, I thought about how the media is so huge, now, with so many people involved that it seems they get alot wrong these days and you can't trust anything they say anymore.

This interpretation, (ie: "PhD candidate" to "he has a PhD") I think illustrates my point. Facts get distorted.
JMO, and not trying to justify this "Save Nemo" thing. Just making an observation about the media, is all.

Cheers,

[Xtasia]

"The largely unregulated trade not only depletes coral reefs of prized species such as clownfish, its methods are also controversial.

Harvesters often capture live fish from tropical reefs by stunning them first with liquid cyanide. As a result, a majority of the fish die before even reaching retail outlets in countries such as Canada."

True for most fish, but I read that due to the clownfish's trusting personality that clowns tended to be "cup caught" and are not often cyanide caught anymore. Not really applicable to the story at hand, tho it does add some sensational finesse.

The Doctor had a PH.D... the student was a PHD candidate.
"Dalhousie oceanography professor Dr. Alan Pinder " - The Doctor
"That's when his students, led by PhD-oceanography candidate Ibarra, stepped in to sell the fish directly to the public" - The student

[TNTCanada]

The sad thing is there are a lot of pet stores that would sell you the same thing. :sad:

With this said it doesn’t matter how much schooling you have, I had a Biologist argue with me that you can keep Bettas in a bowl with a plant and the Betta would live a healthy life as long as there was water in it. They said the Betta would eat the plant and the plant would keep the water chemistry and water quality good. I tried to tell them Bettas are mostly carnivorous they argued with me and said they are herbivores and they knew better because they were a Biologist.

So would I trust this person (Biologist) with my tank NO.

But there are Biologists like Christy would I trust her with my tank, Yes.

I also know a Biologist that calls me when they have problems with their tank and my title is “Retail manager” in a grocery store.

School only teaches you so much the rest is up to the person.

A title is only a title.

What was the intent of this student? I’m sure they were just trying to do something good. Mistakes happen and I’m sure they have learned from this.
We all make mistakes, have I killed a fish do to the neglect of not doing enough research, YES. Most everyone has at some point in this hobby.

Did I learn from it yes, will I do it again I sure hope not.

To end my comments I say lets give this student some slack they, I hope were just trying to do the right thing but just didn’t do it right.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers
Tyler

[digital-audiophile]

Would it not have been better for them to contact a LFS and sell the fish to them This way they could get some money and help ensure the fish went to better homes.

I fear what the mortality rate will be from these "fish bowls"

Greg

[OCDP]

Would seem to be a logical solution to sell the fish to a LFS. Not that it's going to ensure a long-term solution for the fish.. but surely they will be better of than in these "bowls"

[christyf5]

But there are Biologists like Christy would I trust her with my tank, Yes.



Aww, thanks :redface:

But you do know about my affinity for growing algae right? :wink:

Of course the logical solution would have been to sell to a LFS, but logics don't necessarily play a part in everyones life :wink: Most likely with the Nemo craze maybe the guy thought it would be better (and more money could be made) to just sell them with a tank? After all, he could have just sold them in the bag, he didn't have to provide tank setups and all.

Who knows what people are thinking when they do stuff like this? Quite frankly I'm surprised it took so long for the school to shut him down, or that his supervisor didn't.

[Xtasia]

alot of peopel don't know you can sell fish to a store. figure it's a one way arrangement.

[Johnny Reefer]

(and more money could be made)

That'd be my, uh, guess.
Hard not to speculate, isn't it? :neutral:

Cheers,