OK, I have done some editing and rewriting. It may not be enough to consider this a final edition, but I am presently at a loss as to how to place more emphasis on advertising value or on shortening it more than what my revisions below may provide.
Quote:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is time that Market Street Cinema’s Freshwater Fish Aquarium live up to its potential. The tank is 6 feet long with a capacity of 125 gallons and sits prominently in the theater’s front lobby. Unfortunately it is understocked and has very little decoration. We would like to transform the aquarium from "bland" to "grand". Market Street Cinema has long been a venue for local artists to display their artworks, it is time that our aquarium was a beautiful artwork of its own. More than 2 months of research was conducted to create an aquarium that is as beautiful as it is humane.
Advertising and "Exposure, exposure, exposure!"...
To accomplish our goal of transforming our aquarium, we decided that our budgetary constraints could be your opportunity for exposure. This is a unique opportunity for long term exposure at a nominal one-time cost to you. In exchange for your monetary contributions towards this project, we will prominently display Plaques of Recognition directly over the aquarium. The 12” x 15” plaques will showcase our contributors (that's you) on elegant black nameplates with gold engraved lettering.
The new aquarium aquascape when completed is certain to draw much attention with our patrons. The plaques of recognition will be ideally placed for maximum exposure to our patrons. The accompanying sample sheets show a concept image of the aquarium we intend to create, an image and brief description of each fish species we have planned to stock, and concept images of the plaques of recognition.
We plan to have 4 levels of contribution with at least one plaque for each. Please refer to the plaque sample sheet for details. Prices are $20, $50, $100, and $250. Nameplates may be up to 2 lines and each size will have a maximum number of characters allowed. Larger nameplates will have larger character limits but letter size will be the same. As a bonus, the plaque for $250 contributors will have additional gold embellishments and nameplates may be up to 4 lines each. Lettering size on the nameplates for $250 contributors will be larger as well.
In addition to nameplates, contributors will receive a thank you letter in the mail. Plaques will be displayed once there are enough nameplates for each and some plaque specific details may be subject to change without notice. All contributions will be expressly reserved for this freshwater aquarium project and are not tax deductible.
I get the feeling that I unintentionally offended some of the ethical sensibilities here. I'd love to be wrong, and perhaps I am reading too much into it, but I am surprised to not find any responses to either of my last 2 responses.
I apparently screwed up when I got the pleco and have conceded as much. I am hoping though that in my error that I have not ostracized myself either through the error itself or through my last response to it.
Although I have been active here since late August and have learned much in that time, please remember that I am still a novice at this. Further exasperating matters is that I do not have 100% control over what happens with the aquarium. I am accountable to both the members of this forum who have so generously been instrumental in their help, and I am accountable to the hierarchy of the theater.
Adding the pleco was not something that I did impulsively. It was something that I had considered from the point of learning about the adoption tank when the original agenda was to re-home the koi.
I neglected to specifically mention that I had been considering this. While I can wish that I had posted about it on here, it is too late now. It was an oversight on my part. Unfortunately, now that the pleco has gone in, to remove it I need to be able to justify why it must come back out.
Obviously having added the pleco, I thought I had taken enough care and thought that I had learned enough that I could take that step. I have been told that I was wrong, but I still don't adequately understand why I was wrong.
I cannot possibly provide justification for removing the pleco when I do not understand the whys. Shai, you were clear in expressing your strong feelings that the pleco should be returned, but you did not really explain your reasons well enough for me to fully understand.
I will gladly try to undo my mistake, but until I have rational justifications, I will not be able to mount any kind of convincing argument to be given permission to return the pleco.
I like that this forum is as ethical as it is. I have tried to abide by those ethics, but please remember to show me some patience. I can study and learn all I can on here, but am still bound to make my share of mistakes. Unfortunately nothing quite compares to hands-on experience. All I can do is try to avoid mistakes, and when mistakes inevitably occur, all I can do is try to rectify them. I know the restrictions that come with this tank can be frustrating like the dilemma of removing fish once they go in. But however frustrating you may find it, remember that I too am frustrated, and I am the one having to deal with those confrontations in person.
Perhaps I am wrong and no sensibilities have been offended, but this still needed to be said because such things sometimes need verbalization and reinforcement.
That said, I am still hoping that people will come forward to help by replying to the prior 2 posts.
Obviously having added the pleco, I thought I had taken enough care and thought that I had learned enough that I could take that step. I have been told that I was wrong, but I still don't adequately understand why I was wrong.
I cannot possibly provide justification for removing the pleco when I do not understand the whys. Shai, you were clear in expressing your strong feelings that the pleco should be returned, but you did not really explain your reasons well enough for me to fully understand.
How about looking up the problems people have with plecos?
If you keep it all your other stocking plans can be thrown out as you have already overstocked the tank.
They can live in 90 gallons as a minimum but your tank is too narrow for a full grown pleco to turn around and they are well known as bulldozers of aquacaping as well as leaving poop garlands everywhere.
I actually missed the post where the pleco was added.
If your tank is indeed not cycled, that is my first objection to the pleco. Additionally, there is simply no need for the pleco at this point. I am a bit baffled as to why you decided to add one. You seemed so set on a more appropriately sized pleco... the addition of a common pleco seems like it came out of left field. (Frankly, though, I'm more upset that a member of this site actually recommended it).
Diatom algae (the brown stuff you are seeing) is virtually unavoidable in new tanks. It will form and then will go away as the tank ages. In other words, there was no need to add an algae eater to combat it.
Members of this site tend to look at fish not just as something pretty swimming around in a glass box, but a living, breathing organism that should be treated as such. We do not usually recommend temporarily taking fish in and then returning them when they no longer suit your tank.
Additional objections have been stated by diademhill (size, strain on bioload, destructive behavior, etc.).
In regards to your letter to potential supporters, I think it is very well written and hopefully will do the trick in garnering support (and, more importantly, funds) for this project. _________________ Cory Tank Sorority Tank Mbuna Tanks
Joined: 23 Feb 2007 Location: Fairmont, Minnesota, USA
Posted: 2009.11.04(Wed)18:00 Post subject:
Quote:
In exchange for your monetary contributions towards this project, we will prominently display Plaques of Recognition directly over the aquarium. The 12” x 15” plaques will showcase our contributors (that's you) on elegant black nameplates with gold engraved lettering.
I would reword this part. My first impression was that each donation would get a 12" by 15" plaque.
To be fair, everyone on this site has a job, family, friends, etc outside of this forum. Then, there are also lots of other threads needing attention too. Two days without a response is really not that long. : )
Anyway, my objections to the pleco are as others have stated. Also, you've previously taken a position of only stocking what was on your list and you thoroughly hashed out what would be appropriate for said list...but then you went in exactly the opposite direction and neither did you research the common pleco's needs before getting it.
Re: the documents...
I still think you are trying to give out too much information all at once. You need to market without overdoing it.
Your first document needs to be the hook. Tell them what you're doing, why you're doing it, and why they should be interested. It has to be quick and catchy. Example.
The second document should show them the example of what they'll get and tells them how to contribute. Example. You don't have to be detailed; let the picture speak for you (they will figure it out). Note here: I think you should drop the $20 contribution. Don't sell yourself short; show confidence. $50 should be the minimum for a business to get on a plaque. Additionally, keep in mind that the nameplates are actually still quite small; even on the wall above the aquarium they will still be reasonably hard to read, so you can't cram too many of them on the same plaque.
Don't block contributors into set levels; there should be thresholds so they can donate any amount they want.
Instead of the $20 option, have a "big ticket" donation that gets them their own plaque, with no one else on it but them. I would make the threshold for this at least $300 and up; adjust the $250 level down to $200.
Do not say the plaque won't go up until there are enough donations. This will make them wonder, "What happens if there aren't enough donations?" The next thought will be, The plaque will never go up so I'll have wasted my money. Boo. You will have to get the nameplates made and put on the plaques on an "as accrued" basis; the shop should only charge a small fee to add on the additional ones. (This is another reason to drop the $20 option; you still need to pay for the plaques and engraving too.)
The more simple your documents are, the easier they are to distribute in other ways. For example: Upload them to the theater's website (or get someone to create HTML versions) and encourage people to make their donation when they come in to see a film.
Include the "tank concept" and stocking page with the flyer and donation sheet. You don't have to tell people what they are for; each page is self-explanatory.
Don't tell them they'll get a thank you letter; that's not a bonus, it's something you need to do regardless.
I had a feeling that this would happen. A number of pages ago I suggested a pleco as a substitute for cories. I was not clear about this and intended to edit my post to be more specific (some of the smaller species). I subsequently read the ever-evolving stocking considerations and the common pleco wasn't in the mix - so I let it go. Now there is one in the tank and that is a mistake.
A common pleco will completely change the stocking plan, even in a six foot tank. Please take the fish back to the store or start your stocking plans from scratch. The reasons are numerous, but IME and IMO a common plecostomus is one of about a dozen fish that should never be sold in the hobby unless the person is an expert keeper with adequate tanks (thousands of gallons). _________________ You're gonna need a bigger boat...
The reasons are numerous, but IME and IMO a common plecostomus is one of about a dozen fish that should never be sold in the hobby unless the person is an expert keeper
The above is (the start) of an "out" for the pleco.
The pleco is 3 inches right now. Can it be argued that the pleco at even 3 inches requires an "expert keeper"?
If you can help justify that line of reasoning (for which I would need to be provided reasons that I am not yet knowlegable enough to provide myself), then I can give the reasons that a common pleco of any size requires "expert care".
I also thought of a reason of my own which is that should the current people working this project depart the theater before the project's agenda is realized, then the tank will be stuck with a fish that will grow to a serious problem with no-one left to remove it.
I am all for doing everything in line with the ethics of this forum. A few subtle omissions accidentally resulted in what I deem as a major mistake.
Not everyone will think of (or say) everything relevant. I have been favoring decisions reached by consensus. Such decisions stand a greater chance of "covering the bases". I got the pleco as a temporary addition. When seeking a way to rehome the koi, temporary substitutes were discussed openly and no-one mentioned that this board considers "temporary homing" bad. I don't blame anyone for the omission, and it came up now which although later than optimal is still good. Since it was not something I was aware of, I in my inexperience (with fish keeping and with the longer view ethics of this forum) made a conclusion that a "temporary fish" was not viewed as bad. That then led to another bad conclusion that since the fish was temporary (and not one I understood to be a potential problem until it grew larger) that I did not need to consult the board prior to getting it. I was wrong and I am sorry.
I can try to run with just my own argument, but I stand a better chance if this board can come forward with reasons (real reasons) that a common pleco of any size requires "expert care".
I will make my other replies later because right now I consider this a matter of urgency and want all the focus and all the replies to be on providing reasons that a common pleco of any size requires "expert care".
I am going to try to get the pleco removed today and returned to the PetCo adoption tank. I am going to argue that I did not realize until after getting the pleco that if the people behind this project depart the theater, there will be no-one to remove it before it grows too large. I am also going to argue that this forum has unanimously objected to the pleco's addition and that I learned that a common pleco requires "expert care".
Hopefully I will not be questioned as to why the pleco requires "expert care" because I will need to reply "I don't know, I asked the forum and am still awaiting the replies. I will let you know when I have an explanation." Then I will push to remove it asap without waiting on an answer.
I hope someone here can elaborate on the "why the common pleco (even at 3 inches) requires expert care." I will be putting myself on the proverbial chopping block by pushing to remove the pleco before having all the answers. _________________ Planning of our Aquarium on public display.
Don't say a pleco needs expert care because that is not true - what is true is that they should not be sold to novices and unsuspecting public with small (<180 gallon) tanks.
A three inch plec becomes a 12 inch pleco within a year and in a couple more years can look something like this;-
The main reason why I can see others at the theatre not wanting the common pleco is that, in addition to (or, rather, because of) his size, he will make the tank look bad. Imagine your patrons viewing the tank with the bottom littered with long stringy pleco poop. The powers that be at the theatre may not accept "the pleco's waste will quickly make the tank unsuitable for the other fish" or "the pleco will get very large" (they may see this as a GOOD thing, because large fish draw attention), but will very likely understand: "The common pleco will make the tank look like crap."
Smaller plecs are more suitable because they don't create so much waste.
Regarding rehoming fish: I have rehomed fish in the past, but always to good homes. Returning the fish to Petco would definitely not better his living environment. It will be very difficult (near impossible) to find a good home for a large, common pleco. _________________ Cory Tank Sorority Tank Mbuna Tanks
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