Rikko
04-26-2005, 05:26 AM
Thought I'd start by posting the photos I took that turned out:
The beluga bouncing up and down in the water
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/beluga.jpg
A bunch of fish nerds in their glory. I felt cold and alone walking all the way over there to snap the shot :cry:
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/nerds.jpg
First shot of the diatom filter room that purifies incoming Inlet water as well as the beluga (or whatever major system) recirculating water.. You shoulda seen all the skids of 50lb diatom powder bags they had laying around
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatom1.jpg
A bit better overhead shot of the screens the water passes through. I think she said there were 26 screens per filter
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatom2.jpg
This is the kind of crap that needs to be filtered out.. Note the hair and bugs
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatomcrap.jpg
They also used both pressurized and gravity sand filters. This was one of the old gravity sand filters. Water is fed in through the top and filters through the sand (I saw a bag laying around.. It's Target silica sand - same crap I have in my brackish tank). They have several local anemones living in trenches at the top as water quality monitors. If the canary dies, get outta the mine!
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/gravitysandfilter.jpg
That was about all we saw of the marine stuff. I was pretty disappointed at what they showed us - I felt there was a LOT more going on there that they kept off the tour, like the support systems for the tropical reef systems, the horses, etc.
Nice bamboo shoots poking out from a South American display tank
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/bamboo.jpg
Think they were Sterbai corys. Most of the FW shots aren't that great but I thought the way they accessed and operated the displays from behind was interesting
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/corys.jpg
Another overhead shot of a freshwater display
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/fwoverhead.jpg
Some stubby little S. leucosticta. The dudes in my tank are HUGE compared to these guys!
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/geos.jpg
And a couple shots of a clown knifefish
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/knife1.jpg
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/knife2.jpg
Oh, and one last thing....
Is that J&L price tag????
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/JL.jpg
The beluga bouncing up and down in the water
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/beluga.jpg
A bunch of fish nerds in their glory. I felt cold and alone walking all the way over there to snap the shot :cry:
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/nerds.jpg
First shot of the diatom filter room that purifies incoming Inlet water as well as the beluga (or whatever major system) recirculating water.. You shoulda seen all the skids of 50lb diatom powder bags they had laying around
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatom1.jpg
A bit better overhead shot of the screens the water passes through. I think she said there were 26 screens per filter
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatom2.jpg
This is the kind of crap that needs to be filtered out.. Note the hair and bugs
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/diatomcrap.jpg
They also used both pressurized and gravity sand filters. This was one of the old gravity sand filters. Water is fed in through the top and filters through the sand (I saw a bag laying around.. It's Target silica sand - same crap I have in my brackish tank). They have several local anemones living in trenches at the top as water quality monitors. If the canary dies, get outta the mine!
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/gravitysandfilter.jpg
That was about all we saw of the marine stuff. I was pretty disappointed at what they showed us - I felt there was a LOT more going on there that they kept off the tour, like the support systems for the tropical reef systems, the horses, etc.
Nice bamboo shoots poking out from a South American display tank
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/bamboo.jpg
Think they were Sterbai corys. Most of the FW shots aren't that great but I thought the way they accessed and operated the displays from behind was interesting
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/corys.jpg
Another overhead shot of a freshwater display
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/fwoverhead.jpg
Some stubby little S. leucosticta. The dudes in my tank are HUGE compared to these guys!
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/geos.jpg
And a couple shots of a clown knifefish
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/knife1.jpg
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/knife2.jpg
Oh, and one last thing....
Is that J&L price tag????
http://rikko.no-ip.org/pics/vanaqua/JL.jpg