Calgary zoo rays die due to human error

[Tarolisol]

"we didn't have any expertise in aquariums or fish"
From the Calgary sun lack of dissolved oxygen killed rays.

[Keri]

Really?
It took that long to figure that out?

[Pier Pressure]

You would think before they went to the trouble to set up the aquarium, they would have hired an expert to overlook the entire process. Somebody really dropped the ball on that one.

[Keri]

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2009/02/03/8243976-sun.html


Hmm!

[Rbacchiega]

It says that they used a system that was reffered to them by someone.

Unless that someone was the massive aquariums in the states or Vancouver even I would have been doing some extra research.

Calgary zoo needs to buck up in my opinion. I still love taking my godson there, but now he asks where the rays are and where the baby elephant is. This kid is Two and he knows something isn't right

[digital-audiophile]

So is it one of the maintenance guys in Calgary? I don't think the zoo would name names.

[Keri]

So is it one of the maintenance guys in Calgary? I don't think the zoo would name names.


summary:

"The answer is 99.9% sure, we believe the dissolved oxygen was too low -- the life-support system was not designed to provide enough dissolved oxygen," said Lanthier.

-

"We didn't have any expertise in aquarium and fish, so we partnered with a reputable designer of life-support systems, one that came with a recommendation, and that's what we implemented," said Lanthier.

While the system seemed fine for the first few months, Lanthier said the oxygen wasn't keeping up -- and when staff tried to save the rays, they altered the evidence.

Keepers rushed to move the rays to another tank when the first signs of distress were noted, and in disturbing the water, they mixed in enough oxygen to make tests useless.

[Tarolisol]

You would think for such a large publiic exhibit testing dissolved oxygen would be a daily duty

[awa1979]

Someone somewhere dropped the ball on building and designing that enclosure.

Not the first time a zoo has killed aquarium life, a zoo in Indiana not long ago killed most of their sharks by over dosing ozone.

[digital-audiophile]

The question that needs to be asked now then:

Since the exhibit has re-opened (albeit without touching/feeding) have they rectified the design issues, or at least bought a profilux ;)

[Myka]

Although highly unprofessional, it's cases like this where I think about all the livestock that dies daily in shipping and in the hands of amateur (and experienced) and "experimental" aquarists.

[BlueAbyss]

Although highly unprofessional, it's cases like this where I think about all the livestock that dies daily in shipping and in the hands of amateur (and experienced) and "experimental" aquarists.

+1, though a zoo should know better.

[Tarolisol]

Although highly unprofessional, it's cases like this where I think about all the livestock that dies daily in shipping and in the hands of amateur (and experienced) and "experimental" aquarists.

This is way different then that. A zoo charges for addmission and is expected to know at least something of the species they keep

[i have crabs]

when this first happened i guessed oxygen levels, i really wish we could see the entire set up,kinda wonder what kind of goodies they have hooked up

[Tarolisol]

when this first happened i guessed oxygen levels, i really wish we could see the entire set up,kinda wonder what kind of goodies they have hooked up

My guess is a mag 3 pump with a rena air pump and one of those circular air stones.

[jslaney]

Not to question the big wigs, but that is a relatively shallow tank with a huge amount of surface area. Even if there was no water movement does low O2 make sense?

Unless bacteria started using all the O2 (which would be noticed by green water) this does not seem possible.

You could probably shut off all the pumps and still have enough O2.

What do you guys think?

[Samw]

I guess it depends on their bioload. In my tank, oxygen levels can drop really fast overnight. Recently, I've neglected to clean my pump intakes causing the skimmer to stop aerating my tank and I lost the highest oxygen demanding livestock overnight when CO2 was highest and there was no photosynthesis taking place. When I measured the oxygen that morning, it had gone down to below 50% even though I had 2 powerheads and an overhead sump overflow return moving the water. When I have my lights on during the day, the levels are over 100%.


Not to question the big wigs, but that is a relatively shallow tank with a huge amount of surface area. Even if there was no water movement does low O2 make sense?

Unless bacteria started using all the O2 (which would be noticed by green water) this does not seem possible.

You could probably shut off all the pumps and still have enough O2.

What do you guys think?

[fragNplug]

My guess is a mag 3 pump with a rena air pump and one of those circular air stones.
touchee

[chevyjaxon]

you would think that the keepers would be passionate enough to do copious amounts of reading on the species they keep and just marine life in general the problem is most people today have a lack of passion for anything but miller time, so just keep flaming the zoo:onfire: they deserve it for a boo boo that big but even more importantly did they never check their PH Im sure that would be the first indicator that something is amiss:sad:

[Tarolisol]

Not to question the big wigs, but that is a relatively shallow tank with a huge amount of surface area. Even if there was no water movement does low O2 make sense?

Unless bacteria started using all the O2 (which would be noticed by green water) this does not seem possible.

You could probably shut off all the pumps and still have enough O2.

What do you guys think?

I was at the zoo a few days before the rays started to die and you could notice something wasnt right. red algea was all over the tank and water wasnt that pretty either.

[albert_dao]

I'd point my fingers more at the consultation firm than the Zoo itself, but that's not to excuse the obvious ignorance on behalf of the Zoo.

[i have crabs]

ive been to quite a few ray tanks and when i seen the rays here they didnt look healthy, lots of sore's and not good color compared to others id seen