Swedish fish - behind the scenes rebuilding a public aquarium

[Sallstrom]

I spy your little friend peeking out there, hah hah.

That is not my friend! If the window wasn't there, it would attack my face immediately. It's like an angry little dog, and has been for at least 7 years now. I don't know why it has to be that angry... Not sure if it get's to move in to the new large reef tank. But perhaps it might keep the smaller fish schooling by chasing them all the time

It's a Neoglyphidodon melas, or something similar. It has changed colours a bit during the years. Not a fish I recommend for tanks under 100 000 litre if you like to have other fish too

 

[d.fast]

Those are wonderful fish! I do miss mine, yours hasn't even changed colours yet properly so it is just a small peaceful baby still. Just you wait until it has turned completely matt black. Then you may have to evacuate the building...

 

[Sallstrom]

Those are wonderful fish! I do miss mine, yours hasn't even changed colours yet properly so it is just a small peaceful baby still. Just you wait until it has turned completely matt black. Then you may have to evacuate the building...

It was blue i think, perhaps 7 seven years ago. Then changed to more silver and yellow. But sometimes it gets darker. Don't know what it's doing

It was in our room devider reef, a 2000 litre tank, when I got here in 2009. And almost every time we tried to introduce a new fish the new fish ended upp in the sump trying to get away from this monster. That was the reason we had pretty much the same fish in that tank for 10 years..

It also moved around all new corals that wasn't attached or attach to smaller rocks. I used to have a game and put the rock back every morning, tried to get the fish to understand that I will continue to do so and that it was no point for it to move it. Worked some times, mostly not So I've given up on it.

 

[Sallstrom]

Work goes on. Still not finished with the structures in the future reef tank. But we had a great workshop with a landscape architect/light expert two weeks ago and got a lot of good ideas. Did a couple of changes today but will do more changes later. And I added a bunch of "frags"

 

[Brew12]

Work goes on. Still not finished with the structures in the future reef tank. But we had a great workshop with a landscape architect/light expert two weeks ago and got a lot of good ideas. Did a couple of changes today but will do more changes later. And I added a bunch of "frags"

I'm liking that layout the best so far!

 

[Tristren]

Work goes on. Still not finished with the structures in the future reef tank. But we had a great workshop with a landscape architect/light expert two weeks ago and got a lot of good ideas. Did a couple of changes today but will do more changes later. And I added a bunch of "frags"

Really interesting seeing how input from all these other fields can play into designing the reef tank/system.

Any side shots of the new scape?


Tony

 

[Sallstrom]

Really interesting seeing how input from all these other fields can play into designing the reef tank/system.

Any side shots of the new scape?


Tony

Yes, we really needed that. It’s easy to get stuck otherwise. Specially in practical things(how should we hide this and that..). So it was great to talk more “soft” stuff, like space and forms.

I still want to do more changes in front of the smaller window, so no new pictures yet. But it’ll come soon!

 

[Sallstrom]

Okey. Here you really need to use your imagination and try not to see it as styrofoam and acrylic.
This is the small window, on the side of the tank. The window starts about 200 cm up from the bottom.
The distance to the other side is almost 14 meters.
The “wall” to the left is still too steep, or too uniform. Needs more “organic” structures. But needs to be there to block the view so you can’t see from one window to the other.

Might need to do the crevice on the opposite side larger to get a blue “back drop”.

 

[Sallstrom]

Now they are building the "hole" for the largest window! ;Happy

 

[tripdad]

I know how excited we all get waiting for a new tank to arrive, your group has got to be beyond excited to see this coming together. Thanks for sharing the experience!

 

[Brew12]

I know how excited we all get waiting for a new tank to arrive, your group has got to be beyond excited to see this coming together. Thanks for sharing the experience!

I do feel irrationally excited about this opening. I wonder how much is pandemic driven isolation. I've already researched hotels and restaurants in the area and I figure I'm still 17 months out from visiting.

Heck, I'm even getting dying to check out the Beerbliotek Brewery. I'm pathetic. ;Sorry

 

[Sallstrom]

 

[mort]

That is not my friend! If the window wasn't there, it would attack my face immediately. It's like an angry little dog, and has been for at least 7 years now. I don't know why it has to be that angry... Not sure if it get's to move in to the new large reef tank. But perhaps it might keep the smaller fish schooling by chasing them all the time

It's a Neoglyphidodon melas, or something similar. It has changed colours a bit during the years. Not a fish I recommend for tanks under 100 000 litre if you like to have other fish too

I had a couple neoglyphidodon damsels in a coral tray when I ran a shop and I can still hear the screams of those that ignored the "do not put your hands in the water" sign. Much cheaper than a couple of German shepherds.

 

[Sallstrom]

I had a couple neoglyphidodon damsels in a coral tray when I ran a shop and I can still hear the screams of those that ignored the "do not put your hands in the water" sign. Much cheaper than a couple of German shepherds.

That is really fun! ;Smuggrin

 

[biophilia]

So exciting to see the window opening framed out! Are you going to be keeping living kelp in the kelp forest? I don't know anything about Swedish kelp species so I'm curious if it's possible to keep them in aquaria there without continuous influx of natural seawater.

 

[Sallstrom]

So exciting to see the window opening framed out! Are you going to be keeping living kelp in the kelp forest? I don't know anything about Swedish kelp species so I'm curious if it's possible to keep them in aquaria there without continuous influx of natural seawater.

Our goal is to keep live kelp from the Swedish west coast, Laminaria species mostly. We’ve tried it a couple of times and it’s possible but not easy. More difficult than corals
One thing is the flow. It needs to be very high. Higher then a reef tank.
Then light and temperature. We will be able to follow the changes in nature.
Nutrients are also important. The macro algae can grow very fast and I think we will need to add lots of N, P, Fe, Mn and so on.
And the largest challenge. Can we avoid all unwanted algae? Most urchins and snails like to eat kelp too, so it’s hard to find the right grazers.

 

[biophilia]

Our goal is to keep live kelp from the Swedish west coast, Laminaria species mostly. We’ve tried it a couple of times and it’s possible but not easy. More difficult than corals
One thing is the flow. It needs to be very high. Higher then a reef tank.
Then light and temperature. We will be able to follow the changes in nature.
Nutrients are also important. The macro algae can grow very fast and I think we will need to add lots of N, P, Fe, Mn and so on.
And the largest challenge. Can we avoid all unwanted algae? Most urchins and snails like to eat kelp too, so it’s hard to find the right grazers.

Very cool! I'd love to see some updates along the way on that system as well if time permits. I know Monterey Bay Aquarium here in California has had a lot of success with a live kelp forest exhibit, but not sure how they deal with the unwanted algae issue. I think they may just let micro and macro algae take over and grow on all of the surfaces. I wonder if some sort of smooth, flexible sleeve could be placed around the kelp holdfasts to protect them from urchin predation? Or maybe you'll have to add some sea otters to keep the urchins in check

 

[Sallstrom]

Very cool! I'd love to see some updates along the way on that system as well if time permits. I know Monterey Bay Aquarium here in California has had a lot of success with a live kelp forest exhibit, but not sure how they deal with the unwanted algae issue. I think they may just let micro and macro algae take over and grow on all of the surfaces. I wonder if some sort of smooth, flexible sleeve could be placed around the kelp holdfasts to protect them from urchin predation? Or maybe you'll have to add some sea otters to keep the urchins in check

Monterey Bay Aquarium are pumping in NSW from the kelp forest outside and the kelp tank is without a roof getting real sun light. That’s cheating

We have had some luck with some types of snails. But mostly I think we need to get the kelp to thrive and grow. And get really high flow to get epiphytes of the kelp and keep the blades off the substrate.

I will keep you posted about the kelp tank

 

[Tristren]

Okey. Here you really need to use your imagination and try not to see it as styrofoam and acrylic.
This is the small window, on the side of the tank. The window starts about 200 cm up from the bottom.
The distance to the other side is almost 14 meters.
The “wall” to the left is still too steep, or too uniform. Needs more “organic” structures. But needs to be there to block the view so you can’t see from one window to the other.

Might need to do the crevice on the opposite side larger to get a blue “back drop”.

That is going to be an amazing view!

 

[Sallstrom]

This is the second time this year I forget to get a haircut before a journalist visit.. ;Bored But the clownfish looks good.

They did an article on a coral project for saving Swedish cold water corals, but added a bit about our work too.
From the local newspaper, Göteborgs-Posten.