Large aquarium

[beachbreak]

Got to go behind the scenes of the Moody Gardens aquarium in Galveston this weekend. I've never really thought about what goes on above or below public aquariums and I was pretty surprised when I saw it. The large Caribbean tank looks big when viewed from the public perspective but when viewed from above you really get a sense of the scale and size of it.

This is what a million gallons looks like from above:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/JfromHouston/moody1.jpg

This is from the equipment room. Couple of pumps...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/JfromHouston/moody2.jpg

One of the overflow boxes that surround the tank. It's roughly10'x5'x8'

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/JfromHouston/moody3.jpg

[michaelr]

wow thats pretty cool. how many watts were the MH pendants and how many of them were there haha

[allsps40]

Wow pretty cool, huge pumps and overflow. Any pics of the front view of this super sizer aquarium??

[beachbreak]

The lights are 1000 watts each and there were roughly 10/12 of them. They only have them in the center because the majority of the tank is viewed from inside the tank in acrylic rooms/tubes. It makes the fish look like they disappear into open ocean as they swim off. No live corals in these tanks....large fish and sharks only.

I ended up videoing most of the time so I have very few pictures.

These tangs (dussumieri???) were in the south pacific tank. By far the largest tang I have ever seen. They made adult nasos look small by comparison. STUNNINGLY beautiful fish by way to big for our tanks.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/JfromHouston/moody4.jpg

I'll dig around and see if I can find some more pics. I did get really good video of an adult barracuda swimming right up to the glass and just sitting there looking at my wife and I when we were in the auditorium.

[reeferstace]

I've seen "behind the scenes" at the Georgia Aquarium. It's amazing what all happens back there. I'm envious of some of the equipment they have. :)