Bringing Public Aquariums Home: Have you been inspired by something that you have seen in a public aquarium?

[Peace River]

Have you been inspired by something that you have seen in a public aquarium, at an amusement park, or in a super-sized commercial setting? While it may not be practical to have a massive reef in your home, there is still a lot that we can learn from public aquariums. As you watch video tours, visit the displays, or take behind-the-scenes tours, what have you learned that you can apply to your personal tank?

If you’re not sure where to start looking for inspiration from public aquariums, we have sponsors like Orphek, Tenecor, and others that provide equipment and consulting for public aquariums.

Check out these articles from @Orphek about their experiences with public aquariums:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/orphe...g-lasting-love-affair-part-i-middle-east.877/

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/amazo...-nausicaá-the-biggest-aquarium-in-europe.850/

@Tenecor Aquariums has many articles available here on R2R that share a massive amount of information on acrylic and other topics in their "A Tenecor® Explainer" series:
https://www.reef2reef.com/search/3742200/?q=A+Tenecor%C2%AE+Explainer&c[users]=Tenecor+Aquariums&o=relevance

In the discussion below, please share your inspiration and any ideas that you learned from a public aquarium and have implemented in your own tank!

 

[tbrown3589]

The ideas I keep trying to bring home keep getting shot down by my wife. She doesn't want me to have an aquarium tunnel or arch in the house and she won't let me have a Ray petting tank... I do see some neat aquascaping and all that but I always tend to end up with more of a pile of rocks in my tank. Recently I decided to try some of the DIY Aragocrete Reef Rocks and I've actually been able to do a little more with my rock work.

Sorry it's a little dirty.

 

[Aspect]

They big

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I tried, but this pump doesn’t fit in my redsea system. Oh well…and that is not me just sayin

 

[revhtree]

One of the things that have inspired me from a public aquarium is when I'm able to view the equipment and control rooms. Seeing the control of the aquarium all nice and tidy and professional looking makes me want to improve in that area!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cant say i get inspired but rather enjoy the scenery
Speaking of Public aquariums, John Shedd aquarium in Chicago had a LONG time Beluga whale at their aquarium. It died yesterday
Her name was Mauyak - Age 41

 

[Sean Clark]

I am still saving up to implement the plan. Shipping charges are holding me back...

 

[tbrown3589]

I am still saving up to implement the plan. Shipping charges are holding me back...
View attachment 2901780

Shipping on the glass or the shark?

 

[Sean Clark]

Shipping on the glass or the shark?

Next day air on the whale sharks and manta rays.

 

[ZoWhat]

View attachment 2901780

This is where I got COVID this past June... but worth it

SIZE of this tank can not be put into words.... the thickness of the acrylic is 3ft minimum

 

[Fishology]

My ten gallon is such a simple scape it’s looks natural this was inspdier by the realistic scapes many aquariums have how simple they are, I allow algae to grow and flow in this tank to a extent. And very scarce amount of corals only have mushrooms and a new Zoa I added I might add red fire algae to make it look wild.

 

[StatelineReefer]

The one thing I want to bring from the public aquarium to the home is a ray petting tank.

Just something about the way they swim up to you makes you feel like they're flappy pancake sea puppies.

 

[Jwise]

Ive seen public ones where there is a ton of tangs in their systems and it looks so amazing to see them schooling. Im actually trying that in my system im doing 10 tangs in my aquarium and im getting all tiny little aquacultured ones so im excited to see how it goes. Im going to try and get as many as i can at once so i can add the as much as possible at the same time so they can try and get established at the same time if they get territorial i got a separate aquarium for any trouble makers for a while until the other can establish.

 

[LisaMarie]

As a kid I got to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium on a field trip before it was opened to the public. Much of it was still under construction. Got trapped in an elevator for a few hours and have been obsessed with the ocean ever since

 

[FDchase]

I usually take the wife to Monterey for our anniversary. We always go to the aquarium. I’ve never been inspired by the reef tanks but the other tanks always make me want to start a cold water system. The only problem is lack of livestock sales, a custom thick walled aquarium to keep condensation down, and to collect off the California coast you need a permit that’s like $400 and there are a ton of rules. So I’ve been inspired but I’m probably never going to bring the inspiration home.

 

[Crustaceon]

I always wanted to have a gigantic cylindrical tank just to have less of a curve and less optical distortion. Small cylinder tanks always disappoint me because of that.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I was inspired when I was a kid at the Camden aquarium and thought they had a really nice SPS corals. 20 years later I find out they where just coral inserts. Inspiration taken back

 

[CowTusks]

Visited the Seattle Aquarium on May 19, 2021. It was the first time I had been to a large aquarium since setting up my 40 G. I mostly use them to find species I’d never see or hear about otherwise. It’s also a great way to see how corals look and fill in a space when they aren’t a tiny frag.

I’ll use this thread as an opportunity to get an ID on this coral from that visit. Definitely don’t have a tank for it today but always dream and plan the next one.

Thanks!

 

[Fishy888]

The ideas I keep trying to bring home keep getting shot down by my wife. She doesn't want me to have an aquarium tunnel or arch in the house and she won't let me have a Ray petting tank... I do see some neat aquascaping and all that but I always tend to end up with more of a pile of rocks in my tank. Recently I decided to try some of the DIY Aragocrete Reef Rocks and I've actually been able to do a little more with my rock work.
View attachment 2901748
Sorry it's a little dirty.

It looks great to me though.

 

[Fishy888]

I haven’t been to a public aquarium in a good 25 years but My wife and I want to visit one soon.