The latest tanks to be replaced at the MaST center are what was known as 2 and 3. Since the center has decided to switch to front access for easier cleaning, the space behind the old tanks originally used for access was turned into aquarium space! I designed the new 2 measures 5' W x 3' H x 4' D and almost 450 gallons! Thats a big bump from the old 2 which was only 180 gallons.
The latest tanks to be replaced at the MaST center are what was known as 2 and 3. Since the center has decided to switch to front access for easier cleaning, the space behind the old tanks originally used for access was turned into aquarium space! I designed the new 2 measures 5′ W x 3′ H x 4′ D and almost 450 gallons! Thats a big bump from the old 2 which was only 180 gallons.
Right out of the paper, what a beast.
We decided to go for a cavern-esque/ overhang look, with a lot of rocks jutting out at the top. Something you’d find in the south Sound, Tacoma area. An excellent habitat for rockfish and fun sessile invertebrates.
To start, I took a bunch of recycled sheet styrofoam and broke it into chunks. I glued them together with polyurethane foam and brushed on a thin layer of cement.This is the biggest piece being installed. It is hollow with screens built in the backside to conceal the outflow. The cement is still thin and I’ll add more in layers as a sculpt out the rock faces.Here is all the rock glued in at about 50% done. Its best to move the rock in and sculpt in the aquarium (if you can fit) so the rocks aren’t super hard to move.I was tired of sitting in the tank so I made the aquarium biologist, Matt, get in and vacuum it out before adding the substrate.Substrate is in, final color and texture has been applied. The water will make the colors in the rock stand out better. Don’t worry, once there is water in it you wont see all the stuff behind the tank like that old electrical.All filled up and full of critters including a canary rockfish, some Pacific tomcod and some echinoderms! The water is a tad cloudy, as typical for that time of year (February). Here it is six months later! I am so sorry about the glare, its almost like its summer or something and the sun never goes down.
The fish have changed (tomcod had to move). Now it features a pile perch, black rockfish, quillback rockfish, white spotted greenling and some anemones! All the white is barnacles that have settled onto the rock surfaces, covering all my hard work. Such is life in a raw water aquarium.
