a fish tank for a museum
- Thread starter chefjamesscott
- Start date
Not at all a bad idea. If you decide to go this route here are dozens of kits and supplies as well as pre cast rubber and plastic molds available via educational supply companies. If you molded out of pigmented water safe epoxy resin no paint or sealer would be needed - this is the way and how of the big museums producing hands on displays for the public to interact with in general. Odds are the museum has contact info for this - there are good quality highly detailed molds for sale in a variety of materials and forms. Would be a lightweight (and done en masse, a cost effective alternative - shoot if there good, you could always sell replicas thru the museum, or offer the museum a visitor based activity to contribute to the tank and/or do a make&take replica project).
The problem with the triops is that although they are (truly) straight out of the Triassic era, their typical lifespan is only ~50 days. I understand they are also very difficult to breed. Maybe not the best option for a tank that can't be supervised every single day.
Ok time for an update
The triops is a cool idea just not functional so its out.
I went and picked up the keys and access card for the museum so the game is on, the card will be programed in 2 days then my access is 24/7 365.
First I would like to say thanks to all of you who dropped ideas they have been helpful. The stocking of the tank has yet to be given a direction by the resident paleo, they should have a direction for me in under a week or so.
The museum actually has fossils that can be used as well as they have the ability to make resin copies so that aspect is a go. The display that is just around the corner is the last thing people see before they see the tank so it makes sense to fashion the tank after it. The fake plants are coming out to be replace with low light mosses that I will get intwined with the wood for the prehistoric bog look. The substrate will be redone with a rough grade sand.
Now for the ugly parts.
Today was actually my first real day to be able to spend more than 5 minutes looking at the job ahead. First is the actual tank. This gar is 10 years old but is actually only 11-12 inches long, stunted for sure if this sign is correct
there is a very real possibility that this fish will be rehomed to his retirement home the 300g here at the restaurant and the tank stocked with new blood. As I was looking at this fish I am thinking the water quality is the issue with this fish. Well, here is what the inside of the tank cabinet looks like
there is a good 3 inches deep cake of salt and calcium on the upper back inside of the tank, this hob is bone dry and the top of the tank is covered with egg crate allowing much evaporation from the tank itself. the water level is about 6 inches below the top of the tank and the drywall behind the hob is in rough shape.
my first recommendation to the museum is that I run a full line of tests on the water quality in all the tanks here. second was the immense need to put a proper cannister filter on this tank, on the good note there is a killer water purifer carbon filter on the tank as it is drilled on the bottom. Next on the list is to get proper coverage on the tanks so as to prevent the rapid evaporation that the salt crust shows is happening here .(a fluval fx5 is being picked up on sat.)
I went to the fish room after this here are the shots from there
this is the red ear slider that I am rehoming, no filter, no heat, no lights
this is the feeder tank, and saddly the cover for this tank is on the floor right beside it
here are 2 other tanks 1 held a snake the 2nd i shudder to think what was murdered in it
awesome bright spot in the day though, 2 cupboards stocked with supplies which will make righting this ship very easy and very easy to keep it on an even keel after its fixed. the cupboards are about 8 feet tall and 3 1/2 feet wide so lots of goodies in there
what makes me so excited about this is that it is the first contract my new fish company has ever taken on and they said I could reference this tank in my companies resume WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT
I will photo doc the build as we go on
The triops is a cool idea just not functional so its out.
I went and picked up the keys and access card for the museum so the game is on, the card will be programed in 2 days then my access is 24/7 365.
First I would like to say thanks to all of you who dropped ideas they have been helpful. The stocking of the tank has yet to be given a direction by the resident paleo, they should have a direction for me in under a week or so.
The museum actually has fossils that can be used as well as they have the ability to make resin copies so that aspect is a go. The display that is just around the corner is the last thing people see before they see the tank so it makes sense to fashion the tank after it. The fake plants are coming out to be replace with low light mosses that I will get intwined with the wood for the prehistoric bog look. The substrate will be redone with a rough grade sand.
Now for the ugly parts.
Today was actually my first real day to be able to spend more than 5 minutes looking at the job ahead. First is the actual tank. This gar is 10 years old but is actually only 11-12 inches long, stunted for sure if this sign is correct
there is a very real possibility that this fish will be rehomed to his retirement home the 300g here at the restaurant and the tank stocked with new blood. As I was looking at this fish I am thinking the water quality is the issue with this fish. Well, here is what the inside of the tank cabinet looks like
there is a good 3 inches deep cake of salt and calcium on the upper back inside of the tank, this hob is bone dry and the top of the tank is covered with egg crate allowing much evaporation from the tank itself. the water level is about 6 inches below the top of the tank and the drywall behind the hob is in rough shape.
my first recommendation to the museum is that I run a full line of tests on the water quality in all the tanks here. second was the immense need to put a proper cannister filter on this tank, on the good note there is a killer water purifer carbon filter on the tank as it is drilled on the bottom. Next on the list is to get proper coverage on the tanks so as to prevent the rapid evaporation that the salt crust shows is happening here .(a fluval fx5 is being picked up on sat.)
I went to the fish room after this here are the shots from there
this is the red ear slider that I am rehoming, no filter, no heat, no lights
this is the feeder tank, and saddly the cover for this tank is on the floor right beside it
here are 2 other tanks 1 held a snake the 2nd i shudder to think what was murdered in it
awesome bright spot in the day though, 2 cupboards stocked with supplies which will make righting this ship very easy and very easy to keep it on an even keel after its fixed. the cupboards are about 8 feet tall and 3 1/2 feet wide so lots of goodies in there
what makes me so excited about this is that it is the first contract my new fish company has ever taken on and they said I could reference this tank in my companies resume WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT
I will photo doc the build as we go on
omg...those tanks are in horrible shape! i can't beleive they let it get like that. can't wait to see what you do with it
well I kinda look at it this way here is a chance to shine, not by trying to tear down the person im replacing, but, by showing them what I can do.
I have seen some mean used tanks in my buying sprees, but, these tanks scare me somewhat. Yet, if it was gonna be easy where would the fun be in that.
I spoke with the previous person briefly tonight on the phone to get the lowdown on how the pump system works, next friday we are gonna meet at the university and he will show me quick. So I asked him how often he changed the water, get this "Oh about 1 time every 2 months, it was enough to keep her(the aligator gar) happy." So I asked him how much water he changed out "Oh 25% it was enough to keep her happy"
I have a very bad feeling of what the actual water tests are gonna come out at :eek3:, though the museum people want to see the results so they can document it.
Can you imagine my shock when I asked him what kind of gar it is and he says aligator.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME A 10 YEAR OLD ALIGATOR GAR THAT IS ONLY 11-12 INCHES LONG :mad2:
if there is anyone good with id of gar please tell me from the pic if it is indeed an aligator
