How do aquariums and places like Sea World fill their huge tanks?
Do they truck in actual seawater, which would require dozens of truckloads, some special permits and be incredibly expensive? or do they just make their own from local water supplies by adding salt and the necessary live cultures?
What about the smaller (but still quite large) tanks at fancy casinos and hotels (e.g. 35,000 gallon size)?
Normally on Tanked they just pump trash cans* filled from 5-gallon jugs of pre-made seawater (including the necessary bacteria and such). For their large tanks, they’ll IBC’s that hold ~275 gallons. However, I can’t see either of those being feasible for tanks larger than a few thousand gallons.
They look just like a standard industrial trash can (that a custodian would drag around and empty office wastebaskets into), but I’m pretty sure they’re used only for filling tanks and are cleaned far more regularly and thoroughly than any trash can.
nitpick counter 1: Yes IBC’s come in 2 sizes, but I’ve only seen them using the smaller waist-high ones
nitpick counter 2: I doubt the IBC’s are completely full of water, to allow for some airspace to keep the water oxygenated/aerated.
We took a behind the scenes tour of the Monterey Bay Aquarium a few weeks ago. Most of their tanks are sea water, and they get it straight from the Bay. Most of the Aquariums I’ve been to are on the water, and do the same.
He also said that emptying a tank is not something you do very often.
I was wondering the same thing. Then I wondered if perhaps the OP was wondering about permits needed to draw the water from the sea. That seems a bit more likely.
SeaWorld, San Diego is, like, yards from the shore. I doubt whether they even need to bother with trucks. A big hose and a pump would probably do it more easily.
Of course, not all such places are right on the coast, but I think quite a lot are. (Another that is familiar to me, and that is also right by the sea, is the Long Beach Aquarium.)
As I acknowledged,* not all places with large aquariums are right on the coast. Presumably they have to bring the water in in tankers. However, I would be surprised if it were not the case that a large proportion of large saltwater aquarium-type exhibits are close to the coast, in part simply for the reason I implied, because the seawater is much easier to get there, but also because being by the sea probably puts far more tourists in the mood to look at fish than other locales would.
*It really would help if some people bothered to read all the word in other people’s posts before picking at nits that have already been removed.
