First, let me say that I have been out of town and just returned so that is
why my opinion has been delayed. I find your post here to be nearsighted
and immature, and frankly very different from your usual informative posts.
What other public aquariums have you been to? Obviously not many. There
are many public aquariums that have specactular displays which will rival
any hobbyist's tank. (Understand that I am not making this a "public
aquarist vs a hobbyist" discussion, I am meerly commenting using the format
of your posting) Have you been to Colorado's Ocean Journey? National
Aquarium in Baltimore? National Zoo? Florida Aquarium? NY Aquarium?
Atlantis Marine World in NY? Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha? Waikiki
Aquarium? Or how about any of the Seaworlds including the former Seaworld
of Ohio? How many more do you want? These are just some of the public
institutions that I have known recently to have spectacular live coral reef
exhibits. You need to understand that just because you went to one
institution once, it doesn't mean that the exhibit has always been bad. If
you know anything about reef aquariums you would understand that they are
not a "set up and display" type of exhibit. It is more like a garden and
it takes plenty of time, sometimes several years, for the tanks to mature
and grow and work out the bugs. Maybe a disease or plague recently hit the
aquarium. Or maybe the aquarist had to recently take a leave of absence
and a less experienced intern was thrust into the position. The point is,
you saw a snapshot of the aquarium in time. Do you know the history of the
exhibit? Furthermore, the larger the exhibit, the more time it takes for
things to fill in. Another point that you need to understand is that the
aquarist who takes care of the exhibit doesn't just have that one tank to
care for. That person usually has everything from goldfish to sharks under
their care, especially at the smaller aquariums. This means that they
can't specialize and devote all their time like a hobbyist which generally
only have only one nice reef tank or a few smaller tanks. Other factors
which can are relavent is budget constraints from the higher ups. With
times being very lean, especially since 911, money is not there and the
aquarists have to do with less equipment and supplies. I assume that you
very well know that reef tanks require lots of extras: expensive lights
changed on a regualar basis (not just when they burn out), resins and other
chemical filtrants which need to be changed often, routine water changes
which require salt mix (can get expensive on larger systems), expensive
test kits for routine water testing, etc. Don't just assume that the
person who is caring for the exhibit doesn't know what they are doing.
Your comment, "Just because someone has a Ph.D. behind his or her name
doesn't make them an aquarist" is an ingnorant thing to say. Although I
don't have a Ph.D., I can easily turn it around and say as a professional
aquarist that just because someone has fish at home doesn't make them a
professional aquarist. That is not a slam to hobbyists, since most
professional aquarists are hobbyists also, but it is means that there are
other factors which figure into a professional aquarists job, many of which
are not understood by hobbyists which have fish at home. While you are the
sole judge of your own exhibit, for a professional aquarist there are many
other things to consider. How about instead of publicly blasting the
place, you contact the facility and find out more information and offer
your assistance. Needless to say, I am offended. Not at your opinion, but
at the way that you so rudely announced it.
Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216-661-6500 ex 4485
"Fish worship... is it wrong??" (Ray Troll)
On Sunday, March 24, 2002 11:38 PM, Moontanman_at_aol.com
[SMTP:Moontanman_at_aol.com] wrote:
> After visiting yet another public aquarium, a new one at Fort fisher
NC,
> I have a pet peeve to vent. First I would like to say it is a great place
> well worth the price and has many great fish. Being a sturgeon nut I
could
> hardly tear myself away from the live sturgeon display and the
hellbenders
> are a fantastic display, worth the price of admission alone! But the tiny
> live coral exhibit "eeeuuuuwwww" Why bother? On the other hand I know
that
> huge aquariums are difficult to keep, sick fish happen, things just don't
go
> right sometimes But from what I've seen public displays of live coral are
a
> disgrace! If I couldn't do any better I would be the first to stand up
and
> say do not remove live coral from reefs. Since I can do much better I
won't
> say it but I wonder why public aquariums have so much difficulty keeping
live
> coral? My local pet shop has a better display (by about 5000%) in 40
gallon
> by the door he puts odd pieces in! Other public aquariums are just as
bad.
> All the artificial coral is great, Ripley's aquarium in Myrtle beach has
> great fake coral. But live coral? Fuzzy little algae balls with tiny
patches
> of almost live tissue adhering in odd places obviously dying fast as they
can
> from shear horror. Multimillion dollar facility? Cut me a break! And
what's
> with all the fish with lateral line disease? Has no one heard of Selcon
and
> fresh green algae? You could almost walk to the ocean at Ripley's and
harvest
> algae for the Tangs! It as though all these facilities are about 50 years
> behind in everything but large sharks and rays. Don't get me wrong,
public
> aquariums are great places, almost all have magnificent fish but someone
> needs to sweat the details. Just because someone has a Ph.D. behind his
or
> her name doesn't make them an aquarist. I've been doing it for 40 years
now
> on my own, lots of mistakes but almost all of those mistakes can be
avoided
> by just reading a few books less than 25 years old, Just because the
average
> person doesn't know a sick fish from a healthy one or dead coral from
live
> doesn't mean such animals should be displayed as healthy normal
individuals.
> Sorry, just my rant for the day, I'll take my medication tomorrow I
promise!
>
> BTW If any one From Ft. Fisher Aquarium is listening in I do have a
couple of
> nice freshwater fish that were meant for my own display that hasn't
worked
> out as of yet. Hog suckers and white horse suckers beautiful specimens
from
> the mountains. Raised from tiny individuals, very bold in an aquarium.
Let me
> know and I'll bring them to you and let you beat me up for the coral
crack.
> (not too bad I'm an old man!)
>
> Moontanman
> Fish monger
>
> Stupidity got us into this mess -- Why can't it get us out?
>
> --- Will Rogers
>
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