LB aquarium - Page 2

roxy25 · #26 01/08/2008, 12:23 PM

some clams warning camera does not do anything I took pics of justice lol

roxy25 · #27 01/08/2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xtm
I took my wife and son there last month and I have to admit that the displays are beyond AWESOME. Can't really compare it to Monterey Bay Aquarium as they are (IMO) different biotopes. I am very impressed with AOTP due to the fact that they REALLY concentrated on the Pacific exhibit and nothing else. (ie. you will not find a Z. Xathurum in the AOTP)

Their SPS reef is somewhat baffling. First off, it has little to NO flow, the colors are somewhat washed out, and there are almost no fish. I asked the young lady staff (who was lecturing passers-by about SPS) what kind of lighting this tank has and she gave me that confused and priceless look and said: "I have no idea.. all I know is that they are very VERY VERY expensive".

To top it off, what REALLY impressed me was their outside lagoon setup. They have a shoal of Hippos and some Moorish Idols in this outdoor lagoon, it was sooo awesome. They also have some beautifully arranged Mangroves in there.

Overall I give it a 9.5/10.

all the morrish idols and hippos where gone in the out door lagoons

I only compare because I prefer to see living animals LMAO

roxy25 · #28 01/08/2008, 12:31 PM

roxy25 · #29 01/08/2008, 12:35 PM

biggest leather I have ever seen !

Crazy colors /abstract pics lol

roxy25 · #30 01/08/2008, 12:48 PM

more colors

Jellies abstract style lol

dacoolguychris · #31 01/08/2008, 12:56 PM

i haven't been there in a while.. mayb e a year or 2... went with SCMAS and got a behind the scenes tour.. i remember them having problems with people breaking in and ruining a couple of their tanks (vandals dumping chemicals or something)

this thread has motivated me to go back and check it out

roxy25 · #32 01/08/2008, 12:57 PM

big monti cap was in the same tank as huge leather

The best of the worst pics of dragons

accidentlt downsized too small sorry

roxy25 · #33 01/08/2008, 01:02 PM

My favorite ! They had a whole tank filled with these guys Bangai Cardinals This is new also they had SPS in the tank with them but they didn't look to hot ....

roxy25 · #34 01/08/2008, 01:06 PM

I think thats all the pictures that came out half way descent with my camera

Texsun · #35 01/08/2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xtm
I took my wife and son there last month and I have to admit that the displays are beyond AWESOME. Can't really compare it to Monterey Bay Aquarium as they are (IMO) different biotopes. I am very impressed with AOTP due to the fact that they REALLY concentrated on the Pacific exhibit and nothing else. (ie. you will not find a Z. Xathurum in the AOTP)

I think you hit it on the head. Apples and oranges comparison with the Monterey as they are trying capturing completely different environments. As impressive as Monterey's displays are at portraying the open ocean environment of the bay, I think the AOTP does as good a job displaying the diversity of the Pacific ocean. It's really an ambitious effort that they've managed to pull off under some financial constraints.

I'm sad the they lost the large humphead wrasse that grew to be a symbol of the aquarium, or at least on all of there advertising.

coast2coast7390 · #36 01/08/2008, 02:09 PM

this was prolly already posted but i like how they get their corals

xtm · #37 01/08/2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by roxy25
all the morrish idols and hippos where gone in the out door lagoons

I only compare because I prefer to see living animals LMAO

I see. They probably moved the M.I.'s and Hippos indoors to protect them from cold weather. Either that, or they simply died.

The last time I was there about 5 years ago, the displays are so-so.. the Shark Lagoon just opened and some areas are still under construction. Now I HIGHLY recommend you guys go there if you have a spare time.

Maybe we can all meet up one Saturday and go there as a group? That would be AWESOME.

won digity · #38 01/08/2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by coast2coast7390
this was prolly already posted but i like how they get their corals

What do you mean? Do they shop at lfs?

pecaco34 · #39 01/08/2008, 07:20 PM

you could call it that. They get a lot of the corals that are supposed to be heading to stores but don't have proper CITES permits. I've been pretty impressed with Long Beach Aquarium, their big coral tank rocks now. Went to Monterey when they had the great white. Besides her and the sea dragon exhibit I was pretty disappointed in it. I think Shedd in Chicago is the best i've been to so far.

d0cdave · #40 01/08/2008, 08:38 PM

We were there a few months ago for our behind the scenes tour and the M.I.s were in the lagoon still. I've not known a time where I didnt see them out there... been a member for a couple of years. Hope they are doing ok.

d0cdave · #41 01/08/2008, 08:44 PM

BTW: Local clubs can easily sign up for a behind the scenes tour with a marine biologist. I highly recommend it! We will be doing it again this year.

Some pics from our tour in 2007:

http://www.masvc.org/cgi-bin/ikonboa...t=ST;f=5;t=510

Konadog · #42 01/08/2008, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xtm
Their SPS reef is somewhat baffling. First off, it has little to NO flow, the colors are somewhat washed out, and there are almost no fish. I asked the young lady staff (who was lecturing passers-by about SPS) what kind of lighting this tank has and she gave me that confused and priceless look and said: "I have no idea.. all I know is that they are very VERY VERY expensive".

Well, here are a few pictures I took from the top of the reef tank a few years ago, I doubt much has changed on the lighting other than bulbs,
This is the lighting rack the main light hang from:

My daughter looking in:

And on top of the large tank:

If I remember, for flow they had two RIO HyperFlow pumps in each top corner, and the main return pumps are plumbed through jacuzzi jets throughout the reef rock work.

Captain Quirk · #43 01/08/2008, 10:33 PM

I was at the MBAQ a couple of months ago, and I could have SWORN they still had the great white... The baby, right? About 10 feet long?

???

Also, isn't the Chicago one the biggest in the US? I thought I saw something about that build in Coral magazine, but my memory's a bit fuzzy on that...

Quote:

Originally posted by pecaco34
Went to Monterey when they had the great white. Besides her and the sea dragon exhibit I was pretty disappointed in it. I think Shedd in Chicago is the best i've been to so far.

pecaco34 · #44 01/08/2008, 10:46 PM

I don't think the shark has been there for awhile unless they have a new one. They released it after it got to about six feet cause it had a taste for other sharks in the exhibit. Not sure it Shedd is one of the biggest but i wouldn't doubt it. Definitely bigger than MB and LB.

J-Bass · #45 01/09/2008, 12:37 AM

Do they still have that bonnethead/hammerhead shark in the petting lagoon? I was there on New Year's eve and there was a sign that said do not touch the bonnethead shark. Like why would they put that in the petting lagoon?? Did you hit up the Mai Tai Bar afterwards?

roxy25 · #46 01/09/2008, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by J-Bass
Do they still have that bonnethead/hammerhead shark in the petting lagoon? I was there on New Year's eve and there was a sign that said do not touch the bonnethead shark. Like why would they put that in the petting lagoon?? Did you hit up the Mai Tai Bar afterwards?

Yeah they had the bonnethead shark in there lol and no mai tai bar for me I would have never made it home

coast2coast7390 · #47 01/09/2008, 01:50 AM

oh and apparently they use mirical mud

d0cdave · #48 01/09/2008, 09:12 AM

10,000 watts of halide lighting above the SPS tank at AOTP. It looks just like the pics above. They do have actinics as well. I think the halides are 10k.

xtm · #49 01/09/2008, 12:37 PM

Thanks for the pics Ken. The pic where people are looking down on the "huge tank" is a nice pic. I've always wondered what it looked like behind the scenes..... That tank is HUGE!.

Konadog · #50 01/09/2008, 12:43 PM

And it's only one corner of it!

I have more if I can find them of the top of the big tank, and the bridge area (the tube you walk through inside).