PK
Contributor
Hi-
I got more information about some NEAq questions:
The aquarium uses a protein skimmer before the water goes into the giant ocean tank (GOT). The water then goes through another protein skimmer as it exits the GOT. Water is coninuously flowing through the GOT at a rate about 200,000 galons/90 minutes. The water comes from the boston harbor and is treated in many ways (not just protein skimming) before it goes into the GOT.
Hunchback sandtigers:
The cause is scoliosis (spelled incorrectly I'm sure). And the cause of scoliosis is not completely understood but here are the major reasons per our Sr. Aquarist who specialized in sharks:
- faster body growth rate due to more access to food
- genetics
- shape of environment
- only a few people believe it's vit. D deficiency but most don't necessarily believe it these days or consider it a minimal cause. They used to believe it though.
It could also be a combination of some of these factors and not so much each one reason alone. Not all sand tiger sharks develop scoliosis though. There is an aquarium in Norwolk, CT that has a number of beautiful sank tiger shark who are perfectly healthy and look exactly like you would find in the wild. That's where our sand tiger shark is living temporarily.
The reason the shape of the environment can cause scoliosis is if the shark has to constantly make sharp turns eventually, as he grows, his spine will not develop as straight. So if the enviroment allows him to swim fairly straight enough, like if the diameter of the tank is big enough, then he should be okay.
I hope this helps,
Trish
p.s. I didn't talk to anyone about the seahorse tank but, to me, it looked clean. In general, a lot of the fish in the aquarium are kept in depths much shallower than they would naturally but they adapt okay.
I got more information about some NEAq questions:
The aquarium uses a protein skimmer before the water goes into the giant ocean tank (GOT). The water then goes through another protein skimmer as it exits the GOT. Water is coninuously flowing through the GOT at a rate about 200,000 galons/90 minutes. The water comes from the boston harbor and is treated in many ways (not just protein skimming) before it goes into the GOT.
Hunchback sandtigers:
The cause is scoliosis (spelled incorrectly I'm sure). And the cause of scoliosis is not completely understood but here are the major reasons per our Sr. Aquarist who specialized in sharks:
- faster body growth rate due to more access to food
- genetics
- shape of environment
- only a few people believe it's vit. D deficiency but most don't necessarily believe it these days or consider it a minimal cause. They used to believe it though.
It could also be a combination of some of these factors and not so much each one reason alone. Not all sand tiger sharks develop scoliosis though. There is an aquarium in Norwolk, CT that has a number of beautiful sank tiger shark who are perfectly healthy and look exactly like you would find in the wild. That's where our sand tiger shark is living temporarily.
The reason the shape of the environment can cause scoliosis is if the shark has to constantly make sharp turns eventually, as he grows, his spine will not develop as straight. So if the enviroment allows him to swim fairly straight enough, like if the diameter of the tank is big enough, then he should be okay.
I hope this helps,
Trish
p.s. I didn't talk to anyone about the seahorse tank but, to me, it looked clean. In general, a lot of the fish in the aquarium are kept in depths much shallower than they would naturally but they adapt okay.
