Wednesday Abstracts
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Full Abstract
During the course of the Wonders of Wildlife facility remodel, we have had a great opportunity to review some of the old filtering standards while testing and incorporating new concepts. The aquarium industry has progressively pulled away from the standards used in residential filtering, and many lessons have been learned which have improved the filtration and water quality aspects of our field. This presentation is a discussion of the currently accepted standards versus our observations within our facility and collective experience. In this presentation we will cover glass versus sand media, recommended size of media, backwash frequency and backwash flow rates. |
Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS) Regulation Changes and the Challenges for Zoos and Aquariums
Steve Massar, Vancouver Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Did you know some ozone depleting substances, like those used in chillers, will be phased out as early as 2019 and completely by 2030 as part of the Montreal protocol? In October 2016, representatives from 170 countries agreed to a legally binding accord to accelerate the reduction of ozone depleting substances. What will your facility do to get ready for this change? Institutions will need to find resources to retrofit their equipment to use new gases that hopefully industry will develop prior to the ban. Equipment using environmentally less damaging gases is being developed but unfortunately the equipment is expensive and capacities are limited. Alternative gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia operate at much higher pressures, creating other challenges for the user and maintenance personnel. We as an industry need to review the regulation, prepare, and make sure our needs are met with practical and affordable solutions. |
Control of Disinfection
Byproducts (DBPs) in Marine Aquaria Dr. Craig Adams & Jeffery Keaffaber, Saint Louis University and University of Florida Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Control and elimination of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in marine aquaria is an important outcome of system design and operations. The purpose of this presentation is to outline the basis for and approaches to control of potentially hazardous DBPs in marine aquaria. DBPs result from the addition of oxidants to marine aquaria in the presence of organic compounds and certain salts (e.g., bromide). Organic DBPs of concern include trihalomethanes (THM), haloacetic acids (HAA) and others, while inorganic DPBs of concern include trichloramine, tribromamine, bromate and nitrate. While there will be a brief discussion of inorganic DPBs, the majority of the talk will focus on organic DBPs. THMs and majority of other organic DBPs tend to form by the reaction of free chlorine or free bromine with natural organic matter and other organics. Therefore, reduction of DBPs can be achieved through a combination of minimizing organic precursors (e.g., natural organic matter) and/or by reduction or elimination of oxidants (e.g., chlorine and ozone) added to the system. Information will be presented on the goals for oxidant addition and new insights into how these objectives might be achieved with less (or possibly no) oxidant addition. Information will also be presented on organic precursor monitoring and removal in natural water (open) and inland (closed) systems. For example, UV254 (absorbance at 254 nm) will be measured and used as a surrogate for organic precursors in the water. How UV254 relates directly to THM and other DBP precursor formation potential will be discussed. This presentation will provide operators and managers a clear understanding of how system design and operation directly impacts the water quality for the animals in their systems. The presentation will also cover how to best control DBPs while simultaneously achieving desired treatment objectives. |
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The Need for An Integrated Approach to Habitat Design and Monitoring Susan Goodridge, Georgia Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
While being interviewed for the lab manager position at an aquarium in Boston, the Head Veterinarian asked me what I would do if a fire broke out down in the basement pump room. I thought of the usual responses but they were wrong. He informed me that job one was to shut off the air compressors in the basement so that the smoky air would not enter every tank in the aquarium. From then on, I understood that managing water alone was not enough to guarantee an optimal habitat and keep the animals safe. Two years later I had to deal with a fungal problem that affected the water, threatened endangered sea turtles and again the fact was reinforced to me that the air mixes with the water and would need to be tested and any problems remediated. The Water Quality Lab grew into the Environmental Quality Lab as lighting was added to the important components of habitat. Sea Turtles needed 290 nm for proper shell development, corals needed 454 nm to thrive, and as lighting aged, the spectral shifts needed to be detected. We purchased an Ocean Optics 2000 light meter, we purchased an Andersen Single Stage Impactor, we learned about PCR speciation and many other new things critical to our expanded mission. It has been an adventure to learn how to monitor all aspects of habitat and the learning continues. |
Water Quality as a Function of Physiology for Cephalopods: Considerations for
Optimal LSS Design Barrett Christie, OdySea Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Cephalopods have a physiology unlike any other group of animals kept in aquaria today. Their microvillus epidermis is but a single cell layer thick allowing the ambient seawater to be in near-direct contact with the hemolymph. What would be considered a slight change in water chemistry for most fishes can be disastrous to cephalopods for this very reason. With these creatures even minor salinity, temperature, or pH adjustments have profound effects; in essence by manipulating water chemistry you are directly manipulating the animals’ body chemistry. This extreme sensitivity isn’t the only challenge to cephalopod husbandry, these animals also have a pure-protein metabolism that has a higher energy demand than sharks and tunas. Even small octopods are capable of producing hundreds of milligrams of ammonia per hour for each kilogram of biomass. This unique physiology demands high-functioning biofiltration, aggressive foam fractionation, high oxygenation, and other considerations to optimally meet their husbandry requirements. |
The Twilight Zone: An Exhibition of Mesophotic life
Carissa Mendoza, California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium opened the Twilight Exhibit in June of 2016 to the public. The exhibit displays an assortment of fishes and invertebrates living between 200 to 500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface; where very little is known. These depths are reached only by highly trained scuba divers on rebreathers. This exhibit had many obstacles to overcome from exhibit design, fish collecting, and quarantine. Interactive graphics and hands on displays show new concepts that were developed to collect deep water fish for display at Steinhart Aquarium. Strict quarantine procedures were in place and special attention was given to buoyancy issues that arose, utilizing a unique pressure chamber. Water quality was closely monitored with respect to cycling new systems and saturation. The Twilight Zone has brought forth a new collection of animals to learn from and exhibit to the public. With on-going deep reef exploration planned for the future, the Steinhart Aquarium is expanding our knowledge and resources which brings forth new challenges and success in exhibiting life found in the mesopelagic zone. |