This past weekend I took a long drive up to Rhinelander, Wisconsin–the home of Dr. Foster & Smith and more importantly for us aquarists, LiveAquaria.com. The six hour drive had me filled with anticipation and excitement to see what amazing animals Kevin and the LiveAquaria team had in store.
Many of you probably know Kevin Kohen [...]
This past weekend I took a long drive up to Rhinelander, Wisconsin–the home of Dr. Foster & Smith and more importantly for us aquarists, LiveAquaria.com. The six hour drive had me filled with anticipation and excitement to see what amazing animals Kevin and the LiveAquaria team had in store.
Many of you probably know Kevin Kohen by name or in-person. He is the director of LiveAquaria, aquarium writer, and one of the most professional and knowledgeable people you will meet in this industry. I must give a special thanks to Kevin, Melissa and LiveAquaria for their generous hospitality. There are very few places in the world that you can see some of the hobby’s most desired animals under one roof–LiveAquaria’s Rhinelander facility is one of them. Enjoy Part 1 of of my trip which outlines the LiveAquaria Facility.
In 2007 LiveAquaria expanded its building, transforming the structure into a 20,000+ gallon aquaculture and marine life facility. The layout and plumbing of these interconnected systems are extremely well executed and planned, allowing more time to be spent on the animals themselves rather than their upkeep.
Most of the coral vats that dominate the facility are illuminated with a single metal halide lamp that is connected to a light mover. This provides periods of intense illumination, followed by moments of “rest”. Not only does this provide even light coverage over each vat, it significantly reduces electrical costs.
Should power go out, this V8 natural gas powered generator will kick in allowing business to resume as normal. While relying on the generator for power, Kevin and his staff will even have access to computers–allowing uninterrupted visits to GBD them to continue taking and shipping out orders.
With so much tank volume, water can never be short on supply. LiveAquaria uses a 2,300gpd insutrial RO/DI filter that is powered by a 1hp booster pump for pure 0 TDS water. Such a large RO filter does sound overkill, but each day the LA crew takes full advantage of it. Kevin’s team goes through 1 pallet of Reef Crystals (which consists of 40 x 200gallon boxes) every 4 days. Depending on how many orders come through, this equates to a daily waterchange of roughly 2,000 gallons! To keep up, 4 x 500 gallon drums are filled at all times with freshly mixed saltwater and one 500 gallon drum with fresh.
Water quality is also maintained via these industrial RK2 skimmers with collection cup spray down systems. Using a 1/4hp pump to drive a 12″ Mazzei Venturi injector, these pull just under 100scfh of air as measure by a Dwyer air meter. This number is quite low for today’s standards, but you would not guess it based on the skimmate and health of LiveAquaria’s inhabitants.
Additionally these skimmers are used in conjunction with ozone to maintain water clarity while also helping kill harmful bacteria and pathogens.
In the photos below you can see RK2 skimmers standing next to RK2 sand filters and mechanical filter towers. This area holds the Diver’s Den fish that you currently see on their website … and others that will be coming in the near future. Prior to making it to these tanks, all fish pass through a true quarantine system and undergo copper and formalin treatments.
The systems above held some stunning fish, like this Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus–a holy grail species among rare fish enthusiasts. This particular specimen was extremely healthy and inquisitive.
Corals also face a stringent treatment and quarantine process that consists of ReVive, Interceptor and symptom specific treatments. Shown below is the coral quarantine area that currently holds some striking Acropora species that will be ready for sale in a few weeks.
On the coral systems, calcium and alkalinity levels are maintained via kalkwasser and these industrial sized Schuran Reactors. In my opinion Schuran’s bell top reactor design is among the best, if not the best.
Once the fish are corals sell in the Diver’s Den area of the LiveAquaria website, they are collected and sent to this area for packing. As the piping above the countertop suggests, water (white pvc) and oxygen (green tubing) are available at each packing station. This is also where we’ll leave off… more livestock photos and information to come.
