New Tank at La Palmera Corpus Christi

[justahobby]

Please try to keep it on topic. Personal feelings towards CC is inconsequential to this thread.

[justahobby]

That's not how I pictured 4500 gallons looking. I would've said 2000 at max.

[sharkdoctor]

I saw the tank today. I'm on a group on facebook called Keep corpus Chrsiti Lame, and they posted the news article saying that they lost approximately 75% of the fish that they put in there and that this is something normal. When I went in today there were a few cichlids and I was so disappointed. I've been looking forward to the tank for months. I know the average mall goer isn't going to realize that there are freshwater fish inside and entire saltwater set up, but it's disappointing to the rest of us :(

[Squiers007]

Yeah, when I saw the news report when they said that losing 75% of the the fish they put in was "normal" I laughed out loud. I wonder if they just told the people in charge of paying for the tank that just to make some extra money on fish! Not accusing anyone, but it wouldnt surprise me.

[DrMark]

Company out of Houston installed this tank. Yes, they got cheap, put a fake reef insert in there and plan on it being a freshwater tank. Too bad. I would of rather seen a smaller tank done right, but oh well.

The Houston company will not maintain this tank. Contracts are being worked out with a local company to do the maintenance. The local company (I cant say who, yet) did not agree with the direction the tank took. There is a lot of concern about algae with the lights, but more importantly, with the ambient light and lots of it.
I havent seen the tank and really dont have specific plans to unless I get to the mall for other reasons.
I am more excited about a PF Changs coming to the mall than this tank. There was the opportunity to have something very nice. Even a tank with a reef insert like up at Bass Pro Shops in SA would of been great.
It is too bad, but Corpus is not the most sophisticated city I have ever lived, majority of people will never know the difference.
I had thought about writing a letter to the editor about this, but I really dont see the point.

[glennr1978]

Is that seriously your comment? What does this have to do with CC? I swear, some people will find any way possible to bash CC. It's so pathetic and this is a real stretch. Gimme a break.

Yes, that was seriously my comment. There have been many instances where our city has missed out on great opportunities. This one is rather miniscule compared to others, SeaWorld for example. However, it is a prime example of the way things are done here in CC, either done half ***, or not done at all.

Honestly, I'd say my comment was on point, not a stretch at all. Although I stand behind the statement, I'm sorry you were offended by it.


Sorry to get the thread off topic, I'll keep my opinions to myself from now on.

[Mr Cob]

What the heck! I totally missed the part about the fish being fresh! Ahhhh!

I love cichlids but to make a display that is half fake coral and half cichlids....wow. I can see perhaps this being done as a personal home display due to preference but not in public.

Disappointed in this one.

[kenny01]

Yes, that was seriously my comment. There have been many instances where our city has missed out on great opportunities. This one is rather miniscule compared to others, SeaWorld for example. However, it is a prime example of the way things are done here in CC, either done half ***, or not done at all.

Honestly, I'd say my comment was on point, not a stretch at all. Although I stand behind the statement, I'm sorry you were offended by it.


Sorry to get the thread off topic, I'll keep my opinions to myself from now on.

Competely agree. This city needs progress in the worst way.

[thedude]

A few things to note looking at this...

The cost of maintaining and setting up a saltwater tank this size correctly would be astronomical. This coupled with the fact that I think the only filtration area is under the tank and the ambient lighting make this an impossible saltwater tank. I agree that this tank would have been better served as a cichlid tank from the beginning but I can guarantee you that the saltwater backdrop with freshwater fish was not the aquarium company's idea. This is an example of how 99% of the public don't understand the difficulty and cost of a large aquarium. The developers probably wanted saltwater, got a price tag, and changed to saltwater decor with freshwater fish.

I personally see this ending badly as even with a HUGE uv filter, algae in a bright sunlit room is going to be horrible. FYI, filling a cichlid tank with tap water is par for the course. Cichlids in Austin actually do better in tap than RO/DI.

The 75% fish loss is of course complete and total BS. They succumbed to the pressure of any large tank project. Commercial projects NEVER give you the time to setup a tank they tell you, they always want fish day 1 no matter what they say in the beginning, and they'll ALWAYS want more fish. This is a matter of sticking to your guns and flat out refusing to over stock a brand new tank to not kill a bunch of fish.

Those are AGE tanks at least which is nice. I can also tell you that to maintain something like this I think it would be $1/gallon especially given all the calls you will receive when a light algae film develops on the glass. Bi-weekly water changes to the tune of 1,000+ gallons (think of how long it takes a garden hose to even pump out 1,000 gallons) and at least two visits weekly? Stupid project that will end poorly unless CC has a great maintenance outfit.

John

[Jarob]

I am more excited about a PF Changs coming to the mall than this tank.

This was the best thing ive heard in a long time when I found out, my favorite!!!

And I'm suprised they didnt let it cycle.. the other smaller tank was cycling for a little while at least full of substrate.

Jarob