SBS Aquatic Research Facility

Aquaria manager: Dr Gavan Cooke (bsse1c@bangor.ac.uk)

Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics

Laboratory

School of Biological Sciences

Cichlid Science

Two main areas

• Fresh water tropical• Temperate Marine

However…

We presently hold organisms from other environments (including amphibians) and are able to set up bespoke tropical marine and temperate freshwater at anytime with short notice

Tropical Freshwater

• 23K litre recirculating system• 7 isolated banks• 3 ½ tiered banks• 1 uniform bank• 2 x 8 metre experimental tanks

Home Office designated facility

Tiered banks• Each full tiered bank has approx. 4300 litres

• Tiered banks have 4 levels

• Level 1 = Sumps – pumps/filters/alarms/ (4 x 400 litre tanks)

• Level 2 = 8 x 195 litre tanks

• Level 3 = 16 x 30 litre tanks

• Level 4 = 32 x 9 litre tanks

• ½ tiered bank against wall and exactly half of 1 full tiered bank

Having a tiered system has many advantages….fewer hassles with changing lightbulbs!

Uniform bank

• Level 1 identical to tiered banks (i.e. 4 x sump tanks)

• Level 2 and 3 have 16 x 120 litre tanks in each

• Therefore 32 identical 120 litre tanks

• Or 32 replicates of the same conditions at once!

Experimental tanks

• 8 metre long tanks = 1600 litres each

• Each has 2 x sump tanks

• Both isolated from each other and the rest of room

• Each can be partitioned multiple times depending on needs or not at all if you fancy a swim!

Features• Any tank can be isolated from its bank • All tanks have compressed air provided• UV sterilisation • Automatic water changes• Ability to vary water chemistry between banks (and in short term

between tanks)• Room is air conditioned • Control of light timing (typically 12/12)• Wet lab at rear combined with office• Office has sink, 2 computers, phones, desks, whiteboard and storage

areas• All banks alarmed: power failure, temperature and water level –

automatic dialler calls technician• Compressed air blowers connected to the backup generator in event

of power cut to building

Marine facility

• Approx. 50K litre recirculating system with regular fresh sea water deliveries

• Two large (10K + litre) systems that are semi closed from main recirculating system and be fully isolated

• Modular approach allowing hundreds of smaller tanks to receive consistent high water quality

• Home Office designated facility

Controlled temperature rooms• In addition to large fresh and marine systems we have 5 x CT • rooms with access to marine and freshwater on tap….temp

can range from 0 – 25C

• Light timers can mimic any day/night cycle for a given latitude

Last but not least…3 x “small” aquaria

• 3 rooms in the facility that presently hold temperate fresh, tropical marine organisms, and topical amphibians – each room can hold approximately 2-3k litres of stand alone or mini recirculating systems

• All the rooms have piped freshwater, sea water and compressed blown air

• Flexible systems that can be arranged to research needs at very short notice

Bespoke systems, like this one created for a new post doc researching venomous tropical marine fish, are easy to set up at short notice