SBS Aquatic Research Facility
Cichlid Science
School of Biological
Sciences
Molecular Ecology and
Fisheries Genetics
Laboratory
Aquaria manager: Dr Gavan Cooke (bsse1c@bangor.ac.uk)
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
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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!
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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