pretty picture of Portobello Tank!

[Jean]

After I turned out the foyer lights I noticed the tank light was still on and thought it looked pretty lovely! And thought I'd share.

 

[DWhatley]

Is the kelp (or at least I think it is kelp) live?

 

[lance]

that is a beautiful tank.

lance

 

[Jean]

Thanks guys, we like it (until we have to clean it that is!) Yes that's kelp in there Bladder kelp (Giant Kelp to those from the US ) Macrocystis pyrifera, it's not live, we chop off the top 2 m of a plant (they grow from the base so no probs there) weight it and put in tank lasts about a fortnight in winter, a week in summer. We could grow it in the tank but it grows so fast it would soon take over!

J

 

[Perky]

Ah I miss jumping in that tank

 

[Jean]

you'll get struck down by lightning for telling such fibs! I'm sure you don't miss the water temp and the silly harness thing!

J

 

[Perky]

The water temp is no different to here so haven't changed much though no harness is good. In fact we have a tube tank almost exactly like it except without the rockwork. I'm jumping in our ocean tank tomorrow nice and warm at 25 although a punishment have to wrestle our 170kg turtle!

 

[Jean]

no turtles here, but we have the biggest red crays I have ever seen!!! Packhorse size! 6 of them, then 20-30 nasty paddles and a half dozen blue cod!

J

 

[Perky]

Sounds like you could ride them around the aquarium!

I sent an e-mail to adelle ages ago about trying to get some stuff from you guys, as I told my boss about the southern pig fish and he wants to get some I miss some of the New Zealand species so would be cool if we could work something out.

 

[:)GlassDragon]

Very beautiful!

 

[Jean]

And a pic of the crays (Jasus edwardsii), no. one, attempting to climb the glass, no 2 with Blue cod (Parapercis colias) and paddle crabs (Ovalipes catharus).

These are breeding stock, too big to be of commercial value (inedible) but essential for the health of the population. We will have them on display for 3 months, then return them to where they were caught.

J

 

[DWhatley]

Jean,
There is an inedible cray/lobster? Why so?

 

[Jean]

Jean,
There is an inedible cray/lobster? Why so?

Too large & old (>50cm head to tail, probably over 60 years old), the flesh would be tough and stringy, this species is normally the basis of a very large fishery, but these guys are so big that they don't even moult regularly (there are barnacles and tube worms growing on them!). These are the breeders and a number of the females are in berry.

J

 

[DWhatley]

Ah, I thought you meant the species was inedible ;>)