Did you know that the windows collectively weigh 30 tonnes?
This was one of the challenges we faced when the aquarium was built in 1997-98. The windows were brought here by boat and, due to the weight of the glass, we had to think carefully how to transport them using a boat equipped with a crane to ensure they would not be damaged.
- Did you know that the Atlantic Tank is the largest aquarium we have in the building? It holds an incredible four million litres of water, and 8-10,000 litres of water are pumped into the tank every minute. The tank is 36 metres long, 17 metres wide and 7 metres high.
- Did you know that the tank has no roof? This means that the tank is open to natural sunlight, which in turn helps to provide better growing conditions for seaweed and kelp, amongst other things. In turn, this provides excellent hiding places for many of the species that live there. You may have seen the catfish lurking around in the hollows between the seaweed? The sunlight also contributes to poorer visibility in the tank during the summer months, when algal growth increases considerably. Our staff are particularly aware of this, as they have to scrape the algae off the windows much more often than during the winter.
- Did you also know that the optical effect of the glass is minimal? This means that the animals in the Atlantic Tank are not much smaller than they appear to be when viewed through the glass.
- Did you know that the water that is pumped into the tank is seawater from Breisundet? The water is pumped in via a pipeline which extends around 800 metres out into the fjord from Atlanterhavsparken at a depth of 42 metres. This reduces the amount of water treatment that is necessary and ensures that the water is as natural as possible, improving the living conditions for the animals.
