Behind the scenes at Shark Reef in Vegas (very pic intense).

[Reefghoul]

I am not sure if this has been posted, but I figured I would...

So I went to Vegas over the weekend and had to stop by and check out the 1.6million gallon aquarium (total volume) at Mandolay Bay Hotel. When I got there, I found out that you could take a behind the scenes tour of all the equipment, so I thought it would be cool to see and I also had the club in mind when I decided to see it (I know there are alot of equipment junkies on the board). So I drug, now Finance (I proposed in vegas) through the tour of behind the scenes. They usually have groups go through, but no one else was there at our time so it was just us two, so it was a private tour.

Some of the pics are not the greatest, sorry alot of areas had weird shadowing and some tight spaces so it was hard to get some full shots... I will do my best to remember all the details on everything, but some stuff I know I will not be able to remember...so I apologize, but here we go...

This sign was cool on the wall, it was put on there via a projector and when you walked in front of the sign it got all distorted.

How they have their aquariums set up

Protien skimmers, they had three of these in action

Ozone generator display, they run three of these

Ozone reactor chamber, also run three of these

Display of the trickle filters they use, they have three huge trickle filters. These use bio wheels, which are as round as a 2 liter bottle and half the height

 

[Reefghoul]

The actual trickle filters

Fresh RO/DI water storage tank, they have 5 of these which are 15k gal. each

Freshly made saltwater storage tanks they had 2 of these, you can see in the left hand corner, a white bag, it is instant ocean (another pic a little later will show the size better)

Remote sand beds, a whole bunch, they were huge

Back side of remote sand beds

Pump for the remote sand beds, 60hp, the pump can empty a homes private pool in 2 mins

more of the piping for the remote sand beds

 

[Reefghoul]

Misc. piping, just to show the sheer size and amount

Misc. panels to control things
(this is where you see a better shot of the instant ocean bag)

 

[Reefghoul]

More pumps, not sure what for the bigger ones are 10hp pumps

One of the chillers, they use roughly 4 ft. tall

Brine shrimp hatchery, used for some fish, but mainly their jelly fish display

More equipment, not sure what for

Backwash pumps and system, with this they are able to reuse 95% of their water

 

[Reefghoul]

Back side of their main display

Some of their synthetic corals they use in the tanks

Chain mail suit their divers use, sorry really bad shadow, they cost 4k each

That is it, I hope some people get some enjoyment out of this...There are of course pics of the actual aquariums, but there is alot to resize and go through, so that thread should be up in the next few days...I just thought I would get this going...If you have any questions please let me know and I will do my best to answer them....

 

[melev]

I sure did!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I've never even been to Vegas, so this would be nice to see. Do you have any pictures from the front of the exhibit ready to share yet?

 

[Reefghoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10308716#post10308716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I sure did!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I've never even been to Vegas, so this would be nice to see. Do you have any pictures from the front of the exhibit ready to share yet?

I will be getting those up...they are not nearly as good...Due to most of the exhibits being super, super dark and flash against glass never works...but I will get those up here in the next few days, it will also include other tanks I saw walking through out the hotels in vegas...

 

[melev]

I'm subscribed, so hopefully you'll just add them to this thread.

 

[Reefghoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10308747#post10308747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I'm subscribed, so hopefully you'll just add them to this thread.

I can do that...or I will at the very least put a link in here...

 

[melev]

That works too.

 

[edwing206]

Awesome! Those skimmers are HUGE!

 

[Reefghoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10308763#post10308763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edwing206
Awesome! Those skimmers are HUGE!

You have no idea.... to the top of the cup they were at least 15-20ft and roughly 5-7ft in diameter.

 

[aiv]

Wow. really cool pictures Reefghoul. I went to the Shark Reef a long time ago when I was a kid, it seems like alot changed. Thanks for sharing the awesome pics.

 

[Cody Ray]

wow.......

 

[Tang Salad]

Great! Loved Them! Thanks!

 

[shouldabenacowboy]

Can't wait to see more


SBC

 

[somethingphishy]

nice pics.......the size of the equiptment.....wow factor

 

[supateddy]

Cool pics, thanks for sharing. And congratulations.

 

[Flatlander]

Great pics. Thanks.

 

[Eric55]

Thank you for taking these and posting them. I was at Mandalay Bay 5 years ago and remember the exhibit. These pictures are incredible.