My Visit To The Georgia and Tennessee Aquariums

[Chelsey]

For my "graduation" present (bachelors in Animal Science, I still have a masters and DVM to get) my mom and I took a quick trip to Atlanta to visit the Georgia aquarium and then stopped by the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga on the way back. We took the behind the scenes tour at the GA Aquarium and I arranged a meeting with one of the marine biologists that work on the Ocean Voyager exhibit for later in the day. It was an absolutely amazing experience that I would do again in a heartbeat, except next time I go I'll be diving with the whale sharks! The pics below are the result of my trip and are arranged by exhibit.

Behind the Scenes

These are the metal halides over the Tropical Diver exhibit. I believe they're 1000 watts each though I forgot to ask.

This is the surge device for the Tropical Diver exhibit. I think they might be too big to fit in Chad's basement but if they aren't you'll probably be seeing them in St Charles soon.

Chemistry lab where they monitor everything testable in their systems. I believe that they perform over 3000 tests here weekly.

Freezer where they keep their fish foods. The commissary was next door but there wasn't anything super interesting going on in there.

Here are a few bags of extra salt. Each bag is 2000lbs.

Surgery/Operation room. Notice that everything is on wheels so if they need to they can take the equipment to the patient.

 

[Chelsey]

River Scout

Possibly my newest addition/hobby, discus.

 

[Chelsey]

Asian clawed otter:

Gator:

These guys weren't in the River Scout exhibit but they were right in front of it. The "Geico Geckos"

 

[Chelsey]

Coldwater Quest
There aren't many pics in this one because I am not satisfied with many of my pics from this exhibit. I was particularly frustrated that I couldn't get any good pics of the leafy/weedy seadragons.

Weedy Seadragon:

Leafy Seadragon:

Belugas:

Catalina Goby:

Anemone:

 

[Chelsey]

Ocean Voyager

Whale shark tank (includes manta ray and pretty much everything else):

 

[Chelsey]

Tropical Diver
I will say that while impressive I was a bit disappointed with the corals in this display. I know that they'll take a while to grow out but there weren't that many corals in there to start with and they had a SERIOUS aiptasia problem (they're working on it...Joe's Juice!). The fish in this display make Gary and Sally Legate's fish look skinny...they were SO FAT!

They couldn't make an acrylic sheet big enough for this reef wall so they had to have seams (hence the big lines):

 

[Chelsey]

I don't know my anthias species at all but these looked cool

Aberrant male anthias?

 

[Chelsey]

Cool looking ray of some sort from the top of the exhibit when I was on the behind the scenes tour:

Grandpa's startin' her young:

Look at the girth on this naso pair!

Sweetlips

Achilles aberration or hybrid of some sort. Where there's supposed to be black he was a bluish-grey.

Tinkers that was in the tank with the garden eels:

Garden eels:

There were probably about 100 garden eels in the sandbed in a display (not reef wall display, a different one) but the sandbed was below where the acrylic display panel was so I couldn't get a clear shot because of the angle.

 

[Chelsey]

The jellyfish display was also in the "Tropical Diver" exhibit:

They had a really nice anemone/clown display...I didn't stay around that one long because all I heard was "NEMO!!!!!!" and after hearing "DORY!!!!!" in front of the reef wall I had about had enough

 

[Chelsey]

Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga
I should've visited this one first...it seemed dismal in comparison to what I'd seen the day before in Atlanta

Butterfly Garden

Hyacinth Macaw

Vanda Orchid

I'll see if I can't resize a few pics from the TN Aquarium tomorrow.

Overall I had an awesome time and took a TON of pictures...>1500.

 

[rbnice1]

Thank you very much for sharing. I have wanted to visit Atlanta for a while. Your pics make me want to take the family there that much more.

 

[Angler02]

There are some great pics in there.

 

[breutus]

Awesome pics looks like it was a great trip!

WE have been thinking about something like this for a quick fam vacation. How long was the drive?

 

[wnaing]

Thank for your great pictures. Now, I know where to go next time for my vacation.

 

[MRGolfo]

I've been wanting to visit the Georgia aquarium for a while too. Looks like I'll be going on a road trip this summer. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on the degree.

 

[dbuesking]

Thanks for the tour. The picks are great and the place looks awesome. A definite must visit.

 

[Reeferhead]

My bandwidth sucks so bad it will probably take 4 days to load your pics but glad to see you made it out there, awesome place. Nothing else like it in the world.

I've been there twice and I too was disappointed with the reef exhibit both times. They really haven't had much luck growing stony corals. They have a metric butt ton of fish though

Glad to hear they have the garden eel exhibit up but it also kinda worries me a bit. The first time I was there they had about a hundred in that tank, the second time just a couple were left. I assumed most of them died but of course that's just and assumption. I hope they figured out whatever went wrong the first time.

 

[nixon125]

Very great pics and thanks for putting a good thread up. Now I know where I need to book two motorcycle trips down and check both out. NICE!

 

[Chelsey]

It took about 9 hours from Farmington.

 

[panaboy95]

nice pics. we are taking my little 4 year old to disney this year and are going to stop in atlanta to see it. i have heard a lot of good stuff about it. kind of a bummer that the reef exibit is a little week but i heard the titanic deal is real cool.