Hmm... building a touchtank?

[scubasteve]

my mom was flippin through one of my aquarium magazines and was saying how it would be cool if she could have a touch tank where she works at camp during summer teaching nature. It would have like starfish, hermit crabs, a few other small things, does anyone think this is even possible.
Just looking for some feedback.

 

[yaksplat]

As long as there's plenty of anemones, mantis shrimp, long spined urchins and lionfish. That would make for an interesting day at camp.


Jim

 

[ReefRaff]

sure! the Ripleys aquarium in gatlanburgh TN has a nice one, so I don't see why you couldn't

 

[sw-addict]

There is a place called moody gardens in texas that has a touch tank.
THere is also one at the henry dorly zoo in omaha Ne.

 

[HoopsGuru]

My LFS has a touch tank and it is more of a tank of death. Nothing lasts for more than a few months for a variety of reasons.

I think some of the bumps in the road would be keeping flow that doesn't ripple the surface but provides current everywhere. The other issue (and maybe the largest) is contamination. I suspect lotions, soaps, snot (kids right ), and other things would constantly be getting into the water. I suppose a rigid "cleansing" regimen before the kids went to the tank could maybe avoid some of these problems.

How big would she want it? I've tinkered with the idea of having similar on a sun porch one day and wouldn't mind observing your ideas.

 

[scubasteve]

it would be fairly small maybe 3x3 3x4 something along those lines.

Would the starfish and hermit crabs seen online like liveaquaria.com be suitable to touch or would they die on the spot??

Any one have any reccomendations of types of sealife that would be interesting and fair well under the conditions

 

[reefobsessed]

There is a coast aquarium in Portland that has a very nice display. Across the street is an aquatic museum. I bet since they are state funded you could get alot of useful information from them. I would be happy to make a few call get you the phone numbers if your interested. Cool idea..

 

[scubasteve]

yea theres one in the aquarium on the boardwalk like 30min from me that i remember going to and they had star fish, sea urchins, a nurse shark( haha obviously don't have the space or money for that), and a horsehoe crab,

i'm just not sure what type of aquatic life would be able to be handled in the tank, i sent a email to liveaquaria.com to see if they had any opinions.

 

[BBReef]

hermits should be ok in a touch tank. ive many around southern cailifornia and in mexico. most of the smaller ones just had some hermits, larger species of starfish (i think the likias and other species sold would be too delicate, maybe chocolate chip, but im not sure). they also had sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and snails. a couple ive seen had a small slope for a more natural water movement, with a sump underneith for all the equipment.

i think its a great idea for the kids. just make sure someone is always watching it, and that the kids wash their hands before touching anything. i would like to someday have one myself with rays and sharks, but i dont think it will happen anytime soon

 

[scubasteve]

what do you think of a horseshoe crab, they had one in the touch tank in the aquarium down the shore by me.

 

[HoopsGuru]

Most say that horseshoe crabs would starve in most tanks, don't know if the odds would be any better in the size you propose? I think the hermits would be a good idea and I know at the Baltimore Aquarium Asteroidea stars are usually available in the kids adventure tanks. There is one species of fish that appears to do o.k. in the touch tank at my LFS, I will try and figure it out or ask tomorrow when I go down. They are relatively small and schooling.

 

[Smokinafuente]

HoopsGuru - If your talking about that place with the big (fake) shark over the door, your right, it is a death tank. I asked one of the people that work there how the keep stuff alive, and was told.. "we don't, we just replace the ones that die off". Sad. By the way, it's my LFS too (if you call a 3hr drive local). LOL

 

[kellane1]

touch tank

Mate we have got heaps of touch tanks here in aussie, you are on the right track with the specimens you have mentioned, but as a little suprise for the kids who misbehave, i would have a blue ringed octopus under a bit of live rock and then tell them that there is a special suprise for them when they lift it up.
If occys are in short supply i suggest seasnakes, bullroutes, happy moments, lion fish, crocodiles, etc etc etc

 

[goinpostal]

just to add one more
here is a 2000 touch tank in my area i'm not sure how well it is doing

http://www.thatpetplace.com/touchtank/index.html

 

[scubasteve]

cool thanks everyone i'm gonna look into this (i've got time since camp doesnt start till june/july) and if i go through with it ill probably be back here with questions and post pics of the process.

 

[MiniReef2004]

Touchtanks are a very real possibility in t he right environment. I spent some time working at The Seattle Aquarium in the Special Events/Visitor Services dept. I had the opportunity to staff our Discovery Lab alot. Some things to remember are the animals will become very stressed, we would close sections of the tank from time to time and let the critters go into rehab every couple of months. Kids loved it and so did I.



Steve