Europe's Largest Tank Busted

[ferret]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe...eut/index.html

Fire raged through the North Sea Museum on Denmark's northwest coast through the night, damaging the walls of the Oceanarium, a 26-foot deep elliptical tank measuring 72 by 108 feet.

The tank holds about 1.2 million gallons of sea water and was home to around 4,000 fish, among them a specimen of the ocean sunfish, or mola mola, the world's largest known bony fish species.

[snapcrackler]

That is pretty sad.......

Man what a humongous disaster. Arrrgh.

Puts my lil tanks back into perspective.

We will have to keep an eye on the results of their findings and what the rebuild costs will be and of course how many critters survive

[justDIY]

hmm

hardly the worlds largest, but still, still pretty darn big

still my fav>

http://www.sheddnet.org/exh_pacific.html

[tkos]

Thta is too bad. The replacement cost is going to be huge.

[ferret]

Er, Europe's biggest. I'll edit

[Sati]

The ocean sunfish is one trippy looking fish!

[oscarbreeder]

THAT IS A WILD LOKKIN FISH!!

[QTOFFER]

"-- More than a million of gallons of water flooded out of Europe's biggest fish tank Wednesday, threatening to kill most of its inhabitants after a fire ravaged the Danish museum in which it is housed. --"

Man, that's alot of water.....hope someone with a really big wet-vac is on the case.

Seriously, though, that's really sad. Regardless of the rebuilding costs, I'll bet some of those fish are simply irreplaceable.

[William]

And someone freaks when their 10gal pops a seal.

really puts it in prespective.


BTW.


That fish looks like a mutant from the planet Nfargunackt

[fishfreek]

The tank holds about 1.2 million gallons of sea water and was home to around 4,000 fish, among them a specimen of the ocean sunfish, or mola mola, the world's largest known bony fish species.

Flintegaard said water was pouring out of the tank, and aquarium staff were unable to approach it.

Divers were expected to try to rescue the surviving fish, but until then, oxygen was being pumped in to the half-drained tank to keep them alive.

The Oceanarium's mola mola, which weighed 132 pounds as a baby and can weigh up to two tons when fully grown, has been one of the museum's top attractions since a local fisherman caught it and brought it to the museum in 2000.

Flintegaard said there was some hope of saving the Tope sharks housed in the tank but staff had not yet spotted the mola mola.

Thats really awful. I agree with the quote

Flintegaard told Reuters.

"It's such a sad day. The worst day ever."

[cindywindy]

It's really a tragic loss. Those who work directly with these creatures have to be completely devastated ...

[cindywindy]

For anyone interested, here is an update that was posted on another forum ... pulled off the wire just a bit ago :

"Fire aftermath

18-12-2003
Print article (IE & NS 4+)

Taking stock: Marine biologists and museum officials will begin rescue and recovery operations for rare fish varieties at the gutted Oceanarium.

The 200-kilo lumpfish that has long been the trademark and star attraction of the North Sea Museum aquarium did not survive Tuesday's catastrophic fire at the aquarium.

On Wednesday afternoon, the North Sea Museum, Hirtshals Council, and area police and fire officials began the grim task of taking stock after the fire, which raged uncontrolled for six hours on Tuesday, destroying the 4.5 million-liter Oceanarium, Europe's largest aquarium for cold saltwater fish.

The fire cut across the aquarium's 42 centimeter-thick glass, causing water to leak from the tank ever since Tuesday evening. Later this morning, Oceanarium's water level is expected to dip below the 1.5 meter-point, allowing biologists to enter and move any surviving fish.

Biologists are hoping to save the large, valuable species, including sharks, mackerel, and lumpsucker.

But even if the large lumpfish, which was particularly popular among children, had survived the high temperatures and falling water levels as a result of the blaze, the fish would not have been able to be moved to a temporary tank, due to its large size.

[Sati]

Thanks for the update, Cindy.