On Thursday evening, I was invited to the Turtle Back Zoo for a special blogger event to get a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo's new aquarium. Zoo Director Dr. Jeremy Goodman kicked off the evening by providing an overview of the construction project and the forthcoming exhibit. He then took groups on tours of the new facility and the zoo's animal hospital.
The aquarium is located within the building that had formerly been the monkey house. The monkeys themselves have been relocated to the South American exhibit. There are 5 tanks within the facility, including a main 900 gallon tank that is modeled after a coral reef. The tanks will offer a range of exhibits, such as a clown fish tank, a sea horse tank and a venomous fish tank. The building was retrofitted with an extensive pump and climate system to keep the water in each tank within a precise range of temperatures.