Doc's Reef Build

[Bifferwine]

Hey, I have a tattoo of a cow-nosed stingray!

[Doc]

Originally Posted by Bifferwine

Hey, I have a tattoo of a cow-nosed stingray!

then you are gonna luv these...

-Doc

[Doc]

this is the tour under the caesar's palace tank. you go down an elevator and then down a long hallway to a set of windows and you can see inside to the filtration and their ray tank. Here is what the standard tour consists of...


ray tank and holding tank for naughty fish


specimen tank for leathers and such



QT tank that his a travali jack in it



a tank where they mix their fresh salt water for water changes



their educational reef tank that they paid WAY too much money to set up. notice the hair algae this tank is sporting. there is a room off to the left for schools to visit and learn about marine life. This is where the tour ends and mine began.

-Doc

[Doc]

After the regular tour was completed, my wife and I waited for our tour guide, Daryl, to take us back and into the "restricted area". Once inside,




This is a 1300 gallon tank they use to treat sick fish that are too big for the 240 that has the jack. there are two white-spotted bamboos in here.



This is a 7 foot tower of bioballs that work as bio-filtration for the 1300 QT tank



This is the 400 gallon sump that is attached to the 2,000 ray tank and a partial pic of the protein skimmer.




here is another 7 foot tower of bioballs next to a sand filter that is equally as large. both massive fish tanks use ozone to kill bacteria in place of a UV.




this is another pic of the 2,000 tank which holds 3 cow-nosed rays and a variety of other fish that I will show you now.

-Doc

[jcegt87]

Wheres the one where your feeding the ray?????!!!!!!!!!

[Doc]

The rays know the humans who visit as a source of food and become very active when we approached the tank. Daryl brought out smelt for them to eat and we prepared to feed them.



My wife went first. Feeding them was a blast. they have two grinding plates for teeth and you have to place the fish on your palm and place the palm flat for the ray to suck up the fish from your hand. they part their mouth, almost like the Predator in the 80's sci-fi movie to reveal their mouth. Crazy.



Another feeding pic




my turn. I was not so bright and I teased the fish into the mouth so I could feel the plates of teeth. strong. very strong as it took a nip of one of my fingers. Didn't draw blood but pinched pretty good.




another one



Rays were not the only inhabitants. I also fed the portjackson shark (horn shark)



-Doc

[Doc]

finally, I end my pictorial journey of the best tanks vegas has to offer with a few shots of the 2,000 gallon ray tank and what lives in it



cow-nosed ray, clarkii clown, there is also a spadefish.




horn shark, white-spotted bamboo shark, spadefish.





ray again and the biggest achilles tang I have ever seen




full tank shot.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I know I loved the experience. It gave me confidence that I know how to set up a healthy shark tank and when I set up a 2,000 gallon tank, I will know how.

-Doc

[Doc]

Originally Posted by jcegt87

Wheres the one where your feeding the ray?????!!!!!!!!!

patience. I had to load a ton of pictures!

-Doc

[jcegt87]

well atleast i know if i see your hand in public ill recognise them haha or your tatttos

[Doc]

I am artfully disguised and hidden from pictures much like that neighbor from Home Improvement. Kinda cool, huh?

-Doc