Aquarium at the Mirage

Posted on 13 January 2008

The Mirage’s famed lobby aquarium, already one of the most elaborate and technically advanced in the world, now offers visitors a new glimpse into a thriving undersea community.

The aquarium received a support systems and interior overhaul that was completed last October. In addition to cleaning and replacing the gravel and artificial coral, automated life support systems were installed.

Last year, the aquarium’s filtration pumps shut down and, while the fish were fine, obviously that kind of situation is not good for them. The new automated system helps prevent such incidents.

Mirage aquarist, Nick Davi, can now monitor the systems from his home computer. If anything is amiss within the system, it sends him a text message. He can then make adjustments without going on property.

Several top aquarium design experts collaborated to create the ultimate undersea environment. The aquarium accommodates more than 1,000 coral reef animals representing 60 species from Australia, Hawaii, Tonga, Fiji, the Red Sea, the Marshall Islands, the Sea of Cortez and the Caribbean. These sea animals were all selected for their adaptability to the environment and compatibility with other species. Sharks, stingrays, and gobies can be seen swimming side by side with eels, sea bass and puffer fish behind the four-inch thick acrylic window. This 20,000 gallon spectacular is home to new, brighter artificial corals that mimic the exotic beauty of such tropical locales as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. To preserve the living reefs in the ocean, no live coral is used in the tank.