News

MAKE WAY FOR SHARKS: Team ECCO getting new tank on Monday

By Bill Moss, Published: February 16, 2018

Moving crews will block off parking on the west side of the 500 block of North Main Street on Sunday night to make room for the unloading of a giant new shark tank for Team ECCO Ocean Center and Aquarium.

The tank will be unloaded the next morning and moved into the aquarium in a process that's projected to take 2 to 2½ hours. Interior installation of the 2,000-gallon tank involves intricate plumbing and motor connections. The tank will begin to add water toward the end of next week and will need 10-14 days of “curing” before sharks can be acclimated into the new space. Team ECCO has hand raised all three of their sharks.

Once the new shark study tank is in, Team ECCO will also be moving roughly two dozen other fish and animals from holding tanks and into new exhibits.  Their previous homes had to be removed to allow for the tank to be rolled directly through the front doors and over the main floor then into place. This requires the rebuild of five reptile habitats, enlarging the tortoise exhibit, reset of the touch tank, new puffer fish habitat, new extended filtration for the puffer and the 400-gallon eel tanks, new lighting and a complete overhaul of the classroom.