<<1. The people working there are normally no enthusiastic aquarists, they
do their job - and don't get too much money for it.
2. As most public aquariums have a lack of funding they only have as few
employees as possible. That brings great stress to the people working
there,
at least if one or more colleagues are in a vacancy or ill.
3. As these employees have a limited time they work there they partially
really don't have the time to make their job in a way they could do.
4. According to the aim to show fish some architects created tanks which
they thought would be good for the visitors - but didn't have any knowledge
what fish need. I know engaged people in public aquaria who can't create
better tanks as they are too deep, to low, too small, etc..>>
Dave Wilson would echo a lot of your statement Harro - especially the
problems that No 4 causes. They fit the tanks into spaces that surround
areas that people walk through .and the job of eqiping maintaining, feeding
, servicing etc is hampered by poor access and unusual shapes and sizes.
These problems cause the servicing to take several times longer than it
should. Even the simple provision of light to a tank and changing bulbs can
be a nightmare.
Then along comes someone like Dave and points out the problems but it costs
megadollars to correct structural problems e.g. skylights to assist plant
growth or Halogen lights that also cost more to run and so on. Often they
have to make do withexisting stuff until they can justify changes on the
next budget i.e. once a year. No wonder it disheartens the keeper.
Bruce Hansen