The Pittsburgh Zoo announced today that 10 black-tip reef sharks died when ozone was accidentally introduced into to their aquarium tank Saturday afternoon.
Ozone is an energized form of oxygen that purifies water, much like chlorine. When the ozone was accidentally introduced to the tank, staffers noticed the problem within minutes and took immediate action, however the sharks and one puffer fish had already been affected, the zoo said.
Staffers weren’t able to revive the animals.
No other fish were affected.
“We are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, and any necessary changes will be made immediately,” said Dr. Barbara Baker, zoo president & CEO.
“The initial investigation indicates that human error is likely to have played a part in the accident,” the zoo’s press release said.
yea, I am a salwater expert myself…black tip reefs are easy to keep in captivity as long as there is enough room for them and the water is chilled…I have heard a lot of bad things about the pgh zoo’s aquarium in general. I have seen it this past summer and it was ok at best from an enthusiasts eyes, i’m sure to the general public its much more appealing. I can’t even imagine seeing 10 dead sharks in a tank…what a waste.
ozone is injected through any type of reactor…you can’t just pour it in. Any type of malfunction could easily throw the sytem off. Regardless, they don’t know what they are doing. The sharks don’t need ozone, but when dealing with large tanks, you need it to “clear” the water. otherwise the water would look dirty. A lot of large tanks have gone down from to much ozone…its the new thing in the saltwater world.
Maybe the whole thing was a set up by the benihanas people? I heard sea food prices are up latley. Id bet they have a inside guy… crafty motherfuckers :naughty:
i don’t know but someone should feel damn guilty. I think the zoo’s problem si they don’t pay much and expect a lot of volunteer work. No professional is going to work for cheap, and volunteers aren’t going to be responsible enough…oh well, they probably just threw them in a dumpster. You used to be able to get leapord sharks, but the divers were cutting them from the mothers stomachs to get them to aquariasts at a smaller size…they are now illegal and carry a $10,000 fine. Seahorse on rt 8 has one, but got it before the ban. Thye were a kick ass looking shark.
Yes, some ANGRY zookeeper whos life has been dedicated to keeping these fish alive and healthy just SNAPPED and BAM! 10 sharks are dead.
It can happen and does- this isn’t the first time this has happened. Maybe at this zoo- but I’ve heard of it before… It is more common than most would like to think.
