Aquatic Life Designs
WELCOME
Northside Hospital - Forsyth
Emergency Room Waiting Room Aquarium
The Project
This aquarium was installed in June of 2023 as part of a special project lead by the Northside Forsyth Volunteer Auxiliary.
The goal of the project was to create an bright, open, and active living element in the space for our guests to enjoy
The aquarium was designed to house African Peacock Cichlids, a vibrant and colorful freshwater fish, native to Lake Malawi in Africa. They can be found in the rocky areas near the bottom of the lake, where they are well-camouflaged amongst the rocks. They are active and social fish with bright colors and patterns.
The aquarium was designed, installed and is maintained by Aquatic Life Designs www.aquaticlifedesigns.com
The People
The Ecosystem
The aquarium has been modeled after the ecosystem of Lake Malawi in Africa.
Lake Malawi, with its deep, clear waters and mountain backdrop, is home to many hundreds of fish species, nearly all endemic. Its importance for the study of evolution is comparable to that of the finches of the Galapagos Islands. Lake Malawi is know for crystal clear water and rocky terrain. It is the second largest lake in Africa and one of the deepest lakes in the world.
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To learn more about the what makes Lake Malawi and it's inhabitants so intersting, please check out the links below.
For more about the bio-diversity of Lake Malawi
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mystery-lake-malawi-180971442/
The Aquarium
Measuring at 90" long, 35" wide and 36" tall the aquarium contains approximately 500 gallons of freshwater.
The Setup
All equipment for the aquarium is contained in the cabinetry under the aquarium. Water leaves the aquarium through the artificial tree stump where it is processed through various types of filtration before being returned to the aquarium.
The filtration circulates approximately 2,000 gallons of water per hour and includes filter socks for debris removal, a roller mat for fine polishing, bio-media for biological filtration, aragonite for buffering and UV sterilization for algae and pathogen control.
An automated aquarium controller continuosly monitors the aquarium's water quality and makes adjustments as needed. The controller will send a text message to Aquatic Life Designs to alert them of any parameters that go out of range.
Aquatic Life Designs, LLC is a full-service aquarium services company specializing in custom-built, state-of-the-art aquariums for commercial, residential and public facilities.