by J.R. Corvison • images by Lauren Ludi

“AMERICA’S
REEF TANK”
by J.R. Cor vison • images by Lauren Ludi
The Indo-Pacific Coral Reef, a living focal point of the Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall in
Washington, DC. The exhibit contains a total of 2,100 gallons, including the 1,200-gallon
display reef and hidden sumps and refugia, and was designed by a team led by Jeffrey
Turner of Reef Aquaria Design. It is stocked largely with aquacultured animals.
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My first assignment turned out to be the opportunity
of a lifetime for everyone involved and a dream project
for anyone who loves aquariums: prior to my arrival Jeff
and RAD had been awarded the honor of creating America’s highest profile marine aquarium—the Indo-Pacific
Coral Reef at the Smithsonian Institution’s National
Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
The museum’s original saltwater aquarium had run
its course after about 15 years, and a total upgrade was
planned. It was to be the only live exhibit featured in the
multimillion-dollar renovation of the Sant Ocean Hall.
Jeff was invited to get involved with the project after
word of RAD’s impressive portfolio of large-scale living
coral reef displays reached the designers.
The original plan called for a straightforward replacement of the original aquarium, which had an antiquated
About eight years ago, as a young professional with a
degree in construction management from the University of Florida, I found myself making a career change
that would prove to be akin to a rookie ballplayer starting his first game by pitching in the final game of the
World Series.
I had been asked by Jeff Turner to join the team at
Reef Aquaria Design (RAD) in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Jeff has dedicated
his life to the marine aquarium trade, spending time as
a licensed marinelife collector, aquaculturist, and livestock wholesaler, and has had an ongoing role in creating custom living coral reef aquariums for clients who
want authentic aquascapes without the usual reliance
on faux corals and plastic decor. Stunning examples of
his work are housed in fine homes and villas, restaurants, and professional offices, where countless people
encounter a real reef for the first time in their lives.
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The reef on opening day, six years before
the image above was taken. Note coral
growth, starting with very small colonies
growing from fragments.
System designer Jeff Turner in 2009 setting up
the mangrove estuary tank in the (non-public)
lab, with RAD partner Joleen Turner.
TOP: L. LUDI. LEFT AND ABOVE RIGHT: MATTHEW L. WITTENRICH
After seven years the display, mimicking
an Indo-Pacific coral reef, has filled in
dramatically with aquacultured small
coral colonies and fragments.
life support system that would keep it
stuck in the past rather than moving
it into the future. Jeff thought there
was a better way—using cutting edge
technology and approaches from the
marine aquarium hobby. Reef Aquaria
Design’s work spoke for itself: its vibrant, healthy systems, many of them
running for years, demonstrated what
a modern coral reef aquarium could
be. Instead of basing the design on the
past 25 years, Jeff felt that the Smithsonian needed an aquarium that
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All corals in the display started out
as frags and now require constant
pruning to prevent the entire tank
from filling in and starving colonies
in the lower levels for light.
would be able to adapt to changing technologies and remain both relevant and innovative throughout the life
of the exhibit. The decisionmakers at the Smithsonian
became convinced.
The 2,100-gallon (7,950-L) system comprises a custom-formed, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) display tank
(one-piece sides, back, and bottom) with a 1½-inch
curved front panel made of laminated Starphire glass,
a custom-designed 700-gallon (2650-L) polypropylene
sump, a fully integrated 450-gallon (1703-L) water exchange system, and extensive life-support and filtration
equipment, which is housed in the aquarium lab immediately behind the aquarium.
One of the first challenges was adapting the design
to the irregular shape of the filtration lab space, which
has curved and angled walls, no two of which are alike.
The project was further complicated by the fact that the
building is a registered historic landmark, so no structural
alterations could be made to accommodate the weight of
the very large, heavy aquarium—despite its location directly above the main gift shop. The almost 10-ton system had to fit safely within the confines of the existing
structural capacities of the 100-year-old building!
The solution was to increase the footprint of the
stainless steel structural support stand to disperse the
weight of the aquarium over a larger floor area. This also
allowed us to anchor a significant catwalk structure behind the main display to facilitate the ergonomic maintenance of the system. The room was laid out carefully
in CAD to deal with the irregular shape. The 700-pound
(136-kg) sump was carefully designed not only to fit in
the space, but to provide the sophisticated filtration requirements that the system required.
With the design complete and fabrication underway in California, we made several trips up to DC from
South Florida in order to attend site meetings and take
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field
measurements.
The delivery of the
aquarium was an early
morning affair that
involved coordinating
our arrival with that
of the support stand,
the museum’s loading dock staff, and the
aquarium itself. After
months and months
of planning, the aquarium had spent the last
week making its way
across the country that
it would ultimately
represent. Everything
was brought into the
new Ocean Hall on
specially constructed
delivery platforms fitted with special wheels to protect
the museum’s terrazzo flooring.
Once the aquarium was in place and the filtration
lab had been outfitted with water-resistant finishes,
a flurry of installation and assembly work followed. A
myriad of pumps, valves, PVC pipes, and auxiliary systems completed the main system. Rounding things out
were a 90-gallon (340-L) mangrove estuary system, a
multi-tiered coral propagation system, and a dedicated
computer for data logging and remote monitoring. Each
component was carefully selected and installed to create
an organized and efficient work space capable of powering the display and providing a healthy environment for
“Some of the corals grow like weeds,”
says system designer Jeff Turner. This
spreading patch of Acropora has reached
the surface and is a constant source of
cuttings for propagation in the museum’s
frag growout system.
Phil Wind of Reef eScape on a
catwalk behind the display. He
and his crew visit several times
a week to assist with feeding,
maintenance, and weekly
10-percent water changes.
its inhabitants for at least the next 25 years.
Simultaneously with the design and installation process, Jeff worked for over a year to secure and organize
the livestock for this unique aquarium. With 2,000 gallons of water, live sand, half a ton of live rock, and fishes
and corals arriving from numerous sources, the logistics
were complicated, to say the least.
The RAD crew worked overnight to create the reef
base using natural limestone and live rock. Once the
aquarium was filled and had run for about a week, the
first corals were introduced to the newly established reef.
Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums (ORA) worked on culturing
several indigenous Indo-Pacific SPS coral species for use
in the display. The specimens were grown out at ORA’s
coral greenhouse in central Florida over a period of
about one year to ensure that the aquarium was stocked
with corals of significant size. Some weeks later, shortly
before the dust cleared from the newly renovated Sant
Ocean Hall and the public was welcomed in, Indo-Pacific fish species were sourced and quarantined through
A&M Aquatics, a MAC-certified ornamental marine life
wholesaler in Michigan, to ensure that only responsibly
collected, healthy specimens were utilized.
“It was awesome being involved with supplying
healthy, responsibly collected and transported reef fishes for this project,” says Bill Backus of A&M, recalling
the process. “We were confident that the RAD crew was
building a quality home for these guys to grow into for
years to come.” The fishes were introduced in three stages after a 90-day quarantine. A&M also provided aquacultured corals that were fourth-generation examples
grown for a year from broodstock that was maricultured
in its country of origin. As a special bonus, RAD worked
closely with Dr. Matt Wittenrich, who was engaged in
pioneering work with captive-raised mandarins and
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AQUARIUM Details
DISPLAY TANK: Custom FRP plastic tank with 1½-inch
(3.8-cm) curved viewing panel of laminated Starphire
glass, 96 x 62 x 60 inches (244 x 157 x 152 cm) tall,
approximately 1,400 gallons (5300 L). Continuous
trough overflow leads to a 6-inch (15-cm) main drain.
STAND: Custom-designed, constructed of 11 ga. powdercoated stainless steel, with attached service platform
behind display aquarium in aquatic lab.
SUMP: Custom-designed 700-gallon (2650-L) polypropylene aquarium sump with built-in refugium, mechanical filtration, and chemical filtration zones.
CIRCULATION: Performance Pro Artesian Pro 1 HP pump
runs the open loop; Performance Pro Artesian Pro ¾
HP pump runs the closed loop. Two EcoTech Marine
VorTech MP60s with four EcoTech marine battery backups for flow.
LIGHT RACK: Custom elevated, with motorized cable system to facilitate aquarium service.
LIGHTING: Six 400W USHIO metal halide lamps with
electronic ballasts (two 20k, four 14k) in Sunlight
Supply fixtures; two 24-inch T5 fixtures with ATI Purple
Plus, Blue Plus, Actinic.
SKIMMER: Super Reef Octopus XP-8000 EXT Cone.
CALCIUM | KALK REACTORS: My Reef Creations, Aqua
Medic.
REFUGIUM: Custom-designed polypropylene 100-gallon,
built into main sump, with 175W metal halide lamp.
MANGROVE ZONE: 90-gallon (341-L) bow-front aquarium
on custom powder-coated stainless steel stand with
250W metal halide lamp.
UV STERILIZATION: Aqua Ultraviolet SL-100 UV Sterilizer.
CHILLER: Aqua Logic water-to-water heat exchanger tied
into building’s chilled water loop.
WATER EXCHANGE: Twin 225-gallon (852-L) water tanks
with an Iwaki MD-70 RLT pump for mixing and transferring.
RO/DI: SpectraPure commercial unit.
delivered some of the very first aquarium-bred Synchiropus spp. on the planet to the project. These mandarins
continue to inhabit the display aquarium to this day and
reportedly come out to spawn in the evenings.
A great system is only half of the equation. Every
aquarium requires maintenance, and a system of this
magnitude, and one this visible to the public, requires
expert care. After about a year of tinkering and adjusting to get the water chemistry and service protocols in
perfect balance, RAD enlisted the help of Phil Wind of
Reef eScape in Virginia. While we have our own in-house
aquarium maintenance professionals, we feel that outof-state care is best provided in conjunction with local
service providers.
“We design, install, and provide ongoing maintenance for hundreds of aquaria in the greater DC area,
most with live coral, and our very favorite is the Indo-Pacific Reef exhibit at the Smithsonian,” says Wind. “The
experience we’ve gained over the years of maintaining
this aquarium, and the opportunity to collaborate with
the Smithsonian, Reef Aquaria Design, and the scientific
community, have been invaluable learning tools [that]
we apply to our other projects.”
With millions of visitors every
year, responsibilities to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and the medical care overseen by Dr. Brent Whitaker of the
National Aquarium in Baltimore, every detail has to be perfect. In addition to daily checks by the museum
staff, Wind and his team of aquarists visit the tank several times per
week, performing maintenance and
recording every aspect of aquatic
husbandry. Weekly water changes of
over 10 percent, preventative maintenance, keeping equipment and filters clean and working right, changing light bulbs and RO/DI filters on
schedule, testing water parameters,
and feeding the fishes are just some
of the many tasks that must be done.
“With so many people and an
aquarium that is so interesting and
In a natural history museum dominated by
animal specimens preserved with taxidermy,
this lone Vlamingi Tang, Naso vlamingii,
provides the reef with constant motion and is
curious and responsive to people.
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exciting, just cleaning the outside glass could be a fulltime job, but each of those fingerprints is proof of how
much people appreciate this gem,” Wind says.
While service is a vitally important piece of the puzzle,
the stars of the show are the aquarium inhabitants themselves. Dr. Carole Baldwin, Curator of Fishes at the museum, has some insight into what the aquarium means to
the museum and to the aquarium trade as a whole.
“The aquarium allows people to see a living coralreef ecosystem up close. Admittedly it’s one tank, but
we have more than seven million visitors each year, so
that one tank is important. People take care of what they
care about, but they can’t care about it unless they know
about it. Seeing a coral-reef ecosystem first hand gives
them that knowledge. There is always a crowd around
that tank!”
Dr. Baldwin balances this appreciation of her aquarium with caution. “My overall opinion of the aquarium
trade is that it serves a valuable purpose in bringing to light
what most people can’t see for themselves in the wild. But
as with any kind of resource harvesting, the trade needs to
keep conservation of natural resources in mind.”
“Just come and visit when you are in Washington!”
says Dr. Baldwin, inviting CORAL readers to see the reef
for themselves. “The museum is free, and there are incredible exhibits throughout,” she says.
The aquarium has now been in continuous operation
for over six years, and I have a greater respect for and
understanding of what we set out to accomplish all those
years ago. We wanted to create something that we could
be proud of, something that would inspire the next set
of individuals to take ocean conservation and aquariumkeeping to the next level. Seeing little mandarins swimming around amongst huge SPS colonies, which are continually trimmed to allow light to reach the 80-pound
(36-kg) Gigas Clam on the bottom, makes you realize that this living reef is a symbol of our own growth.
Whether it’s the Smithsonian’s 169-year history or the
careers of our team members and everyone who helped
design, build, stock, and maintain the exhibit, we have
all grown and changed because of this one reef tank.
Jeff Turner sums it up this way: “It really was a tremendous honor for RAD to be selected to design and create this system, to know how many people see it every
year, and to hear it described as ‘America’s Reef Aquarium.’ Working for the Smithsonian is a true privilege not
bestowed on many. This project has truly been a lifetime
milestone accomplishment for us, and when you see all
the kids and their parents peering into the tank, you realize how many memories it creates for people and how
important it is as a living, evolving educational tool.”
C
M
To view build images: www.reef2rainforest.com/?p=788532
com/?p=788532com/?p=788532
Y
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