Several months ago we [the Steinhart Aquarium] received a Tunze Master Stream to try out and to add water flow to one of our 4000 gallon exhibits. When it arrived we excitedly pulled it out of the box only to find that it wasn’t as simple as plugging it in – there was some non-trival wiring that needed to be performed before the pump could be put in service. Seems easy right? Just follow the instructions and get going. It might be if the pump was to be used at home, but public aquariums can be a little more complicated.
As a co worker told me when I was first hired – ‘You know at home, when you want a new pump, you just get one and put it in the tank? Here, not so much’. Working at a public aquarium really hones your patience skills.
There is a process to how things get done at PA’s, and there are different departments than need to sign off of projects before they can be implemented. In this case, the electrical department needed to wire up the pump, and since this was only for testing the project was low on a very large priority list, which is understandable when the electricians are responsible for every single electrical project in our research institution-education center-planetarium-natural history museum-aquarium-all under one roof. We have lots of changing exhibits, backup generators, air conditioners, research lab, aquariums and the electricians are busy…excellent and helpful, but busy.
But there is progress being made, and the pump should be up and running in the next month (pending the arrival of a Tunze power supply enclosure) and we look forward to showing you this water moving beast in action.
