Tenji News http://tenji.com/blog Latest Happenings In The World Of The Fish Dorks Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:22:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The Dive Bar (And Aquarium!) http://tenji.com/blog/?p=397 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=397#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:11:48 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=397 Tenji has been involved with the design of a very ambitious new night club venue called The Dive Bar in Sacramento for over the past year and the installation is in full swing now. The theme is of a “rough-around-the-edges joint” with broken walls and distressed interior. The main feature is a 48 foot long aquarium suspended over (yes OVER!) the bar. Check out the massive steel support structure in the pictures.

The aquarium will feature schools of silvery and colorful fish and the interior of the tank is themed with another bar that happens to be in a sunken booze-running prohibition era ship. It’s complete with roulette wheel, floating booze bottles, torn holes in the hull, old suitcase, and other period details.

Now, get this… Every once in a while, without announcement, a fully costumed mermaid will provocatively swim the length of the tank and back. A special access weir box has been included in the tank design to facilitate her surprise entrance.

The tank was lifted into place at 3am on Thursday, August 19th, so now begins another exciting Tenji installation!  You can read a bit about the bar in this Sacramento Press article.

Stay tuned!

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=397 0 Aquamarine Fukushima Turns 10 Years! http://tenji.com/blog/?p=387 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=387#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:22:38 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=387 The spectacular Aquamarine Fukushima (AMF) aquarium had it’s big 10th year anniversary party earlier this month. People attended from all over the world and Tenji was one of 10 speakers asked to present at the event. The symposium theme was the future of aquariums and sustainability. Tenji spoke on the topic of the importance of providing exhibits that cater to families and kids.

The festivities spanned three days and the media coverage was extensive. It was a great honor to be asked to attend and participate. Tenji has a long history of collaborating the Director Abe and his team – actually starting back at their first year. The synergy of our teams is very exciting.

By the way, Tenji turns 10 this year too!

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=387 0 2010 Regional Aquatic Workshop (R.A.W.) http://tenji.com/blog/?p=381 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=381#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:38:08 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=381 Tenji was a sponsor and attendee again at this year’s annual RAW conference. It’s a very exciting and valuable (and fun!) venue for aquarium folk from around the world to get together. We spend several days sharing information about projects, challenges, and successes over the previous year. The informal setting encourages a free-flow of information. The goal is to help each other improve our industry’s exhibit endeavors and ultimately provide the end users (the aquarist, visitor and display specimens) with superior experiences.

This year’s host institution was the spectacular Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. If you have not gone there, go! The staff and displays there are truly world class.

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=381 0 Tenji Hosts Fish Printing Workshop http://tenji.com/blog/?p=377 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=377#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:32:47 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=377 Tenji is once again sponsoring the popular fish printing workshop at SKIDOMPHA Library as part of the summer reading program.  If you happen to be in Maine, save July 21st at 1:00 for THE summer event.

Visit the SKIDOMPHA Library website for more information.  If you like to see pictures of our previous programs, check out here and here.

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=377 0 Tenji Awarded Contract With U. S. Fish And Wildlife Service http://tenji.com/blog/?p=369 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=369#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:43:48 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=369 Tenji was just awarded the contract to build exhibit aquariums for the U. S. Fish And Wildlife Service’s new interpretive center at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Missouri. This hatchery was establish in 1888 and is one of the oldest in the country.  Over 130 species of cold, cool, and warm water fish have been produced at the Neosho NFH since it was established. The current focus is on paddlefish and lake sturgeon restoration, pallid sturgeon recovery, production of rainbow trout for mitigation, and native mussel propagation.

For a fascinating history of the hatchery, pick up Kay Hively and Larry James’ educational book “At This Place…A History Of The Neosho National Fish Hatchery.”

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=369 0 Discovery Place’s New Aquarium Complete http://tenji.com/blog/?p=355 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=355#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 11:31:38 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=355 The Tenji Team just finished the installation of the new aquarium for Discovery Place in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The installation includes:

  • over 1.3 miles of PVC pipe that were needed to connect all the aquaria, pumps, filters, heat exchangers, and other LSS together into a usable package
  • a complete jellyfish lab with culture system
  • quarantine holding area
  • coral propagation and rearing area
  • touch tank
  • FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) work platforms, tank stands, and tank racks

Now the hard work of acclimatizing the animals and tweaking lighting and aquascaping for the exhibits is needed before the grand opening.  A member of the Tenji Team is staying on to help with this final process and we will be posting pictures of the final tanks later.

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=355 0 Natural History Museum In Ottawa Opens To Record Crowds http://tenji.com/blog/?p=362 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=362#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 11:55:54 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=362 On May 22 the Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada’s national museum of natural history, opened its new exhibits and reinvented historic building.  The six-year, $216-million refit of the building was funded by the Government of Canada.  The staff expected 5,000-8,000 people on opening day but hit 11,000 in the first three hours.  By the end of the day they had finished with a record attendance of 20,500 people (the most ever recorded in a day previous was 4,500).  According to staff, it was “a 16 hour day of constant mayhem, but totally exhilarating.”  The following two days saw crowds of 10,000 people each.

Tenji designed and installed a freshwater aquarium for the new Water Gallery at the museum.  A highlight of the new opening, staff said that people “wasted no time finding the river (exhibit) and were not disappointed. It was really wonderful.”

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=362 0 Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Aquarium Continues To Inspire Students http://tenji.com/blog/?p=346 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=346#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:10:42 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=346 The aquarium that Tenji modified and redesigned at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute continues to inspire Maine’s 5th and 6th grade students.  See more at their website.

Sea Raven in the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's benthic exhibit.

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=346 0 Aquamarine Fukushima ‘Hatches’ The Egg! http://tenji.com/blog/?p=342 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=342#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:07:46 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=342 Children exhibit experiences have been a particular focus in many of Tenji’s endeavors. The most recent to debut is an expansion at the spectacular Aquamarine Fukushima (AMF) in northern Japan where AMF Director, Yoshitaka Abe, is known for his revolutionary concepts and educational passion.

Ten years ago Abe tapped Tenji to lead a team for the concept development of a variety of exhibit experiences to help (re)connect the next generation to nature and enjoy exploratory “Tom Sawyer” play-learning environments. On March 20th, AMF ‘hatched’ (opened) the Kappa Fishing Village (the Egg) – the third and newest phase of the Kid’s Aquarium expansion. The anchoring activity zone is a small bay where children and families can catch fish (farmed off-site), cook, and eat them, the goal being to show that sustainable seafood comes from healthy oceans and not fast food styrofoam boxes. In addition, many engaging live exhibits and multimedia interactives add flare to the new exhibit wing.

Tenji was invited to help with the hatching by participating with the opening ceremonies and speaking at the media events.  This new venue for children to learn-while-playing is an exciting culmination of the efforts of Tenji and the AMF teams.

]]> http://tenji.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=342 2 Touch Tank Under Construction http://tenji.com/blog/?p=339 http://tenji.com/blog/?p=339#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:21:48 +0000 tenji http://tenji.com/blog/?p=339 The new touch tank for Discovery Place is under construction and starting to take shape.  Constructed from Corian, acrylic, and a composite FRP/plywood frame, the touch tank will house hardy invertebrates like sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and snails for the public to experience and learn about from a knowledgeable docent.  A built-in video microscope will display on a nearby wall features of the animals too small to see with the naked eye.

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