A new restaurant in Brooklyn, New York has had a spot of bother with the sharks in its aquarium.
Applebee's restaurant is set to open in Coney Island today, with a 20' x 10' shark tank as its centrepiece. The 'Wonders of the Sea' aquarium holds around 18,925 l/5000 US gal and is complete with a 90cm/3' replica of the famous Coney Island ferris wheel, known as the Wonder Wheel and a roller coaster as part of its decor.
The tank holds an assortment of fish, sharks and stingrays. It was created with the help of Wayde King and Brett Raymer, co-owners of Las Vegas-based Acrylic Tank Manufacturing and the stars of Animal Planet’s hit series Tanked.
However, on Friday a Blacktip shark had to be removed after it ate three of its tankmates - all of them Lookdown fish.
This followed the death on the same day of a Whitetip shark, which collided with the Wonder Wheel in the aquarium.
Both sharks had only been added to the tank that day. The owner of the restaurant chain Zane Tankel, told the New York Daily News that he thought the sharks may have been moved too quickly.
“They went from being in an ocean to being in a tank. They were all disoriented,” he said.
The Blacktip was transferred to another aquarium in New York.
Staff are reported to be shocked by the deaths, but the restaurant is said to be opening as planned.
Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See our latest subscription offer.
Don't forget that PFK is now available to download on the iPad.