After extensive renovations, the Nordsee Aquarium Borkum is open to visitors again today, Wednesday, March 4th. The aquarium had been closed since the beginning of November due to the renovation of the small tank system.

At the start of the work, the inhabitants of the existing tanks – including various species of crustaceans, anemones, mussels, and fish – had to be temporarily relocated. Subsequently, the carpenters from Nordseeheilbad Borkum GmbH (NBG) dismantled the wall in front of the old aquariums, removed the tanks, and dismantled the supporting structure. The concrete base was then professionally repaired by NBG employees.

In December, Petermann Aquarium Construction from Bensheim arrived and set up the new aquariums. A new school tank was added, and instead of the previous two small tanks, a long rock reef tank was installed. On December 5th, the new tanks were tested and filled with water for the first time.

Once the new pools were in place, the new wall cladding for the visitor area could be measured and ordered. Due to delivery problems, the new wall panels could not be installed until February.

Meanwhile, the aquarium staff built new backgrounds for the tanks, depicting the habitats of the animals housed within. Once these were glued in place and soaked, the animals could finally move into their new tanks: first, the hermit crabs and the wax anemones settled into their new homes. Gradually, all the new tanks filled with life. Finally, the new schooling tank was set up, where a school of mullet now swims and numerous brittle stars scuttle through the substrate.

Walls were painted, sockets, lamps and circulation pumps were rewired, and connections were installed for the new tablets, which were installed by the NBG IT department at the end of February.

“We are delighted to be able to present the newly designed pools to our guests and cordially invite all interested parties to rediscover the fascinating underwater world of the North Sea,” said Tourism Director Pia Hosemann and the aquarium team.