Ripley's Aquarium

[yush_gta]

So we actually got to go there for a work function. I was impressed by how big it is. Great facility.

Anyway, the first exhibit is Canadian marine life. The same fish we try to catch on a regular basis. I stood there in awe. Actually, the fish in the BPS tank are bigger but these were impressive specimens never-the-less. There were a couple of trout also with big bite marks on top, just behind their heads. They were too far from the glass for me to get a good shot. But I was wondering which fish would have done that. Maybe the pike?

 

[Dozer]

Nice pictures, I'll be heading there this week... what rod did you bring and what did you use as bait?

 

[yush_gta]

lol. just bring a net.

 

[rich_ace_G]

those fish looked bored...i'd love to toss some crawlers for their enjoyment....

 

[yush_gta]

i should also mention that the one bass you see in two of the pics was being aggressive. twice i watched him try to ram his head into other fish. could be from a mix of boredom and natural animal instinct. gotta love bass.

 

[richardjai]

I went there a few weeks ago with the gf.
Place was amazing! what should ahve been an hour walk through turned into 3 hours of awe.

We conveyor belted through the shark tank like 3 times.

Definitely worth visiting atleast once.

 

[W_boughner]

Definitely the pike !! I saw that too ! What are those fish with the big bill and where to you get them !!

 

[fishermandan420]

Those are paddle fish from southern US. Only way to get them is snagging as they are filter feeders. YouTube it!

 

[goodentight]

Saw an episode on WFN about this place. They are called paddle fish and believe it or not there are some in Lake O.

 

[CanadianAngler87]

Those are paddle fish from southern US. Only way to get them is snagging as they are filter feeders. YouTube it!

Legal snagging too lol

 

[Neto21]

wow those are some real cool pictures.

 

[yush_gta]

wow those are some real cool pictures.

thx.

 

[yush_gta]

https://vimeo.com/83028167

here is a video i made too. first minute is the canadian fish exhibit. first few seconds shows that bass being a dick.

 

[FishChaser67]

Cool vid ,,, got to go check this place out some day ,,,,,

 

[yush_gta]

Cool vid ,,, got to go check this place out some day ,,,,,

thx. ya it's worth a one time visit.

 

[Kasim Baluch]

thx. ya it's worth a one time visit.

I agree on the one time visit. its quite expensive but they do have a lot of expenses and is cool to go once.... little ones like it a bunch too.

 

[MuskieBait]

The Great Lakes freshwater exhibition was a bit disappointing...looks just like the tank at Bass Pro...nothing really exciting except the Paddlefish and the Sturgeon.

I do like the Pacific Northwest tank with the kelp forest display.

The Altantic tank was ok...would have love to see some other species aside from Cod, Haddock, Pollock and Greenland Halibut...there are so many other species that can be shown...

I would have loved to see some kind of stream tank with local stream species...and I'm not talking about trout...I'm talking about the other little species that are overlooked...crayfish, scuplins, darters, madtoms, minnows, insect nymphs...etc. That's where you educate the public that even in a stream that looks "dead", there are a lot of life they often don't see...and any little stream matters and should be protected. This is where you teach the public that water quality is important and that's the base of the food chain where it is affected.

I have some idea to offer them...maybe next time I'm there I can offer some of the ideas.

I do love the reef tank though. I can spend a whole day there trying to spot and identify some of the little fish that are hiding amongst the fake coral.

I'm tempted to fish in the shark tanks for Bonnethead Shark and Blacktip Shark...they evaded me in Florida...I'm looking for payback...

 

[azppp]

muskiebait i totally agree. Ripley's is quite impressive but you can tell it is more for entertainment/amusement - to try to justify the $30 eh....

Alot of the education on the ontario ecosystem can be seen in the conservation centers, Kortwright is a popular one. We need more of those. Can't stress the need for proper education.

As clean as the tanks were most of the individual tanks were too small - the potato cod tank made me sick.

az

 

[MuskieBait]

Yeah...two big Goliath Groupers together with a Potato Cod...that was weak....should have put them in with the sawfish and the sand tiger...The Goliaths belong in that tank anyway since the species in the whole tube display were Atlantic/Gulf species so it makes for a consistent display of the "ecosystem". The Potato Cod was completely out of places...Indo-Pacific mingling with Atlantic species...but I guess that's the only place those big boys can live together without eating their tank mates.

 

[Dozer]

I was disappointed. My expectations were high because this is Ripleys owned and all sorts of money was thrown at it. Saw numerous sick fish, lots of beat up fish ( the freshwater "Ontario" tank had beat up hatchery brookies in it alongside fish with battle scars - just like OP mentioned ). Nothing overly exciting and out of the ordinary in terms of unique specimens ( there were a couple ). The tanks were poorly setup and the aquascaping sucked. Big Als does a better job. Everything was fake - fake painted corals, fake plants, etc. Couple tanks with live corals and plants - the congo tetra tank was the saddest thing I've ever seen in an aquarium.

What I did like was being able to see some of the behind the scenes machinery involved with the operation... filters cycling 3,000 litres per minute and massive chillers. The alewife setup I really loved. The place is very kid friendly - all sorts of cool shit for the little ones. Went through one of the cylinders however some jackass dropped a bomb in it and nearly gassed me out in the polluted environment.

I won't be going back but if they'll be shooting "Fear and Loathing in Ripleys Toronto" I want the lead role.