CMU Aquatic Vivarium

The Central Michigan University aquatic vivarium is nearly 5000 ft2. Rooms have an open floor plan for flexibility of different recirculating system configurations (e.g. living streams, Aquaneering and Aquatic Ecosystems recirculating systems). A procedure room for water quality testing, micro scope work and sample processing. Two large holding rooms with flexibility for additional large recirculating systems, tank and filter cleaning, and large group procedures (i.e. necropsy, sample processing). FOB key restricted access to the facility as well as each research room for strict access control. The entire vivarium is controlled by generator power in the event of a power loss.

Research rooms include:

• Epoxy coated walls and floors. Walls are 8” sand-filled to provide excellent insulation as well as keeping sound and vibration to a minimum.
  
• Temperature controlled between ~67 and 82F degrees.
• Large trench floor drains on the side of the room for easy maintenance and cleaning.
  
• Dimmable lighting to simulate dusk and dawn.
  
• Programmable to mimic geographic locations.
  
• Three dechlorinated water spigots and a RO waterline access.
  
• Compressed airline for supplemental oxygen.
  
• Twelve 110v wall GFI outlets on side of room.

Environment chambers include:

• Insulated fiberglass walls and epoxy concrete floors.
• Temperature controlled from 34-104F to within +/- .3 degrees.
• Relative humidity from 10% to 95% controllable to +/-2%.
• Temperature and humidity tracking with alarm notification when parameters are out of range.
• Three dechlorinated water spigots and one RO water spigot.
• Compressed airline for supplemental oxygen.
• 2 chambers provide wall-mounted and an adjustable counterweight T5 light canopy with independent lighting controls.