Name - Prestige aquarium
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Location - Manaus, Brazil
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Fishroom location - In the Jungle on the outskirts of Manaus
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Speciality - Export, the compound featured here is the holding center for stockpiling Cardinal tetras and other wild caught species for export around the world.
Notes - Prestige aquarium is the largest exporter in Manaus and the only exporter able to send fish year round, for many months of the year the water levels in the region rise making fishing impossible! only a large exporter such as this can stockpile enough stock to offer a uninterrupted supply year round. The smaller exporters struggle to fulfil orders due to a lack of stock.
I was in Manaus with Project Piaba and we were granted permission to visit this compound so the project can forge greater links with the business owners, this is the first time anyone from Piaba has been invited to view this facility so i was extremely lucky, our hosts were very helpful, attentive and allowed us unlimited access to the farm. Whilst important meetings took place between the owners and Project Piaba i was allowed to wander around the farm, take as many pictures as i wished and was shown perfect Brazilian hospitality.
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These ponds measure aprox 20ft long and around 8ft wide, they are shallow and only around 24" at the deepest, we saw various fish in these pools, Pterophyllum sp, Heros sp, Uaru amphiacanthoides and Hemigrammus rhodostomus are a few of the fish i can remember seeing in these ponds
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The jungle is not that thick around the farm but it is certainly beautiful!
This is my idea of paradise!
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Here you can see the water running into the pool, a small river was dammed over 40 years ago and the water ran via sluices and pipes to each pool, they provide a steady temperature and flush out any pollution. Creating the perfect habitat for the fish contained within.
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Looking back down the rows of ponds you can see the building containing the concrete pools holding millions of cardinal tetras, the picture gives no indication of the size of the farm! it is huge.
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Here you can see just a few of the hundreds of concrete vats, they are lined with white tiles which allow quick cleaning
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This is a different building and you can see almost endless rows of vats, all holding cardinal tetras, rummynose tetras and a few Corydoras.
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The river that was dammed to create a lake at the head of the property still runs alongside the farm, waste water is diverted back into this waterway. I have no idea of and negative implications to the river?
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Pipes ran down the center of the pools supply fresh river water to the vats, this is soft, acidic and tinted with tannin, providing perfect conditions for the fish!
The water flows over an overflow and to the drains.
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This is the highest part of the property and the river has been dammed (I was stood on the dam to take this picture) the resulting flood created this lake and allowed the owners to divert the flow down to the ponds within the farm.
This lake is a recreational area for the family, a beautiful house was built and the family use this for relaxing and fishing!
The lake holds several introduced species for angling and we saw Pacu and large peacock bass gliding through the water.
Cardinal tetras by the millions!!! this is just a snapshot of one pool!! imagine another 600-700 pools just like this!
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The farm had several banks of glass aquariums, these were lightly stocked and didnt seem to be used often?
We saw a few larger cichlids including discus in this system.
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These Symphysodon aequifasciatus were in a tank with a very low water level? im not sure of the reason, it didnt look like anyone was in the middle of any maintenance.
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Lots of glass aquariums, empty at this time and didnt look like they had been used for a while?
The house on the lake, we were served refreshments here and had chance to relax for a short while, for those interested there were fishing rods to try and catch a peacock bass.
The nephew of the property owner giving us some information on the farm, the lake and the family business.
The 2018 Project Piaba expedition team and the owner of Prestige Aquarium (Far left), several Brazilians, lots of Americans and a few English. Picture taken by my good friend Chuck Doughty (Third left)