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Silverton casino has recently opened its new expansion, which houses several beautiful salt and fresh-water aquariums, which are free to the public.
The main aquarium is a 117,000 gallon artificial reef which is home to over 4,000 tropical fish from all over the world, 3 species of stingrays and 3 species of sharks. The aquarium is a beautifully designed octagonal aquarium with viewing on all sides. The front viewing window is an impressive convex window that extends 25 X 12 and is one of the largest single pieces of curved acrylic in the US.
This aquarium is home to two different underwater shows, the first being an interactive fish feeding show where one of our staff marine biologists dives in our aquarium with a full-face communication mask that allows him/her to interact with our guests while feeding our animals. There is also a question and answer portion where you can ask the diver any question you'd like. The show occurs thrice daily at 1:30pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm.
In its Mermaid Lounge, Silverton features two 500-gallon jellyfish aquariums that cycle to hypnotic LED lighting, displaying the jellies in seemingly endless colors. The lounge boasts a watery theme from its light blue décor down to its ameba lighting; never mind the 60 plasma TVs
Three times a day, marine biologists share their knowledge from inside the resort's 117,000-gallon tank, while feeding the sharks and sting rays. "The most common question is, 'Are you going to get stung, like what happened to Steve Irwin?' " says aquarium manager Thomas Harder. "It's really nice to educate people about the truths of sting rays. They aren't dangerous animals. People don't often get stung, and when they do, it's very rarely fatal."
During feeding times, a diver will interact with visitors outside the tank. One topic for questions: Diet. "We have mahi-mahi, shrimp, scallops, various types of fish fillets," aquarium manager Thomas Harder says. "We do not feed leftovers or scraps from the buffet."
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