Hundreds of fish rescued from the massive hotel aquarium explosion have survived and are doing well, zoo heads in Berlin have revealed.
More than 1,500 fish were sent crashing into the hotel lobby when the 46-foot-tall AquaDom at the Raddison Collection Hotel ruptured.
A tsunami of 264,000 gallons of saltwater surged through the lobby in the early hours of 16th December, with two guests injured by flying glass.
Most of the fish perished in the blast but around 200 were saved and were taken to the Berlin Zoo.
And now zoo officials have revealed that most of them have recovered and only nine of the rescued fish later died.
A Berlin Zoo spokeswoman said on 9th January: “Everyone else has recovered well.”
She said the surviving fish – which include Cichlidae, Acanthuridae, and Platax – will continue to be cared for at the zoo.
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But, she said: “It’s not certain how long they’ll stay with us.”
Following the aquarium rupture, around 630 fish were rescued from its underground breeding tanks, the building owner said.
Some were given to the Berlin Zoo, and the remainder to other institutions.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
It was earlier reported that at the time, the temperature outside was minus seven degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit), while the water inside the tank was 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit).
Some believe the large temperature difference may have compromised the tank, with material fatigue mooted as a possible cause of the incident.
The AquaDom, built in 2003, was, until its rupture, the largest free-standing cylindrical tank in the world.
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Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Central European News
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