Obří akvárium, Freshwater aquarium in Pražské Předměstí, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
The Obří Akvárium is a public aquarium in Hradec Králové with tanks that display different water ecosystems and the creatures living in them. The facility lets visitors observe fish and other aquatic animals up close and learn how they exist in their natural environments.
The project began in 1997 and the aquarium opened in 1998, founded by David Šmeral, who drew on his travels in Central and South America. It was the first aquarium in Czechia with a visitor tunnel, made to order in Japan from 6.5 cm thick acrylic glass. The 'Projekce u rejnoka' room opened in June 2000.
The aquarium's name comes from its 130,000-litre tank, the largest freshwater display in Czechia. Its founder, David Šmeral, drew on travels in Central and South America to show freshwater species that are hard to see in the murky rivers there. The café Piraňa, open since 1999, keeps piranhas and orange-winged amazons and is open to non-visitors.
The facility is designed to be easy to navigate, so all visitors can view the tanks comfortably. It helps to allow plenty of time to explore the different sections at a relaxed pace.
The 6.5 cm thick acrylic viewing tunnel was custom-made in Japan, letting visitors stand on the bottom of the 130,000-litre tank as fish swim overhead. The main tank measures 5 m long, 8 m wide and 4.8 m high and works as a self-contained ecosystem where fish breed and raise their young.
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