The system stores several aliquots of fish food in laboratory-standard reservoirs, which themselves are kept in chilled stackers within reach of the central robot arm. The robot arm picks up a reservoir of food, removes the lid using HighRes’ LidValet™ device, and pours the food into one of the tanks. The entire process is controlled by Cellario™, HighRes’ automation scheduling software, so the feeding can occur unsupervised.

BOSTON, April 20, 2012 ¶ HighRes Biosolutions brings its robotics expertise to the world of exotic aquariums on a new episode of Animal Planet’s hit reality television series Tanked. The episode highlights the antics and excitement in designing, building, and deploying a one-of-a-kind robotic aquarium comprised of three tanks that together resemble one of HighRes’ laboratory automation systems.

President and Co-founder Lou Guarracina had been looking for ways to combine his passion for automation and aquatic life. So HighRes teamed up with Wayde King and Brett Raymer at Acrylic Tank Manufacturing in Las Vegas, the stars of the reality series, to create the unique aquarium. The entire project took a little over three months from conception to installation. The design is so novel that it is under consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest automated fish feeder.

The central 625-gallon hexagonal tank represents HighRes’ six-sided MicroStar™ and is topped with a six-axis articulated robotic arm that will automatically feed the fish in all three tanks. The second is a 730-gallon rectangular tank that resembles HighRes’ SteriStore™ automated incubator. The third is an 825-gallon cylindrical tank fashioned after HighRes’ AmbiStore™ automated carousel.

The system stores several aliquots of fish food in laboratory-standard reservoirs, which themselves are kept in chilled stackers within reach of the central robot arm. The robot arm picks up a reservoir of food, removes the lid using HighRes’ LidValet™ device, and pours the food into one of the tanks. The entire process is controlled by Cellario™, HighRes’ automation scheduling software, so the feeding can occur unsupervised.

“I wanted to build an aquarium that not only our visitors and staff would enjoy, but that would also incorporate some of our automation expertise,” said Lou Guarracina, President and Co-founder of HighRes. “And it was a really fun project. Wayde and Brett tried to pull a few pranks on us, but you’ll see on the show that we got them back.”

The episode debuts on Saturday, April 21 at 9:00pm ET/PT on Animal Planet, and will air several more times later in the week and thereafter.