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Jellyfish cannot simply be dropped into an ordinary aquarium. Corners trap them, filtration intakes can injure them, and a flat panel of water gives them nowhere to drift. The Expo 2020 jellyfish tank built for Acciona’s Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion had to solve all of that and still work as a piece of storytelling.
Water Wonders Aquarium LLC designed and built a custom Kreisel tank, a circular, flow-regulated aquarium, that keeps delicate jellyfish suspended safely in mid-water, lit to turn them into a glowing, alien-looking exhibit about ocean warming and ecosystem imbalance.
Project Overview
Water Wonders engineered the tank, its flow system and its lighting as one display for the pavilion.
Project Highlights
- A custom Kreisel jellyfish tank measuring 2,200 mm x 800 mm x 2,200 mm (H)
- A circular, flow-regulated design producing a gentle, continuous laminar current
- Delicate jellyfish kept suspended safely in mid-water, away from corners and filtration intakes
- Specialised LED lighting cycling through deep blues and neon hues to highlight translucent bodies
- A display built to illustrate ocean warming and ecosystem imbalance
- Viewed through a rounded window set into the pavilion’s sculpted wall
Engineering Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Jellyfish Display Tank |
| Client | Acciona |
| Venue | Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai |
| Tank Type | Kreisel (circular, flow-regulated) |
| Dimensions | 2,200 mm x 800 mm x 2,200 mm (H) |
| Water Movement | Gentle, continuous laminar current |
| Livestock | Jellyfish |
| Lighting | Specialised LED lighting cycling through deep blues and neon hues |
| Display Context | Interpretive exhibit on ocean warming and ecosystem imbalance |
Dimensions and system descriptions are taken from Water Wonders’ project records. Operating volume and equipment models have not been published.
Engineering Challenges
Housing a Delicate Animal
Jellyfish have no skeleton and no ability to swim away from hazards. The tank had to be designed around their fragility rather than around a standard aquarium layout.
Eliminating Corners
In a square aquarium jellyfish can become trapped in corners. A circular Kreisel design removes the corners so animals keep moving in the water column.
Protecting Against Intakes
Standard filtration intakes can draw in and injure jellyfish. Water circulation and flow had to be arranged so the animals stayed clear of them.
Controlling the Current
The flow had to be strong enough to keep animals suspended yet gentle enough not to damage them, which is why the tank was built around a regulated, laminar current.
Making Translucent Animals Visible
Jellyfish are almost transparent, so lighting is essential to seeing them at all. The lighting had to show their shape without overwhelming them.
Fitting the Architecture
The tank was viewed through a rounded window in a sculpted white wall beside the visitor walkway, so the display had to work with the pavilion’s architecture as well as the animals.
Water Wonders Solution
Water Wonders built a custom Kreisel tank, a circular, flow-regulated aquarium that generates a gentle, continuous laminar water current. That motion keeps the delicate jellyfish suspended in mid-water, away from the walls and from the equipment, which is why the format suits jellyfish far better than a conventional rectangular tank.
For the display, specialised LED lighting was integrated into the tank to accentuate the translucent bodies of the jellyfish. By cycling through deep blues and neon hues, the lighting created a hypnotic, alien-like environment designed to draw visitors in before presenting the environmental message about why jellyfish populations are surging globally.
The result is a custom aquarium engineered around its animals first and its architecture second, using the same principles of circulation, life support and lighting that apply to our permanent installations. See also our guide to aquarium life support systems.
Project Stages
Project photographs record the tank from the Water Wonders workshop through to the finished exhibit.
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Workshop Build
The tank housing and its rounded viewing window were fabricated at the Water Wonders workshop in Dubai.
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Delivery and Installation
The completed tank was installed behind the pavilion’s sculpted white wall, with its viewing window set into the architecture.
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Flow and Lighting Set-Up
The regulated circulation and the LED lighting were configured so the animals stayed suspended and the colours cycled as intended.
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Opening to Visitors
Visitors walked along the railed route past the glowing window and stopped to watch the jellyfish drift.
Materials & Technologies
Kreisel Tank Design
A circular, flow-regulated tank that produces a gentle, continuous laminar current and keeps jellyfish suspended.
Flow-Regulated Circulation
Water movement designed to keep animals away from corners and intakes while remaining gentle enough for delicate bodies.
Specialised LED Lighting
LED lighting that accentuates translucent jellyfish and cycles through deep blues and neon hues.
Architectural Integration
A rounded viewing window set into a sculpted white wall, so the tank reads as part of the pavilion rather than an add-on.
Why a Kreisel Tank Suits Jellyfish
Project Outcome
The Jellyfish Display Tank delivered a visually striking exhibit that also carried an argument. Large jellyfish blooms often indicate a degraded, overfished or warming ocean, and the tank used a mesmerising display of the animals to introduce that message to visitors in the Terra pavilion.
It also demonstrates what a custom, purpose-built tank makes possible: species that a standard aquarium cannot keep can be displayed safely when the vessel, the flow and the lighting are engineered for them. Explore the same design thinking in our commercial aquariums and cylinder aquariums.
Why Choose Water Wonders
Water Wonders has built custom aquariums in Dubai since 2001 from its 8,000 sq ft workshop in Dubai, handling design, fabrication, life support, lighting and installation under one roof. See more of our work in the portfolio, including the Adidas Liquid Billboard, or learn about our custom aquarium installation process.
This tank is one of two Expo 2020 exhibits Water Wonders built for the Terra pavilion. See the Expo 2020 Terra pavilion overview and the spherical live coral tank.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Expo 2020 jellyfish tank?
A custom Kreisel jellyfish display tank built by Water Wonders Aquarium LLC for Acciona’s Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. It was designed to illustrate ocean warming and ecosystem imbalance.
What size is the jellyfish display tank?
The tank measures 2,200 mm x 800 mm x 2,200 mm (H).
What is a Kreisel tank?
A Kreisel is a circular, flow-regulated aquarium. Water circulates in a gentle, continuous laminar current that keeps delicate animals such as jellyfish suspended in mid-water, away from the walls and intakes.
Why can’t jellyfish live in a standard square aquarium?
Jellyfish can become trapped in corners or damaged by the intakes of standard filtration. A circular tank with controlled, gentle flow removes the corners and keeps the animals moving safely in the water column.
Why were jellyfish used in a sustainability pavilion?
In marine biology, large jellyfish blooms often point to a degraded, overfished or warming ocean in which other species struggle. The display used that idea to open a conversation about why jellyfish populations are surging globally because of human impact.
How was the jellyfish tank lit?
Specialised LED lighting accentuated the translucent bodies of the jellyfish, cycling through deep blues and neon hues to create the hypnotic, otherworldly look that drew visitors in. See our aquarium lighting guide for how lighting affects an aquarium display.
Who built the jellyfish tank?
Water Wonders Aquarium LLC, a Dubai-based custom aquarium builder, designed and built the tank for Acciona.
Does Water Wonders build specialist species tanks?
Water Wonders designs custom aquariums project by project, including specialist displays like this one. The right design depends on the species, the space and the life-support requirements, so share your brief through our quotation form.
How are jellyfish tanks maintained?
Specialist displays need a planned maintenance routine for water quality, flow and lighting. Our aquarium maintenance cost guide explains what a service programme involves.
Can a custom aquarium be built into a wall or architectural feature?
Yes. This tank was viewed through a rounded window set into a sculpted wall. See our ideas for a wall aquarium in Dubai or explore the custom aquarium service.
Have a Specialist Aquarium Project in Mind?
From concept to handover, Water Wonders delivers custom aquariums and specialist displays across Dubai and the UAE.
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