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Life Support Systems

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the aquarium manages millions of litres of water to maintain our complex habitats in a sustainable way.

What Will You Discover?

Explore how thousands of marine animals are supported by massive systems that filter, test, and continuously circulate millions of gallons of water through their habitats every single day. By bringing a significant amount of pumping and filtration equipment out into public areas, we offer a unique opportunity to see how our complex facility is maintained.

How is saltwater created? How is saltwater created?

How is saltwater created?

More than 158,757 kilos of salt are needed to make our water as salty as the ocean! Keeping our animals happy and healthy is a big job, and what you see here — our Life Support System — is only a small part of it!

How much water is in the aquarium? How much water is in the aquarium?

How much water is in the aquarium?

Hold on to your fins! Our systems clean, disinfect, and process all the water for our habitats. With about 5.2 million litres of water onsite, our habitats could fill 25,000 bathtubs! Maintaining a healthy environment can be a complex task.

Where does the aquarium get its water? Where does the aquarium get its water?

Where does the aquarium get its water?

Great question! The aquarium is home to over 5 million litres of Toronto municipal water. Toronto’s water runs through our carbon filters to remove any impurities and is either pumped into the aquarium’s freshwater systems or moved to a holding basin where salt and minerals are mixed in to create our own saltwater. Our saltwater must always pass a water chemistry test before it can be used.

Is the aquarium water recycled? Is the aquarium water recycled?

Is the aquarium water recycled?

Yes! Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada sits on the shores of Lake Ontario, one of the largest lakes in the world. We understand the significance of preserving our water which is why we recycle much of the water used throughout the building.

How much water is used per day? How much water is used per day?

How much water is used per day?

Ten pumps deliver water to all of the aquarium’s larger exhibits. In total, they pump over 68,000 litres of water per minute. That’s approximately 98 million litres of water every day!

What's Inside

Exhibits Nearby

What's Inside

Exhibits Nearby

Canadian Waters

Embark on a coast-to-coast journey through freshwater wilds, local fisheries, and kelp forests, meeting more than 80 aquatic species, like sturgeon and the giant Pacific octopus, along the way!

Meet the Species
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Woah! The Aquarium sounds like alotl fun! But what are you doing all the way down here with the axolotls – some of the most secretive salamanders in the world?!

Did you know out of more than 800 salamander species that exist, only about 22 can be found in Canada?