CHESTER ZOO AQUARIUM

The Aquarium is part of the UK's largest garden zoo, in 110 acres of landscaped gardens. There is no extra charge for Aquarium admission. There are 22 display tanks with nearly 3,000 specimens in 132 species. Off show we have over 60 tanks for conservation, breeding and quarantine. In total, there are over 40 tonnes of water.

Thirty four species are considered threatened in IUCN or Managed programmes. Notable first breedings have included the freshwater whip-tailed stingray. Our seahorse breeding programmes lead to regular stock transfers to other collections, and the endangered livebearers are breeding well. Notable successes include Lake Kutuba rainbow fish, Madagascan cichlids, Banggai cardinal fish and Lake Victoria cichlids. Five species of Lake Barombi-Mbo cichlids have joined the collection. The Aquarium also supports fish in other parts of the zoo, with red-tailed catfish and a tiger shovel-nosed catfish on show in the Twilight Zone Bat Cave pool.

Zoo staff play an important role in the Fish and Aquatic Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group (FAITAG), with Zoo Director, Professor Gordon McGregor Reid, the co-Chair. Aquarium staff are Aquarist Mike Crumpler and Senior Keepers Justin Bell and Ray Packwood.

How to get there
By car: From Merseyside Old (Birkenhead) Tunnel and A41; from North Wales A55 (briefly M53) and exit at J12 onto A41; from east M62 / M60 westbound, M6 southbound, M56 westbound and exit at J14 signed 'zoo'; from north or south use M6 as above. The zoo is two miles from the city centre on the A41.
By bus: Monday-Saturday, Crosville 4 / 14 half hourly from the Town Hall Bus Exchange to the zooís main entrance; 40 half hourly to the pedestrian entrance. Sundays / Bank Holidays Wirral Peninsula 11C / 12C half hourly to the main entrance from the Town Hall Bus Exchange.
By train: From Chester Central Station any bus to Town Hall Bus Exchange, then as above or Merseyrail Electrics to Bache Station and Crosville Bus 4 / 14/ 40. Money saving joint rail/bus and entry tickets sold on all Merseyrail manned stations.

Address
Chester Zoolgical Gardens, Upton by Chester,
Chester CH2 1LH

Phone
01244 380280

Email
conservation@chesterzoo.co.uk