Universal Studios

At least one version of corporate history claims that the twenty-year-old Irving Thalberg rose so quickly because he told subordinates that he alone spoke for Carl Laemmle in making production decisions, while the others were more concerned with battling among themselves. For a partial list of public aquaria worldwide, see list of aquaria. For several years some of these junior partners carried considerable weight within Universal; inevitably factions and rivalries were the rule. Top public aquaria are often affiliated with important oceanographic research institutions or conduct their own research programs, and usually (though not always) specialize in species and ecosystems that can be found in local waters. Among those early film-production studios (and their proprietors) were:. A moving walkway now transports visitors through, and groups of school children occasionally hold sleepovers there beneath the swimming sharks and rays. In the early years of Universal, the company absorbed a number of small firms. The 110-meter tunnel was built from one-tonne slabs of German sheet plastic that were shaped locally in an oven.

Movie Not Listed. In January 1985 Kelly Tarlton began construction of the first aquarium to include a large transparent acrylic tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand, a task that took 10 months and cost NZ$3 million. For example, for Waterworld in 1995, the sea level on earth rises, covering the land as the Universal title moves into place. In contrast, the recently opened Georgia Aquarium filled its tanks with fresh water from the city water system and salinated its salt water exhibits using the same commercial salt and mineral additives available to home aquarists. There have been occasional modifications to the logo to match the picture. An inland pioneer was Chicago's Shedd Aquarium that received seawater shipped by rail in special tank cars. Added to this was a dramatic, swelling theme by Jerry Goldsmith. Most public aquaria are located close to the ocean, for a steady supply of natural seawater.

This was tweaked a bit in 1997 to add lights on earth and highlights on the rotating letter-wrap. Following early examples of Detroit, New York and San Francisco, many major cities now have public aquaria. Using CGI, the new introduction simulates a satellite-eye view of earth; as the point-of-view pulls back, a classically-styled "UNIVERSAL" moves into place like a belt. Barnum quickly followed with the first American aquarium, opened on Broadway in New York. To celebrate the company's seventy-fifth anniversary, the logo got a digital makeover in 1990. P.T. Added at the bottom of the screen was the sub-head, "AN MCA COMPANY." Earlier on this was used for widescreen where the logo is slower and UNIVERSAL blurs in then A & Pictures are sandwiched on it. The first public aquarium opened in London's Regent's Park in 1853.

When the "International" portion of the name was dropped in 1963, the logo was updated to a more stylized revolving globe inside a whirling Van Allen Belt, with the name "UNIVERSAL" centered over it. In recent years, the large aquaria have been attempting to acquire and raise various species of open-ocean fish, and even jellyfish (or sea-jellies, cnidaria), a difficult task since these creatures have never before encountered solid surfaces like the walls of a tank, and do not have the instincts to turn aside from the walls instead of running into them. Following the 1946 merger with International Pictures, a new, more conventional logo was introduced, with a realistic representation of earth shown underneath the new name "Universal-International" in a dignified type font. Also as with zoos, aquaria usually have specialized research staff who study the habits and biology of their specimens. With new management in the mid-1930s came a completely new logo; introduced in 1937, a highly stylized glass globe, surrounded by twinkling stars, rotated to display the name "UNIVERSAL PICTURES." This logo quickly conveyed a message of "new management" while tapping into the modern movement in design. A few have their own version of a "petting zoo"; for instance, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a shallow tank filled with common types of rays, and one can reach in to feel their leathery skins as they pass by. At the end of the movie The End is on the globe then it read " It's A UNIVERSAL PICTURE". A good aquarium will have special exhibits to entice repeat visitors, in addition to its permanent collection.

An updated logo was introduced in 1929, as a biplane circling the globe "wiped" into place the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE". Operationally, a public aquarium is similar in many ways to a zoo or museum. Universal has used an image of planet Earth as their logo since the early 1920s. Aquatic and semiaquatic animals, including otters and penguins, may also be kept by public aquaria. As presently structured, GE owns 80% of NBC Universal, with Vivendi holding the remaining 20%, with an option to sell its share in 2006. gallons of water and can house large species, including dolphins, sharks or beluga whales. The reorganized "Universal" film conglomerate has enjoyed several financially successful years. The largest tanks hold millions of U.S.

remained the name of the production subsidiary; and while some expressed doubts that regimented, profit-minded GE and high-living Hollywood could coexist, so far the mix seems to be working. Most public aquaria feature a number of smaller tanks, as well as one or more large tank greater in size than could be kept by any home aquarist. The resulting media super-conglomerate was re-named NBC Universal, while Universal Studios Inc. Public aquaria are facilities open to the public for viewing of aquatic species in aquaria. Subsequently burdened with debt, Vivendi sold its majority share in Universal (including the studio and theme parks) to GE in 2004, parent of NBC. In practice this is a very complicated and difficult task, and so most aquarists use rules of thumb combined with a trial and error approach to reach an appropriate level of biological loading. (These same properties would be bought back later at greatly inflated prices.) Seeing a way out, in June 2000, Seagram sold itself to French water-utility and media company Vivendi and the media conglomerate became Vivendi/Universal, while the music-related subsidiaries of MCA were sold to Geffen Music, thus effectively ending the existence of MCA. To do so, the variables for waste production rate, nitrification efficiency, gas exchange rate at the water surface, and many others would need to be determined.

sold Universal's television holdings (including cable network USA) to Barry Diller. The true maximum or ideal biological loading of a system is very difficult to calculate, even on a theoretical level. To raise money, Seagram head Edgar Bronfman, Jr. For goldfish and other high-waste fish, some aquarists recommend doubling the space allowance to one inch of fish per every two gallons. to enter the lucrative videotape sales industry; but the up-and-down profit in Hollywood was no substitute for a secure cash-cow like whiskey. This rule is usually applied to the expected mature size of the fish, in order to not stunt growth by overcrowding, which can be unhealthy for the fish. Hoping to build a media empire around Universal, Seagram bought Polygram and other entertainment properties, and created MCA/Universal Home Video Inc. gallons (about 7 mm per liter of water).

This provided a cash infusion, but the clash of cultures was too great to overcome, and, in frustration, five years later Matsushita sold control MCA/Universal to the Canadian liquor-distributor Seagram. gallon" rule, which dictates that the sum in inches of the lengths of all fish kept in an aquarium (excluding tail length) should not exceed the capacity of the tank measured in U.S. At this time, the production subsidiary was renamed Universal Studios Inc. Perhaps the most popular of these is the "one inch of fish per U.S. Anxious to expand its broadcast and cable presence, in 1990 Lew Wasserman, now head of MCA, sought a rich partner, of MCA/Universal to Matsushita Electric, the Japanese electronics manufacturer. In order to prevent biological overloading of the system, aquarists have developed a number of rules of thumb. There would be other film hits like E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park, but overall the film business was still hit-and-miss. Physically, only a limited size and number of plants and animals can be fit into an aquarium while still providing room for movement.

Weekly series production was the workhorse of the company. The capacity of nitrifying bacteria is limited by the physical space they have available to colonize. Though Universal's film unit did produce occasional hits, among them Airport, The Sting, American Graffiti, and a blockbuster that restored the company's fortunes, Jaws, Universal in the 1970s was primarily a television studio. The surface area of water exposed to air limits dissolved oxygen intake by the tank. An innovation of which Universal was especially proud was the creation in this period of the ninety-minute, made-for-television movie. In addition, there are several fundamental constraints on biological loading based on the size of an aquarium. Television now carried the load, as Revue-MCA dominated the American networks, particularly NBC (which later merged with Universal to form NBC Universal-see below), where for several seasons it provided up to half of all prime time shows. High biological loading in an aquarium represents a more complicated tank ecology, which in turn means that equilibrium is easier to perturb.

But it was too late, since the audience was no longer there, and by 1968, the film-production unit began to downsize. Biological loading is a measure of the burden placed on the aquarium ecosystem by its living inhabitants. And so, with MCA in charge, for a few years in the 1960s Universal became what it had never been: a full-blown, first-class movie studio, with leading actors and directors under contract; offering slick, commercial films; and a studio tour subsidiary (launched in 1964). Appropriate handling of the nitrogen cycle, along with supplying an adequately balanced food supply and considered biological loading, is usually enough to keep these other nutrient cycles in approximate equilibrium. As a last gesture before getting out of the talent agency business, virtually every MCA client was signed to a Universal contract. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients also cycle through the system, entering as food and exiting as waste. remained a subsidiary only engaged in export/international release of Universal product. The phosphate cycle is an important, although often overlooked, nutrient cycle.

Universal-International Pictures Inc. Carbon dioxide escapes the system into the air. The actual, long-awaited takeover of Universal Pictures by MCA finally took place in mid-1962, and the production subsidiary reverted in name to Universal Pictures, while the parent company became MCA/Universal Pictures Inc. Dissolved oxygen enters the system at the surface water-air interface or through the actions of an air pump. The studio lot was upgraded and modernized, while MCA clients like Doris Day, Lana Turner, and Cary Grant were signed to Universal Pictures contracts. Nitrogen is not the only nutrient that cycles through an aquarium. Although MCA owned the studio lot, but not Universal Pictures, it was increasingly influential on Universal's product. Improperly cycled aquaria can quickly accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrogen waste and kill its inhabitants.

After a period of complete shutdown, a moribund Universal agreed to sell its (by now) 360-acre (1.5 km²) studio lot to MCA in 1958, for $11 million. According to anecdotal reports of aquarists specializing in planted tanks, the plants can consume nitrogenous waste so efficiently that the spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels normally seen in more traditional cycling methods are greatly reduced, if they are detectable at all. Talent agent MCA had also become a powerful television producer, renting space at Republic Studios for its Revue Productions subsidiary. The silent cycle is basically nothing more than densely stocking the aquarium with fast-growing aquatic plants and relying on them to consume the nitrogen products rather than bacteria. The combination of the studio/theater-chain break-up and the rise of television saw the mass audience drift away, probably forever. During this process, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are tested to monitor progress. By the late 1950s, the motion picture business was in trouble. Instead, small amounts of ammonia are added to the tank to feed the bacteria being cultured.

This kind of arrangement would become the rule for many future productions at Universal, and eventually at other studios as well. As the name of the former implies, no fish are kept in a tank undergoing a fishless cycle. When one of those films, Winchester '73 proved to be a hit, Stewart became a rich man. Other cycling methods that have gained popularity in recent years are the fishless cycle and the silent cycle. Wasserman's deal gave Stewart a share in the profits of three pictures in lieu of a large salary. Aquarists use several different methods to jump start this process, including the use of water additives containing small populations of the bacteria, or "seeding" a new tank with a mature bacterial colony removed from another aquarium (such as can be found on gravel or biological filter media). Leading actors were increasingly free to work where and when they chose, and in 1950 MCA agent Lew Wasserman made a deal with Universal for his client James Stewart that would change the rules of the business. In a process called cycling, aquarists cultivate these bacteria as fish and other producers of nitrogen waste are gradually added to the tank over the course of several weeks.

case. New aquaria also do not usually have the required populations of bacteria for the handling of nitrogen waste. Paramount Pictures, et al. This problem is most often addressed through two filtration solutions: Activated carbon filters absorb nitrogen compounds and other toxins from the water, while biological filters provide a medium specially designed for colonization by the desired nitrifying bacteria. vs. Aquaria kept by hobbyists often do not have the requisite populations of bacteria needed to detoxify nitrogen waste from tank inhabitants. Though Decca would continue to keep picture-budgets lean, they were favored by changing circumstances in the film business, as other studios let their contract-actors go in the wake of the 1948 U.S. A balanced system, in which the fish eat the plants, is generally difficult to create.

At this point Rank lost interest and sold his shares to the investor Milton Rackmil, whose Decca Records would take full control of Universal in 1952. This accumulation of nitrates in home aquaria requires the aquarium keeper to remove water that is high in nitrates or remove plants which have grown from the nitrates. By the late 1940s, Goetz was out, and the studio reverted once more to the low-budget fare it knew best. Although informally called the nitrogen cycle by hobbyists, it is in fact only a portion of a true cycle: nitrogen must be added to the system (usually through food provided to the tank inhabitants), and nitrates accumulate in the water at the end of the process (or contribute to a growth in biomass via plant metabolism). While there were to be a few hits like The Egg & I, The Killers, and Naked City, the studio still struggled. However, this is only temporary, as the plants release nitrogen back into the water when older leaves die off and decompose. William Goetz, a founder of International, was made head of production at the re-named (as Universal-International Pictures Inc.) production arm of the Universal Pictures complex (distribution and copyright control remained under the name of Universal Pictures Company Inc.; Universal-International Pictures additionally served Universal as an import-export subsidiary, and copyright holder for the production arm's films), and he set out an ambitious schedule. When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass.

While trying to improve the quality of the studio's output, he instigated a merger in 1946 with a struggling American independent production company, International Pictures. In addition to bacteria, aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. Arthur Rank bought a one-fourth interest in Universal in 1945. While biologically they could theoretically fill the same niche as Nitrospira, it has recently been found that Nitrobacter are not present in detectable levels in established aquaria, while Nitrospira are plentiful.) This process is known in the aquarium hobby as the nitrogen cycle. After the War, looking to expand his American presence, the British entrepreneur J. (Nitrobacter bacteria were previously believed to fill this role, and continue to be found in commercially available products sold as kits to "jump start" the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium. During the war years Universal did have a co-production arrangement with producer Walter Wanger and his partner, director Fritz Lang, but their pictures were a small bit of quality in a schedule dominated by the likes of Cobra Woman and Frontier Gal. Another type of bacteria, genus Nitrospira, converts nitrite into nitrate, a less toxic substance to aquarium inhabitants.

Fields, and Marlene Dietrich. Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish in high concentrations. Low and medium budget fare dominated through the years of World War II, when the studio's most popular stars were the many cast-off Paramount players like Mae West, W.C. Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from the water and metabolize it to produce nitrite. Only the films of young singer Deanna Durbin were given reasonably high budgets, under the control of Joe Pasternak upon his emigration from Europe; if any one star can be said to have kept Universal in business during the early 1940s, it was Durbin, despite her often being woefully miscast as a young teenager when she was, clearly, a fully adult woman. The nitrogen waste produced in a tank is metabolized in aquaria by a type of bacteria known as nitrifiers (genus Nitrosomonas). By the start of World War II, the company was concentrating on small-budget production of the fare that had once been Universal's sidelines: westerns, melodramas, serials and sequels to the studio's horror classics. A well-balanced tank contains organisms that are able to metabolize the waste products of other aquarium residents.

Gone were the big ambitions, and though Universal had few big names under contract, those it had been cultivating, like William Wyler and Margaret Sullavan, now left. Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations. The Laemmles were unceremoniously removed from all association with the company, and the new owners instituted severe cuts in production budgets. Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus. When production dragged on, a cash-strapped studio could not repay the loan, and the bank foreclosed, claiming the pledged collateral, the Laemmle family's stock in (and therefore control of) Universal Pictures Company Inc. Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which may convert to ammonium, depending on water chemistry) which must then pass through the nitrogen cycle. Throughout its twenty-plus years' existence, Universal had never borrowed money; to complete production on "Show Boat" the studio turned to the Standard Chartered Bank for a $750,000 production loan. Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of the biological waste produced by an aquarium's inhabitants.

His intentions to upgrade production resulted in, in 1935, a lavish, all-star remake of Show Boat. This would prove to be a costly production for the studio, and for the Laemmle family. For this reason, hobbyists often favor larger tanks when possible, as they are more stable systems requiring less intensive attention to the maintenance of equilibrium. held fast to distribution, studio and production operations. gallon (400 L) tank with many other fish in it represents only a minor change in the balance of the tank. The theater chain was scrapped, but Laemmle Jr. gallon tank (11 L) causes dramatic changes in the system, while the death of that same fish in a 100 U.S. Taking on the task of modernizing and upgrading a film conglomerate in the depths of the depression was risky, and for a time Universal slipped into receivership. For example, the death of the only fish in a three U.S.

Other Laemmle productions of this period include Imitation of Life and My Man Godfrey. Any event that perturbs the system pushes an aquarium away from equilibrium; the more water that is contained in a tank, the easier such a systemic shock is to absorb, as the effects of that event are diluted. also created a successful niche for the studio, beginning a long-running series of horror classics, among them Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy. Approximate equilibrium is facilitated by large volumes of water. Laemmle, Jr. Typically an aquarium keeper must take steps to maintain equilibrium in the small ecosystem contained in his aquarium. His early efforts included the 1929 version of Show Boat, the first color musical; King of Jazz; and All Quiet on the Western Front, winner of the "Best Picture" award for 1930. As an example, a balanced predator-prey relationship is nearly impossible to maintain in even the largest of aquaria.

saw what his father could not, and acted at once to bring Universal up to date, by buying and building theaters, converting the studio to sound production, and upgrading the quality of production. In practice it is virtually impossible to maintain a perfect balance. To his credit, Laemmle, Jr. Ideal aquarium ecology reproduces the equilibrium found in nature in the closed system of an aquarium. benefitted from one of the greatest acts of nepotism in Hollywood history when his father handed him the keys to — and control of — Universal City as a twenty-first birthday gift in 1928. Aquaculture can help in lessening the impacts on wild stocks, either by using raised cultivated organisms directly for sale or by releasing them to replenish wild stock (Tlusty 203), although such a practice is associated with several environmental risks. Carl Laemmle, Jr. Supporters of aquaculture programs for supply to the aquarium trade claim that well-planned programs can bring benefits to the environment as well as the society around it.

Nazi persecution and a change in ownership for the parent Universal Pictures organization resulted in the dissolution of this subsidiary. Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic organisms in a controlled environment. In the USA, Universal Pictures did not distribute any of this subsidiary's films, but at least some of them were exhibited through other, independent, foreign-language film distributors based in New York, without benefit of English subtitles. Breeding programs for freshwater species are comparatively more advanced than for saltwater species. With the advent of sound, these productions were made in the German language or, occasionally, Hungarian or Polish. Captive breeding programs of marine organisms for the aquarium trade have been urgently in development since the mid-1990s. This unit produced 3-4 films per year until 1936, migrating to Hungary and then Austria in the face of Hitler's increasing domination of central Europe. Captive breeding for the aquarium trade is now concentrated in South Florida, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, with smaller industries in Hawaii and Sri Lanka.

In 1926, Universal also opened a production unit in Germany, Deutsche Universal-Film AG, under production direction of Joe Pasternak. Since the 'fighting fish' Betta splendens was first successfully bred in France in 1893, captive spawning techniques have been slowly discovered. Mayer company. Among American keepers of marine aquaria surveyed in 1997, two thirds said that they prefer to purchase farm raised coral instead of wild-collected coral, and over 80% think that only sustainably caught or captive bred fish should be allowed for trade. For a few years in the early twenties the young producer Irving Thalberg tried to improve the quality of Universal's output, but he left in 1923 for a better opportunity with the Louis B. Therefore, there has been a concerted movement by many concerned aquarists to reduce the trade's dependence on wild-collected specimens through captive breeding programs and certification programs for wild-caught fish. Content with a market in small towns, its product was primarily melodramas, cheap westerns, and serials. Additionally, the destructive fishing techniques used have become a growing concern to environmentalists and hobbyists alike.

By the early 1920s, as the other studios soared, Universal was decidedly in the second rank. These include the poisoning of coral reefs and non-target species, the depletion of rare species from their natural habitat, and the degradation of ecosystems from large scale removal of key species. He also financed all of his own films, refusing to take on debt. More recently, the potentially detrimental environmental impact of fish and plant collecting has come to the attention of aquarists worldwide. Unlike rivals Adolph Zukor, William Fox and Marcus Loew, Laemmle chose not to develop a theater chain. Fish can also be injured during the collection process itself, most notably during the process of using cyanide to stun reef fish to make them easier to collect. Despite Laemmle's role as an innovator, as a studio head he was extremely cautious, and within a few years the rapidly expanding film business had passed him by. Many others are weakened by stress and become diseased upon arrival.

Studio management now became the third facet of Universal's operations, with the studio incorporated as a distinct subsidiary organization. The shipping process is very hazardous for the fish involved; mortality rates are high. Following the westward trend of the industry, in 1915, Laemmle opened the world's largest motion-picture production facility, Universal City Studios, on a 230-acre (0.9 km²) converted farm just over the Cahuenga Pass from Hollywood. Collecting expeditions can be lengthy and costly, and are not always successful. By naming the stars of films, he was able to attract many of the leading players of the time, and created the star-system which helps sell films today. The practice of collection in the wild for eventual display in aquaria has several disadvantages. Though dodging the Edison trust, the new Universal company was an immediate success, in part because Laemmle broke with Edison's custom of refusing credit to actors. It remains an important source for many species that have not been successfully bred in captivity, and continues to introduce new species to enthusiastic aquarists.

Film production and distribution were the Universal company's activities. In many places of the world, impoverished local villagers collect specimens for the aquarium trade as their prime means of income. Eventually all would be bought out by Laemmle. Collection of fish, plants, and invertebrates from the wild for supply to the aquarium trade continues today at locations around the world. While Laemmle was the primary figure in Universal, by absorbing several smaller firms he acquired a number of partners, among them Mark Dintinfass, Charles Baumann and Adam Kessel, and Pat Powers. During the early twentieth century many species of small colorful tropical fish were caught and exported from Manaus Brazil, Bangkok Thailand, Siam, Jakarta Indonesia, the Dutch West Indies, Calcutta India, and other tropical ports. That company quickly evolved into the "Independent Moving Picture Company", or IMP; and a further reorganization in 1911 saw IMP reincorporate as the "Universal Film Manufacturing Co.," on June 8, 1912, introducing the word "universal" into the organization's name. Fish and plants for the first modern aquaria were gathered from the wild and transported (usually by ship) to European and American ports.

Soon Laemmle and other disgruntled nickelodeon owners saw that a way to avoid paying Edison was to produce their own pictures, and in June 1909, Laemmle and partners started the Yankee Film Company. Reef aquaria are widely considered the most difficult and demanding of the common hobbyist aquarium types, requiring the most expertise in addition to the most specialized equipment (and corresponding high cost). Using Edison's patent on the electric motor used in cameras and projectors, the trust collected fees on all aspects of movie production and exhibition, and also held a monopoly on distribution. Techniques of maintaining sea anemones, some corals, live rock, mollusks, and crustacea, developed since the 1980s, have made the recreations of a reef ecosystem possible. For Laemmle and other such entrepreneurs, the creation in 1908 of the Edison-backed Motion Picture Trust meant that exhibitors were expected to pay fees for any trust-produced film they showed. These aquaria focus on the rich diversity of invertebrate life in these environments, and typically include only a limited number of small fish. Within weeks of his Chicago trip, he gave up dry-goods to buy the first of several nickelodeons. These aquaria attempt to simulate the complex reef ecosystems found in warm, tropical oceans around the world.

One story has Laemmle watching a box office for hours, counting patrons and calculating the take for the day. In addition to the types above, a special category of saltwater aquaria is the reef aquarium. On a 1905 buying trip to Chicago, he was struck by the popularity of nickelodeons. This approach best simulates the experience of observing an aquarium's inhabitants in the wild, and also usually serves as the healthiest possible artificial environment for the tank's occupants. Carl Laemmle partnered with Abe Stern and Julius Stern to create Universal Pictures. These ecotype aquaria might be considered the most sophisticated hobby aquaria; indeed, reputable public aquaria all use this approach in their exhibits whenever possible. The founder of Universal, Carl Laemmle, was an German Jewish immigrant who had settled in Wisconsin, where he managed a clothing store. Ecotype or ecotope aquaria attempt to simulate a specific ecosystem found in the natural world, bringing together fish, invertebrate species, and plants found in that ecosystem in a tank with water conditions and decorations designed to simulate their natural environment.

The longest-lived Hollywood film production company, Universal Pictures can trace its origins back to the creation in 1909 of a predecessor, the Yankee Film Company. Such tanks are common in fishrooms, where people keep many tanks at home. . Some tanks of this sort are used simply to house adults for breeding. Distribution and other corporate, administrative offices are based in New York City. They can be simple as bare bottom with a few necessities or a complex planted aquarium. Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal, has production studios and offices located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County between Los Angeles and Burbank. These tanks are often used for killifish, livebearers, cichlids etc.

Los Angeles Library Photo Collection "Nestor Studios" . Species or specimen tanks usually only house one fish species, along with plants, perhaps found in the fishes' natural environment and decorations simulating a true ecosystem. Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills - map Providencial and Water Development. In addition to the fish, invertebrates, plants, and decorations or "aquarium furniture" (all of which may or may not be natural neighbors of any of the fish) are typically added to these tank types. Los Angeles Library Photo Collection "Bird-Eye View of Universal City" 1911. In both of these tank types, the aquarium cohabitants may or may not originate from the same geographic region, but generally tolerate similar water conditions. Putnam's Sons, 1931, illustrated. Aggressive tanks, in contrast, house a limited number of species that can be aggressive toward other fish, or are able to withstand aggression well.

G.P. This is the most common type of hobby aquarium kept today. The Life and Adventures of Carl Laemmle. Community tanks house several species that are not aggressive toward each other. Drinkwater, John. Perhaps the most popular of these is the division of aquaria into either a community or aggressive tank type. New York: Vintage, 1994. Several theories on species selection circulate within the community of hobby aquarists.

Movie-Made America. The size of public aquaria are usually limited by cost considerations. Skalr, Robert. Its main tank, which holds 7,500 cubic meters of water, features the world's largest acrylic panel measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the world's second largest aquarium and part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Motobu, Okinawa. When Hollywood Had a King. At 56 feet long by 17 feet high (17 by 5 m), it used to be the largest window in the world and is over 13 inches (330 mm) thick.

Bruck, Connie. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an acrylic viewing window into their largest tank. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998. gallons (1,500 m³). The Last Mogul: Lew Wasserman, MCA and the Hidden History of Hollywood. gallons (7,500 m³), as well as two others of 400,000 U.S. McDougal, Dennis. The Shedd Aquarium features an individual aquarium of two million U.S.

New York: Fireside, 1989. Public aquaria designed for exhibition of large species or environments can be dramatically larger than any home aquarium. The Hollywood Studios. gallons (several cubic meters), at great effort and expense. Mordden, Ethan. However, some dedicated aquarists have been known to construct custom aquaria of up to several thousand U.S. New York: Pantheon Books, 1989. gallons).

The Genius of the System. gallon (1 kg/L)) and internal water pressure (requiring thick, strong glass siding) of a large aquarium, keep most home aquaria to a maximum of around 1 m³ (300 U.S. Schatz, Thomas. Practical limitations, most notably the weight (water weighs about 8.3 pounds per U.S. Rex Motion Picture Co., William Swanson. This size is widely considered the smallest practical system with filtration and other basic systems; indeed, the local government of Rome has recently taken the step of banning traditional goldfish bowls as inhumane. Powers Motion Picture Co., Pat Powers, president. gallons (11 L).

The New York Motion Picture Company, Charles Baumann and Adam Kessel, proprietors. Aquaria kept in homes by hobbyists can be as small as 3 U.S. Nestor Motion Picture Company, David Horsley. In general, larger aquarium systems are typically recommended to hobbyists due to their resistance to rapid fluctuations of temperature and pH, allowing for greater system stability. Champion Motion Picture Co., Mark Dintinfass, president. An aquarium can range from a small, unadorned glass bowl containing less than a liter of water – although generally unsuited for most fish (except, perhaps, air breathing fish such as Betta splendens or the Paradise Fish) – to massive tanks built in public aquaria which are limited only by engineering constraints and can house entire ecosystems as large as kelp forests or species of large sharks. Miami Vice (2006). Water temperature can be regulated with a combined thermometer/heater unit (or, more rarely, with a cooling unit), while water movement can be controlled through the use of powerheads and careful design of internal water flow (such as location of filtration system points of inflow and outflow).

Nanny McPhee (2006). Aquarists may prefer anything from still water up to swift simulated currents in an aquarium, depending on the conditions best suited for the aquarium's inhabitants. Curious George (2006). Water movement can also be important in accurately simulating a natural ecosystem. Two for the Money (2005). Cold water aquaria are those with temperatures below what would be considered tropical; a variety of fish are better suited to this cooler environment. The Skeleton Key (2005). Most fish and plant species tolerate only a limited range of water temperatures: Tropical or warm water aquaria, with an average temperature of about 25 °C (78 °F), are much more common and house most popular aquarium fish.

Serenity (2005). cold water. The Producers (2005). The temperature of the water forms the basis of one of the two most basic aquarium classifications: tropical vs. Prime (2005). Secondary water characteristics are also important to the success of an aquarium. The Perfect Man (2005). In contrast, public aquaria with large water needs often locate themselves near a natural water source (such as a river, lake, or ocean) in order to have easy access to large volumes of water that does not require much further treatment.

Munich (2005). More sophisticated aquarists may make other modifications to their base water source to modify the water's alkalinity, hardness, or dissolved content of organics and gases, before adding it to their aquaria. King Kong (2005). Brackish or saltwater aquaria require the addition of a mixture of salts and other minerals, which are commercially available for this purpose. Kicking & Screaming (2005). For freshwater aquaria, additives formulated to remove chlorine or chloramine (used to disinfect drinking water supplies for human consumption) are often all that is needed to make the water ready for aquarium use. Jarhead (2005). Home aquarists typically use modified tap water supplied through their local municipal water system to fill their tanks.

Cinderella Man (2005). Dissolved organic content and dissolved gases content are also important factors. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005). Hardness measures overall dissolved mineral content; soft or hard water may be preferred. Van Helsing (2004). The pH of the water is a measure of alkalinity or acidity. Ray (2004, distribution). Several other water characteristics result from dissolved contents of the water, and are important to the proper simulation of natural environments.

Meet the Fockers (2004). An aquarium may have fresh water (a salt level of < 0.5%), simulating a lake or river environment; salt water (a salt level of 5%–18%), simulating an ocean or sea environment; or brackish water (a salt level of 0.5%–5%), simulating environments lying between fresh and salt, such as estuaries. In Good Company (2004). Salt content, or salinity, is the most basic classification of water conditions. Friday Night Lights (2004). The dissolved content of water is perhaps the most important aspect of water conditions, as dissolved salts and other constituents can dramatically impact basic water chemistry, and therefore how organisms are able to interact with their environment. The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). The size of an aquarium also limits the aquarist in what types of ecosystems he can reproduce, species selection, and biological loading.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). The conditions and characteristics of the water contained in an aquarium are the most important classification criteria, as most aquatic life will not survive even limited exposure to unsuitable water conditions. The Bourne Supremacy (2004). Aquaria can be classified by several variables that determine the type of aquatic life that can be suitably housed. Seabiscuit (2003). The combined function of these elements is to maintain appropriate water quality and characteristics suitable for the aquarium's residents. The Rundown (2003). Size, lighting conditions, density of floating and rooted plants, placement of bogwood, creation of caves or overhangs, type of substrate, and other factors (including an aquarium's positioning within a room) can all affect the behavior and survivability of tank inhabitants.

Peter Pan (2003). An aquarium's physical characteristics form another aspect of aquarium design. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). Coolers are also available for use in cold water aquaria or in parts of the world where the ambient room temperature is above the desired tank temperature. Love Actually (2003). Aquarium heaters are designed to act as thermostats to regulate water temperature at a level designated by the aquarist when the prevailing temperature of air surrounding the aquarium is below the desired water temperature. Hulk (2003). These devices, once universal, are now somewhat less commonly used as some newer filtration systems create enough surface agitation to supply adequate gas exchange at the surface.

Honey (2003). Air pumps are employed to adequately oxygenate (or in the case of a heavily planted aquarium, provide carbon dioxide to) the water. The Cat in the Hat (2003). Protein skimmers, filtration devices that remove proteins and other waste from the water, are usually found only in salt water aquaria. Bruce Almighty (2003). Most systems use pumps to remove a small portion of the tank's water to an external pathway where filtration occurs; the filtered water is then returned to the aquarium. American Wedding (2003). Filtration systems are the most complexly engineered component of most home aquaria, and various designs are used.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). Combined biological and mechanical filtration systems are now common; these are designed to remove potentially dangerous build up of nitrogenous wastes and phosphates dissolved in the water, as well as particulate matter. 8 Mile (2002). In addition, some freshwater tanks (and most saltwater tanks) use powerheads to increase water circulation. The Bourne Identity (2002). The common freshwater aquarium maintained by a home aquarist typically includes a filtration system, an artificial lighting system, air pumps, and a heater. Jurassic Park III (2001). Freshwater aquaria remain the most popular due to their lower cost and easier maintenance, but marine (saltwater) aquaria have gained cachet as dedicated enthusiasts prove it is possible to preserve these challenging environments.

American Pie 2 (2001). The most successful aquaria, as judged by the long-term survivability of its inhabitants, carefully emulate the natural environments that their residents would occupy in the wild. The Mummy Returns (2001). Aquaria can vary in size from a small bowl large enough for a single small fish, to the huge public aquaria that can simulate entire marine ecosystems. A Beautiful Mind (2001, distribution). From the outdoor ponds and glass jars of antiquity, modern aquaria have evolved into a wide range of specialized systems. Erin Brockovich (2000, distribution). In the United States, a large minority (40%) of aquarists maintain two or more tanks at any one time.

End of Days (1999). The hobby has the strongest following in Europe, Asia, and North America. American Pie (1999). There are currently estimated to be about 60 million aquarium hobbyists worldwide, and many more aquaria kept by them. The Mummy (1999). Popularization was also assisted by the availability of air freight, which allowed a much wider variety of fish to be successfully imported from distant regions of origin that consequently attracted new hobbyists. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). With electricity great improvements were made in aquarium technology, allowing artificial lighting as well as the aeration, filtration, and heating of the water.

Daylight (1996). Aquaria became more widely popular as houses became almost universally electrified after World War I. Casino (Film) (1995). (One feature of some 19th-century aquaria that would prove curious to hobbyists today was the use of a metal base panel so that the aquarium water could be heated by flame.) Germans rivaled the British in their interest, and by the turn of the century Hamburg became the European port of entry for many newly seen species. Balto (1995). The framed-glass aquarium was a specialized version of the glazed Wardian case developed for British horticulturists in the 1830s to protect exotic plants on long sea voyages. Apollo 13 (1995). The keeping of fish in an aquarium first became a popular hobby in Britain only after ornate aquaria in cast-iron frames were featured at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Junior (1994). The concept of keeping aquatic life in glass containers, then, dates to at latest this period. We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993, distribution). In the 18th century, the biologist Abraham Trembley kept hydra found in the garden canals of the Bentinck residence 'Sorgvliet' in the Netherlands, in large cylindrical glass vessels for study. Schindler's List (1993). In 1665 the diarist Samuel Pepys recorded seeing in London "a fine rarity, of fishes kept in a glass of water, that will live so forever, and finely marked they are, being foreign." The fish observed by Pepys were likely to have been the paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, a familiar garden fish in Canton, China, where the East India Company was then trading. Jurassic Park (1993). However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of this development.

Carlitos Way (1993). The concept of an aquarium, designed for the observation of fish in an enclosed, transparent tank to be kept indoors, emerged more recently. Scent of a Woman (1992). The Chinese brought goldfish indoors during the Song dynasty to enjoy them in large ceramic vessels. Child's Play 3 (1991). Many other cultures also have a history of keeping fish for both functional and decorative purposes. Kindergarten Cop (1990). Depictions of the sacred fish of Oxyrhynchus kept in captivity in rectangular temple pools have been found in ancient Egyptian art.

Child's Play 2 (1990). In China, selective breeding of carp into today's popular koi and goldfish is believed to have begun over 2,000 years ago. Back to the Future Part III (1990). Ancient Sumerians were known to keep wild-caught fish in ponds, before preparing them for meals. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1990). The keeping of fish in confined or artificial environments is a practice with deep roots in history. Back to the Future Part II (1989). The word aquarium itself is taken directly from the latin aqua, meaning water, with the suffix -rium, meaning "place" or "building".

The Land Before Time (1988 plus sequels). . Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Other components in maintaining a suitable aquarium environment include appropriate species selection, management of biological loading, and good physical design. An American Tail (1986). The nitrogen cycle describes the flow of nitrogen from input via food, through toxic nitrogenous waste produced by tank inhabitants, to metabolism to less toxic compounds by beneficial bacteria populations. The Breakfast Club (1985). Controlling water quality includes managing the inflow and outflow of nutrients, most notably the management of waste produced by tank inhabitants.

Back to the Future (1985). The careful aquarist dedicates considerable effort to maintaining a tank ecology that mimics its inhabitants' natural habitat. Sixteen Candles (1984). Inhabitants for aquaria are often collected from the wild, although there is a growing list of organisms that are bred in captivity for supply to the aquarium trade. Scarface (1983). These characteristics, and others, determine the type of fish and other inhabitants that can survive and thrive in the aquarium. Jaws 3-D (1983). Aquaria are usually classified as containing fresh or salt water, at tropical or cold water temperatures.

The Thing (1982). A wide variety of aquaria are now kept by hobbyists, ranging from a simple bowl housing a single fish to complex simulated ecosystems with carefully engineered support systems. Sophie's Choice (1982). gallons) and a collection of about 580 species of aquatic life. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Public aquaria reproduce the home aquarist's hobby on a grand scale — the Osaka Aquarium, for example, boasts a tank of 5,400 m³ (1.4 million U.S. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). From the 1850s, when the predecessor of the modern aquarium was first developed as a novel curiosity, the ranks of aquarists have swelled as more sophisticated systems including lighting and filtration systems were developed to keep aquarium fish healthy.

E.T. Aquarium keeping is a popular hobby around the world, with about 60 million enthusiasts worldwide. Conan the Barbarian (1982). An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium, usually contained in a clear-sided container (typically constructed of glass or high-strength plastic) in which water-dwelling plants and animals (usually fish, and sometimes invertebrates, as well as amphibians, marine mammals, and reptiles) are kept in captivity, often for public display; or it is an establishment featuring such displays. On Golden Pond (1981). The Blues Brothers (1980 plus sequel 2000).