Founded by Stig Gustavsson in 1972 and called "Kolmården Terrarium", with snakes and birds on show. Stig Gustavsson died in 1988. Kolmarden Terrarium was bought by Kalle Farkasdi and his son Stefan Farkasdi in 1989. The new owners changed the name to Kolmården Tropicarium, building a half million litre shark aquarium as the main attraction and greatly increasing the number of species in the exhibition. The theme for Kolmården tropicarium is "A TREK THROUGH THE RAINFOREST TO THE SEA".
Exhibits
Shark aquarium
Measuring with a depth of and containing over of seawater this is one of the largest shark aquariums in Sweden. It houses sand tiger, nurse sharks and various species of fish.
Seawater aquarium
Eight aquariums ranging in capacity from 1,000 litres to 18,000 litres. A wide variety of seawater species are exhibited, including blacktip reef sharks, bamboo sharks, moray eels, giant grouper, stingrays, scorpion fish and seahorses. The aquarium also exhibits many species of corals, and many reef fish, such as clownfish.
Freshwater aquarium
Eight aquariums ranging in capacity from 6,000 litres to 75,000 litres. These aquariums house argusfish, barbs, perch, scorpion fish, electric eels, pike, giant gourami, carp, labyrintiods, malawi cichlids, mbuna, mouthbreeders, moonfish, piranhas, giant botia, stingrays, South American cichlids, tanganyika cichlids, tiger barbs and neon tetras.
Biotope terrarium
Modernisation began in 2002 through to 2013, all terrariums were replaced by biotope terrariums. Biotope terrariums are replicas of the primary animals' natural habitat, including plants, fish and animals. Tropicarium Kolmarden now has over 20 biotope terrariums containing a large variety of reptiles, amphibians and mammals.
Rainforest – Jungle
There are two jungle areas housing new world primates: The first is approximately, and is home to a family of common marmosets and three species of tortoise. The second of approximately and is home to a family of cottontop tamarins, and a pair of blue-and-yellow macaws. Both these jungles have water features containing various species of fish and turtles.
African Savanna
The African savanna area is approximately and is home to a clan of meerkats.
The swamp area is approximately, it is home for three American alligators and various species of fish. The exhibit simulates a tropical thunder storm every half-hour.
Species
Tropicarium has at least 175 species of vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Mammals
Mammals are represented with carnivores and primates. s at Kolmarden Tropicarium 2012.