afautheree Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm new to this group and I'm looking forward to learning a lot as I add to my tank. I'm a high school Biology and Chemistry teacher. I've added a 180 gallon reef set up to my classroom and I plan to involve my students in all that is included in the reef keeping hobby. I have an Aqueon tank with 2 overflows and a 75 gallon sump. I'm using a Vertex Optima 180i protein skimmer and I have 3 Coralife Aqualite LEDs. The tank has a few fish in it and is ready to start introducing corals. My students are all excited to get the process underway. I would welcome any input or suggestion that you may have. I want the tank to be a beautiful representation of a tropical reef. I'm somewhat limited on funds so I won't be putting anything terribly exotic or expensive in the tank. I would like to have suggestions on what will be hardy and thrive well. I am planning on attending the swap meet on Sept. 20 and I hope to make many new friends. Thanks in advance for your help and input! Cheers, Aubrey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Great looking start, very cool you are sharing this with the kids. No doubt it will leave a lasting impression on many! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil&Fin Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Welcome, Aubrey! You found the right place. It looks like you have a nice set up, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses. I have a couple of frags I can bring you on Sunday, and I bet you'll get a couple other of us to donate. What school are you from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 That's awesome and welcome to the forum! Yes, there are lots of people on here that are happy to donate frags to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afautheree Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Welcome, Aubrey! You found the right place. It looks like you have a nice set up, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses. I have a couple of frags I can bring you on Sunday, and I bet you'll get a couple other of us to donate. What school are you from? Thanks for the warm welcome! That's awesome!!! Thanks for being willing to help us get going! I teach at Skagit Adventist Academy in Burlington Washington. This is my second year here and I'm loving the supportive community I'm finding here. I'm not new to the hobby but I have SO much to learn. This is my first attempt at the LPS and SPS corals. I've had good success with soft corals in the past but never had the lights and equipment to be successful with the hard corals. I appreciate and welcome any input you have to offer. I look forward to Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afautheree Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 That's awesome and welcome to the forum! Yes, there are lots of people on here that are happy to donate frags to you! Thanks! That's so cool to be part of a group like this! I'm looking forward to a fun time on Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badxgillen Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I love a good fish tank in a class room, great to get kids interested and conscious about the ocean biodiversity, do you have a tank at home? I can bring you a coral or two, do you have coral in there right now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afautheree Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 I love a good fish tank in a class room, great to get kids interested and conscious about the ocean biodiversity, do you have a tank at home? I can bring you a coral or two, do you have coral in there right now? I don't have a tank at home. I had a tank set up prior to my move last summer but I did a cross country move in the middle of summer and chose not to try and haul everything. My intention was to set up that tank again but opted for a larger reef ready tank so I can expose my Northwest students to a little piece of the tropics. There is not any coral in the tank yet. It has been set up since the first part of August but I only received my lights last week. So the water is ready and now I have the lighting to support corals. I'm using the tank not only for its beauty but also to teach my students the practical applications of the chemistry we're studying in class. It has been a great addition and will hopefully only get better as more life gets added to it. I'm hopful that with help and advice from so many experienced aquarists I can avoid any huge mistakes and crashes! I'm trying to do this "right" and not make any mistakes in the physical set up and water chemistry. I welcome any input or suggestions. Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil&Fin Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I just looked to see where Burlington is, and you are way up north, about 4 hours from Portland. Is that right? Have you looked around for other clubs are closer to you? I think the Puget Sound has a club. You might consider contacting them as well. You might get some help closer to home in addition to PNWMAS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afautheree Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 I just looked to see where Burlington is, and you are way up north, about 4 hours from Portland. Is that right? Have you looked around for other clubs are closer to you? I think the Puget Sound has a club. You might consider contacting them as well. You might get some help closer to home in addition to PNWMAS. I did contact Puget Sound Aquarium Society but they are disbanding as of the end of September. The president recommended that I subscribe to a Facebook page that the members have started. I plan on doing that but I'd like to cultivate friendships and rub shoulders with others who have had success in the hobby. I'm willing to make the drive in order to meet people and have the opportunity to glean knowledge from other's experiences. I would also like at some point in the future to be able to teach my students to make frags so that we can contribute to the club. So while I may not make it down for every function I'm looking forward to being part of your community. ;0) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I did contact Puget Sound Aquarium Society but they are disbanding as of the end of September. The president recommended that I subscribe to a Facebook page that the members have started. I plan on doing that but I'd like to cultivate friendships and rub shoulders with others who have had success in the hobby. I'm willing to make the drive in order to meet people and have the opportunity to glean knowledge from other's experiences. I would also like at some point in the future to be able to teach my students to make frags so that we can contribute to the club. So while I may not make it down for every function I'm looking forward to being part of your community. ;0) Wow, I did not know they were disbanding. What the heck happened? You should come to the September meeting. I'm sure people would be more than happy to donate frags to you! It's this coming Sunday in the Beaverton area. PM me your email and I can send you an evite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afautheree Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Wow, I did not know they were disbanding. What the heck happened? You should come to the September meeting. I'm sure people would be more than happy to donate frags to you! It's this coming Sunday in the Beaverton area. PM me your email and I can send you an evite. I don't know what happened.....but I'm glad I found this group! I'm looking forward to becoming part of the community! I sent you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Welcome to the forum Aubrey! I hope you have had a chance to attend a meeting by now. I spoke not long ago with the President of Puget Sound aquarium society. It seems the people there have become complacent, and content with just talking in a forum. That seems very sad to me. There is so much to do in this hobby, including meeting other hobbyists, sharing, any staying busy in various club activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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