Mr S Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I have a 29 gal tall that I am setting up for the kids in my class. I can't decide what to put in it so I figured I would do a forum thread. More input the better. Here are my options so far. 1. An invertebrate tank focusing on every type of shrimp that can live happily together. (no Mantis) 2. An Angler fish (but live feeding is a drag and would probably get parent phone calls) 3. A symbiotic tank. (clown and anemone) and a (watchman and pistol) 4. No seahorse tank (they are a pain) I am not at school on weekends 5. A pipefish tank? do they eat mysis and can the go the weekend without being fed. 6. Any other suggestions? 7. Put a halide on it and do a crazy zoo tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknoch78 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 My vote would be for a symbiotic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Yeah a symbiotic would be the best Roger. Would be a lot easier to maintain also. Later Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Why does it have to be a "SPECIAL" tank? Just make a small reef and let the tank choose what will make it, as far as creatures go. PS Rog do you need some mushrooms and/or leather frags for school? PM me and lmk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I think a combination of what has been mentioned so far. Although kinda generic, the whole clown anemone thing cant be beat, that and a bunch of pretty softies and i think youll have lots of future reefers interest. : ) You could make that pretty easy to maintain as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drock59 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 roger you know you want to go zooo crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spayne Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I vote for a crazy zoa tank with inverts! The two reasons I set up my 20L was to have the dimunitive inverts that would be lost (and eaten) in a larger system and also have a place to showplace my passion... zoanthids. And yeah, put a halide on it. I am going to upgrade my lighting on my nano from PC (gag... never again!) to a halide. Incidentally, I don't see why you couldn't throw in one of the small shrimp gobys and a pistol as well! Hehe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I've been thinking of a themed nano-tank... I really like the little community living in my Pocillopora- both an "acro" crab and a small goby (I'm thinking its a Redhead Goby- Paragobiodon echinocephalus). Coral choices could be Pocillopora, Stylophora, Acropora, etc. Choose a single, large colony (preferrably with an "acro" crab already in it). There are several coral gobies to choose from; Citron Clown Goby, Green Clown Goby, Panda Goby, or some other from the Gobiodon or Paragobius families. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidalsculpin Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 From a teachers p.o.v. I say pistol shrimp goby and a lively small cleanup crew. They are a kick to watch. I would do mushrooms and some cool looking caluerpa species as well. Harvest the caluerpa and you have a simple nutrient export mechanism beside h20 changes. And, you could time the harvesting with your macroalgae lesson plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilsReef Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 #3 or #7, but if I was a kid again, I think I would have preferred #3! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidalsculpin Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I think the nice thing about the pistol shrimp combo is there is not a high light need for an anemone. You won't have to shell out for a mh. You could get by with a cheaper pc light. Don't you already have the "Nemo" thing going in one of your other tanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Roger, how about a chiller and do a pacific ocean tide pool tank or something like that? You can get a collector's permit from fish and wild life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilsReef Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Roger' date=' how about a chiller and do a pacific ocean tide pool tank or something like that? You can get a collector's permit from fish and wild life.[/quote'] This idea sounds like fun! From what I remember we have a few people in our area who have cold water tanks. It is amazing to me, how much color these tanks can actually have. No matter what type of inhabitants you choose, I am sure your kids will love it! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmudrup Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 I have a 29 set up at my school, the adults as well as students that stop in to watch it is amazing. I have a clown and anemone small reef with softies. They also love the blue star fish. I agree whatever you do, it will be a hit. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilsReef Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Off Topic: jmudrup, what grade do you teach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmudrup Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I am the after school SUN site manager at Centennial Middle School. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidalsculpin Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Check out this link on Oregon Tide pool collection. It is pretty informative, but old. I do not know the procedure for getting a permit today. I am sure ODFW has changed the rules just like everything else they do. http://www.nanfa.org/articles/acintertidal.shtml I raise salmon in my classroom from egg to 1.5 inch fry. I have always wanted to keep a few to watch them convert to sw fish but haven't had the knowledge. I get my eggs in mid-october and will ask them if I can keep a few. We are supposed to release all into a designated site, for me it is the canoe canal by Autzen Stadium. Yuk! Oh well. I am sure some survive to the ocean, though not many. Plus my 60 gallon reef is coming along. I now have a lm blenny, cave goby, 6line wrasse, and two cromis plus one happy but small green zooanthid polyp. All are happy and the kids love it. I'll be getting two or three more fish and starting collection of corals from some of you guys who generously offered them to me in august. I'll probably be ready in a month or so once my fish bioload is stable and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleFishBoy Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 My vote is for #3 as well. I have a yellow watchman, and two pistol shrimps living together, and I still just love sitting there watching them. I do it almost everyday. By far the coolest thing in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted September 16, 2006 Share Posted September 16, 2006 What about a long spine urchin and a yellow stripe clingfish. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12891&genusname=Diademichthys&speciesname=lineatus http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=591 http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1483 I've also seen cool photos of a tank devoted to a long spine urchin and bangai cardinals.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powdertang05 Posted September 16, 2006 Share Posted September 16, 2006 i say clown with carpet! ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2R2 Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 octopus(not blue ring) R2R2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spayne Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 octopus(not blue ring) R2R2 Now that would keep the kids interested! (clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Foxy Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I have came to the realization that Long Spined Urchins "see devil urchin spawning video" seem to really only like to eat the most expensive zoanthids... so therefore.. if they werent so darned sharp I'd probably use them as a hackey sack.. J/K of course.. but I know I'll never ever order one again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr S Posted September 21, 2006 Author Share Posted September 21, 2006 Well, silly me I put it to the kids to vote on. Showed pictures and everything of potential inhabitants and the overwhelming vote was an octopus!!!! I will post pictures. At this point I am making the escape proof lid and will then release the critter. It will not be a poisonous one and I realize that the life span of an octopus is about a year but I have researched quite a bit and think it is ethically okay. And futhermore the kids are stoked about it. Will keep you posted.!!! A fun thread. Thanks for all the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Bump... What happened with the octopus? Replaced by an anglerfish? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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