Tanks for teachers has started (finally)

[dsoz]

John Manrow just delivered to me an AP24. This is the first (and hopefully not the last) of the tanks-for-teachers project that the club has decided to move on.

 

I opened the box to make sure that the tank was not damaged, but then put it all back. I will be opening it up again next week when I take it into the school.

 

Now all I need is salt, sand, rocks, fish, corals, etc.

 

I will probably set it up with the salt that I have at home. I have a little rock from when ronJr sold off his tank. But if you have some extra rock, sand, or salt that you don't need, I'll gladly take a donation. I could even write a letter that you could use at tax time as a write-off.

 

Dave (barelycuda) has agreed to give a couple of clowns for the project. Does anyone else have livestock that they would be willing to give?

 

I will probably start off stocking with xenia, and miscellaneous low-light corals from my home tank, but any coral donations will also be taken. They should be able to handle lower light (2x32w PC). Mushrooms, leather, xenia, frogspawn, monti-caps, etc.

 

Thank you to all the members of the club for making this a possibility.

 

dsoz

 

Jay- maybe this could be in its own forum. Could you make a TFT forum? Then maybe I could have my HS kids post what they think about the project.

[Barelycuda]

Let me know when you are ready for the clowns. I might have a few smaller pieces of live rock & some kenya tree I could donate. I have some sand I could give you but it has been in a bucket for a while so it would just be the sand not any live critters.

 

Dave

[dsoz]

I can keep clowns at my house in my sump (or in my QT tank) if all else fails.

 

Sand would be great! Even if it is "dead" sand.

 

It is only a 24g tank, so small rock is probably better. Thanks

 

I have a large Kenya tree that I can cut some off, but thanks for the offer.

 

Maybe I can meet you somewhere in between Vancouver and Oregon City sometime in the next week. Let me know what days are best for you. I have a feeling that it may take a couple of days, and a couple of trips to get the tank, RO water, rock, etc. from here to school.

 

dsoz

[pledosophy]

I have some salt, some smaller pieces of liverock, a brittle star, and some brown polyps with green enters if you like.

 

LMK

[dsoz]

That would be cool. I will send a PM

 

dsoz

[spectra]

I can frag almost any low light stuff zoos, green polyps, GSP and also maybe even a sun coral if you want the headache of feeding it(laugh) Just let me know if interested and where to meet up. I am always heading up 5 or 205 to go to Waves so might be able to deliver.

[diverdown]

I have some sand, mushroom rocks, and a few fish. PM me LMK.

 

Thanks, J

[dsoz]

PM sent. Thank you for the offer.

 

Can you be more specific on "a few fish" It is only a 24g, so the recommendation is to have only a couple of small peaceful fish. Since Dave (Barelycuda) has already promised a pair of clowns, any fish would need to be small like a yellow watchman goby, a firefish, or a sand-sifting goby.

 

The sand and mushroom rocks would make a great addition to the tank.

 

The tank is still sitting in my basement. I am going to take it to school tomorrow, and am making RO water to take in to fill it this week. I only have one 5 gal container to haul water, so it will have to be 5 gal a day for a week to get it full.

 

Once it is full of water, then I can start gathering rocks and sand. After it cycles then I can start adding livestock. I can collect things and keep them in my tank at home until the school tank is ready.

 

dsoz

[undrtkr_00]

I'd be happy to donate a couple of decent sized frags to the project. I have a finger leather and a giant fuzzy mushroom (the mother grew to 8" diameter before splitting) that I'd be happy to throw in. I live in OC, so I don't think we'd have a hard time getting it to you. PM me to set up a time/place.

[180Brandy]

Hey Dsoz, WOuld you be able to put up some pictures and keep us updated on the progress. Maybew start a thread?

[dsoz]

Hey Dsoz' date=' WOuld you be able to put up some pictures and keep us updated on the progress. Maybew start a thread?[/quote']

 

that is the plan.

 

Tank is in the classroom, and has the first 5 gallons of RO water in it. I only have a 5 gallon container to transport water, so it has to be done 5 gallons a day until full.

 

I did not bring my camera today, and I will not be at school tomorrow (I am comming down with a cold, and I am still feeling worse, so I plan on staying home tomorrow). So I should be able to take some pics on Wednesday.

 

I have had several people message me about sand/rock/fish/corals. I am starting to get really excited about this project. I should even have the tank cycled just in time for the school year to be over. Next year it will be up and running on day one.

 

dsoz

[JManrow]

I had suggested to Jay that we have a Tanks For Teachers section in the forums. I'm sure all this will come together. We have more schools waiting for tanks since Saltwater Fanta-Seas had that spot on TV (and another has asked at the Oregon Coast Aquarium tour).

It looks like the upcoming year will be even busier than the last!

[dsoz]

OK, so here is an update. I keep forgetting my camera, so I don't have pictures yet. I have the tank set up for this year. I felt that getting something in the classroom before summer started would be better than nothing. So everything that went into the tank came out of my tank at home. I will be working this summer on assembling more from people that are willing to donate.

 

What we have

Tank- AP24 with 2x27wPC (stock lights). Can keep most soft corals, and some low light hard corals.

 

Rock- Some is the DIY rock that I made from crushed coral, rocksalt and mortar mix. Then there is a layer of rock that I bought when RonJr sold off all his stuff.

 

Fish- For now, my two clowns from my home tank, "Bubble" and "Surf". I also bought a green clown goby, but have not seen it since it went into the tank and disappeared into the rockwork. I think it is still there.

 

Corals- 3 heads of frogspawn. One was from the colony that I got from Jay last summer. One I bought from Waves, and a third I got from a trade with Vanz a few weeks ago. I also have some brown/white star polyps, a fuzzy mushroom, and 1 polyp of zoa that accidently made its way to school, so I am going to see how it does.

 

I had some xenia in the tank, but the power went out for some time over the long holiday weekend, so without lights or water movement it did not make it. I caused a small ammonia spike, but nothing else died from it.

 

CUC- 1 hermit from my tank, and I bought 3 more, along with two snails. Since the algae started to bloom I could probably use another snail or two, and a few more hermits. Maybe even an emerald or a cleaner shrimp.???

 

I have not done any formal lessons with the tank yet. But I have had a lot of interest outside of class time. There are a few students that come in often to see the fish, and one graduating senior has convinced her parents to get her a clownfish tank as a graduation gift. I have been giving her advice on how to get a tank set up the best possible way.

 

Starting next week I am going to have an amazing opportunity. I will be teaching a one week class for three hours a day on "how to set up a home marine aquarium" and call it "marine biology." So for 15 hours I get to teach a group of kids about tank size, live rock, lighting, filtration methods, livestock selection, CUC, pests (How about them nudi pictures:) ). What a wonderful way to end the year. We will probably get a few tanks up and running, and I will be sure to take some pictures. I have SamatSLS telling me that he would like to help, and I have asked one LFS owner if he would like to come down and talk to kids for part of a day, I hope he can make it.

 

That is how things are going for now. I will have time to drive all over this summer to pick up any other donations that anyone would like to give to the project. Rock, Salt, soft corals, snails, hermit crabs, etc. Let me know.

 

dsoz

[dsoz]

I want to give a HUGE thank-you to both Patrick at SWFS, Dave (Barleycuda), and Scott (Spectra) for giving without bounds to the classroom tank.

 

Dave came through with two pair of clowns (one for me and another for a co-teacher that has a FOWLR tank). Thanks Dave for the "Nemo's." You are AWESOME! Also for the bucket of substrate that will be good for the tank, and also to make DIY rock. Maybe I can get some of my students to make a bunch of rock so the next TFT has some rock to start with.

 

Saturday I talked with Patrick about the TFT project and all he wanted to know is what did I NEED. At this point I need CUC, and a few easy low light corals. He just reached into his tanks and started pulling out Hermits, a peppermint shrimp, a kenya tree (maybe it is a colt coral???) and just threw them in a bag for me. Patrick is AWESOME!

 

Then Spectra met up with me today (Sunday), and gave GSP, zoas, palys, monti cap, a ric. All to put in the TFT project tank. He also had an acro frag that he knew would not go into the school tank, but he gave it to me for my home tank! Thanks Scott, you are great!

 

When I get to school on Monday, and add all of this new stuff, the kids will be really excited! Now I am going to have to take my camera to take pictures.

 

dsoz

[180Brandy]

(plotting)(worthless)

 

This is exciting! Can hardly wait to see what plans you have. This will be great for this kids and you too......

[spectra]

Glad your happy with the stuff. I look at it this way it is for the kids and it will all grow back eventually(laugh) And yes get some pics up so we can see what you have done with the tank.

[tidalsculpin]

This is great. Glad to see that Dennis and other teachers are getting help from the club and it's generous members too.

 

Now all we need is a Tanks for Principals program!! I will have my first administrative job this summer. In between checking on my tanks, I will be a summer principal.

[dsoz]

School is out, but I took some pictures about a week before. So far this is what we have...

 

Three clowns from Dave (Two will stay, one will get moved to my co-teacher's tank at the end of summer).

 

Side shot

 

FTS

 

The Frogspawn was from my home tank, and I will probably keep most of it at home next year. The GSP and most of the zoas/palys are from Spectra (Thanks Scott!!!). There are about 8 hermits and a Kenya Tree is from Patrick at SWFS. The Kenya tree got stuck under a rock and squished in transport, so it is not doing well, and I also had a rock-slide that got one of the four clowns that Dave gave me, but the other three are doing great. Two are looking like they are forming a buddy-pair, and the third seems like he is the odd one out. He will probably go into a tank for my co-teacher and get paired up with a true perc that she already has.

 

I would like to get a cleaner shrimp, and maybe a yellow goby to add some color. We will see how the tank matures first.

 

dsoz

[reef-fisher]

Does the tank go home for the summer?

I just caught on to the thread and have a couple frags and hermits if you are interested.

[dsoz]

I have the tank at home for the summer. It is a 24g AquaPod with stock PC lights. It is a sweet little set-up. I would love to have some more frags and hermits. I am sending you a PM.

 

dsoz

[tidalsculpin]

What a nice start for the class. By late August you should have some good growth on the Zoas and GSP. Any other fish in mind? Do the clowns host in the frogspawn yet?

[dsoz]

Thanks for the nice words Joel.

 

Do the clowns host in the frogspawn yet?

 

No, and since they are tank raised, there is a slim chance that they will. I am almost considering getting a small domino damsel (for only a short time). I heard once that they will host anything, and the clowns will get jealous and chase it out and start hosting to keep it out. Once it "teaches" the clowns to host, then it can go back to the store.

 

As for other fish, I have not thought that far ahead. Since it is only an AP24 (about 20g real water volume before rocks) I have only considered the clowns for now. Once the third clown gets moved out I may get a small goby (yellow clown), or maybe a sand-sifting goby (if I get some sand for the bottom). I am going to let the tank mature over the summer, then let the kids help plan some of the additions next fall.

 

dsoz

[dsoz]

I almost forgot. I need to thank Undrtkr_00 for the corals. He gave to the TFT project a nice finger leather, a nice large fuzzy mushroom, and a red shroom that has room to grow.

 

It was nice to meet you Bryan, and you are welcome to come over anytime to see both tanks that I have now.

 

dsoz

[undrtkr_00]

I almost forgot. I need to thank Undrtkr_00 for the corals. He gave to the TFT project a nice finger leather, a nice large fuzzy mushroom, and a red shroom that has room to grow.

 

It was nice to meet you Bryan, and you are welcome to come over anytime to see both tanks that I have now.

 

dsoz

 

It was great to meet you, too. Glad to be able to contribute something. The finger leather and fuzzy shroom are very hardy (they've survived all of my beginner's mistakes), and should grow and multiply pretty quickly for you.

 

It would be great to get together and make some DIY rock some time this summer (and of course see your tanks in person) - I'll let you know when I figure out what dates are best for me. I've been thinking more about what sizes/shapes to make, and how to make best use of the space and layout of my tank. (plotting)