Kimberlee

The dates Now Mike the administrator has said I can pick the dates and he'll make sure we have access to the school. I was thinking Dec. 20th to set the tank up, giving it time to cycle and be stocked. We could stock 2 so that it would be ready when the children came back from winter break. This is a volunteer project all the way, so I will be relying on you great people to get this going. If you would like to volunteer please PM me so I know how many to expect. This is our gift to the community this year and what a great gift it is, we have the entire school looking forward to the tank. Thank you everyone for helping me help a school that gets forgotten to often.

Albany continued Part of what I love about this hobby, all the many things we can have in our tanks that makes them unique and ours. My ride's very cute puppy w/ the hair fetish. The whole trip was fun w/ fun people. than I got to meet the man behind the BTA, he was great no pic though, not of him. I did however take pics of the BTA Now my tank looks like a reef tank. Now we are arriving at today, and this is the day my clows come home. As I type they are on the way here, in Portland as of 4am.

CH 5/ Albany This is how great this community is, seconds after I posted that I could use a lift down to the meet, someone responded. Thx, again you.I think waiting two weeks was harder than finding a way to get there. Anyway the 16th of oct. was a nice day, so a lot of you must of been playing ball, or at the beach. The meet was a little bare, but it was interesting and provided info I didn't have, which is always a plus. The different tanks we saw were all very cool. Sorry I'd name who the tanks belong to w/ the picture but my computer did something funny when they loaded up. Have to wrap it up for a min. Kids, be back to finish this 1 1/2 hour.

After my roommate modified my skimmer and it started to work a lot better, I removed the canister filter, but I was cleaning it every other week. Oddly even when the brown stuff was present the phosphates never registered on the test. I know they wwere there, but I assume they were low. Last week however, I for got to lightly vacum the top of the sand during the WC, and there's now some sort of algae on the sand again.

Lights Okay so they don't need to be top of the line they just need to work. We will be needing 36", preferably T-5s, But open to all options.

CH/4 Everything grows To recap threw month 4-5 all I added was coral, and the first 2 started to grow. Still don't know for sure what this one is (I think it's a scoly) This one started off w/ 3 heads, now has 5. And this one( id by my LFS as a mushroom plate) I believe is a hammer, now has almost 2 full heads, and 2 small heads growing out off the body. Along w/ the growth of the corals came algae.I spent hours online, reading threads covering all kind of the stuff, and various ways of treating the problem. Cyno I think. Never made it off the sand. So we went lights out for three days, which seemed to solve the problem. Another light fixture became a priority, now I had reason to just run my lights on different schedules, and lets not forget the BTA, the offer was still there. I saved and upgraded. The rock were turning color (good right?)and coral line was everywhere. Next to get to my first meet in Albany, also the place my BTA currently lived. This is just a good pic.

Chapter three it starts to thrive So after enough death I finally start to have some patience. At this point anything I planed to add to my tank became just that, Planed. I didn't bother w/ fish a whole lot, instead I spent time looking up corals,( this is how I ran across RC) and than through a member there I found PNWAS.Now I was no longer a victim of my LFS. I could Pick out things I new a little about, and when I made it home w/ the new coral I could do even more research, realy understand my new addition. Now at this point, I'm also thinking sump.Thats a new word, what can we do w/ a sump, a lot and than some.Well into month two I deiced I want one of those, if only I new something about those. Three months latter I feel I've researched them enough to make some choices, I now have plans for a sump.(coming soon, build almost in progress).In the mean time I'll just add corals. I've started looking into anemones by month four, I didn't look into them very well though. I soon had a LTA (impulse buy)bought the same day I picked up my watchman goby, (at petco). The YWG was just a baby, under an inch devoured by the LTA all because the guy at petco knew even less than me , if thats possible.Sorry no pics that was not a good experience, they've been erased.The LTA went into my roommates tank, and lives there to this day, healthy, happy, and well fed. Someone latter offered me a green BTA, but I needed more light first. Must send kids to school now, will return soon.

Thx for the frag

Chapter Two, What is paitiance, Realy? After putting in about 10 fish in the first three weeks, they decided it was too crowded in my tank. They started to die off, I lost every damsel in my tank, not as upset as I should be over them. I was upset about the tomato clowns. So I didn't put anything else in until late June.When I did it was my first LPS'es and a candy cane wrasse, which I loved,(also the LFS claimed was a tabaco wrasse)Here they are. Unfortunately after a month and a half the wrasse died, but it wasn't the tank.water sample showed all stats fine.Took it back in the store seeing they had miss labeled the fish, and sold it at the end of it's life cycle replaced the fish.Now I have a well behaved healthy coral beauty. To summarize live stock at this point, tank now has several hermit crabs, 2 emerald crabs, 2 turbo snails, coral banded shrimp, 1 engineer goby, 1 coral beauty, 1 black blenny, 1 lubbocks fairy wrasse and corals to be named next edition. Now those are the fish in the tank today.

They found their own way out!

So it started w/ a 55gal w/ stand and hood. The next day I walked into the LFS, looking for substrate, salt and all the basics for a FO tank, a week later my tank had a protein skimmer, T-5s, 10lbs live rock, a canister filter(LFS, said I needed 1),and 3 damsels. This is the tank I had by the end of may.(anything resembling a coral is fake) Thinking like the LFS told me, that my tank was cycled, I bought more fish. I should of known better, I have had fish before(fresh water). Chapter Two in a hour.

So far stand about to be in build proses. We need the tank and trying to make decisions about the sump, but we have someone to put the tank and sump together. Also checking on a protein skimmer now.

So I went out to the school, today These two didn't turn out as well Here in the corner is where the tank will go The school is very excited about the tank, everyone sends their thx I'll have the official tank set up date by tomorrow. Thank you everyone!!!

PM me the address and I can tell you, I'm having my roommate pick it up

Is #3 still there?, can pick it up tomorrow

so far we know the size, We have someone to build the stand & hood, and I have someone to construct the sump and tank. We do need the two tanks though. The 40 B and a ten gal for the sump. I also think that t-5 lighting would be a good fit for the tank. 1 can do many things w/ those lights I use them. So if anyone has a tank in the size needed, that they would like to donate or a light fixture or bulbs please let me know.

While waiting to decided where in the school the tank will go, I thought it would be a good thing to post for what I know will be needed. So if anyone knows where to get a good deal on finished wood for the stand, please pass on the info. We have some one who can build it no problem.

Give it up for this one, he will be building stand and hood, we'll just keep the tank somewhere away from him until he puts the hammer down

share the love

I dont have as much as I'd like but I'll start the project by a donation of, food and test supplies I'll also make a list of whats need so everyone knows what they can help with. I am happy and grateful for anything that others can do, and will go to the school Fri. to pick a spot for the tank deiced how big a tank is appropriate. I'll post some pics of the school and future location of the tank. Good advice and ideas are considered great donations.Thx everyone for your support and enthusiasm.

Must give you a personal thx, my sons been there 2 years, and that school is amazing as well as anyone I've ever worked w/ there!

I've looked at the app. myself, and wasn't sure it would fit this school. I have talked to the school administrator to make sure they even had an interest, they do. part of why I'm unsure about the app. is I'm thinking this the program would be of benefit to the whole school. I did inform Mike(administrator) that they would need someone in the school who is willing to maintain the tank, and he seemed sure that wouldn't be a problem. I am hoping Roger will consider allowing me to work w/ the school as far as web pages on the tank go? I will e mail Mike the app. tomorrow.