inherited big tank- need edu. ideas for kids

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Hi,

 

I'm tired so let me see if I can explain this well. I just became the 21st Centruy Grant Coordinator for all the homeschool kids in our district. In other words, I create enrichment programs for these kids with the grant money. One of the duties I inherited was charge of a 250? gallon SW tank (its dimensions are 72 x 18, what size is that?). This is the abandoned charter school tank that I posted about several months ago. It now resides in the historical museum!

 

Its residents are: a bunch of LR, lots of nuisance baby starfish (not brittles), a flame angel, a pair of true perc clowns, a malnourished hippo tang, a firefish, and I can't remember what all else, I need to go back and take a look again. It has nothing for lights- I think they all burned out and no one bothered to replace them. It has not had regular water changes or much maintenance, just food. Could someone help me with ideas for the logistics of doing water changes on a tank this size?

 

I need suggestions for what can be done with the thing, simply (so kids can be involved) and inexpensively. I would like to do some mushrooms and soft corals, but I don't think the grant can afford much in the way of lights unless I can convince my boss of the educational value. And speaking of educational value, can someone help me brainstorm some lesson-plan type activities for the kids? I want this to be more than just a tank to look at, I want the kids to interact with it and learn from it.

 

Thanks a million for whatever help anyone has-

Tasha

[appstateguy]

the best thing to do is sell it to me for $100

 

 

you need lights

 

you need to test the water

 

what type of filtering system is it?

 

find out if the tank looks ill as far as parasites are concerned...

 

 

 

sell it to me

 

good luck

[Hinecken]

72x18? what is the height? for the tank to be a 250gallon, it would have to be really tall, 72x18 can be a 125gallon or 150gallon to my knowledge.....

[ross76053]

Too bad it's not a new setup - you could take the kiddos through the cycle and teach them about what happens in each phase.

 

Since you want mushrooms, could you possibly propogate a few for them? Wait...if I were a kid, that would bore me to tears...

 

What age kids?

[Salim]

A couple cool things off the top of my head would be to show how clown fish pair up and change sexes(you already have a pair so that should be cheap), a gobbie/pistol shrimp team, and some cleaner shrimp in action.

 

Don't over look the chemistry portion of keeping an aquarium. I could see how using the test kits could easily lead into more advanced chemistry lessons..nitrates, nitrites, amonia, phosphates, ph, calcium, ect

 

Nuisance baby starfish? Maybe a/some harlequin shrimp would be a good lesson, a bit morbid but interesting.

 

The most important thing I think would be to teach the kids to respect marine life and work to preserve it for their children to enjoy.

 

I'm sure there are a ton of other lessons that can be learned from reef/marine keeping but thats all I can think of at the moment.

 

You mentioned lighting, what type do you have on it now? It may be enough for some low light corals. Nevermind, I reread your post. Are there any ballasts/fixtures or do you need everything? If you just need bulbs it should be easier to get the money for repairing what's broke than buying what's not there. At least I would think so.

 

I did a check on some standard sized tanks for you

72x18x21 is 125 gallons

72x18x28 is 150 gallons

 

Unless you've got some special plumbing, and I doubt it, your stuck with the standard siphon and refill water changes. Of course with a class of youngins you should have plenty of manual labor.

 

Good luck

 

Salim

[SoS]

Look for any local reefers in the area. I am sure some would be more than willing to give a hand with a tank that size. Well i would if you were in Jersey.

[NanoReefer53]

When the tank stablizes, how about an anemone. You can teach them about the symbiotic relationship between clowns and anemones. Same with the goby and pistol shrimp idea.

[Xavier]

You could teach the nitrifaction cycle and what causes it...

 

If you can get enough cash, get an entire set of test kits and have them do weekly tests and keep a log of them.. watch the trends.. teach them what the different tests measure and what it means... how the different things they measure interact with the tank..

 

you could do the biology of the different creatures in the tank... no.. disection is out of the question!...

 

the food chain is always a good topic..

 

you can teach about polution... but NOT by pouring amonia into the tank!

[Dave ESPI]

fill it with concrete and bury the children.

No more problem.

Check fer copper too. I'd almost be certain that there was copper in it at one point.

 

seriously, I'd bet money on it, there are traces of copper.

 

FWIW, dont over do the tank, if it is running fine, just put some bulbs on it, and slowly work up the waterchanges or else you can crash the system with shock.

[gobies]

Aplogies if any of this is old hat, but it does kinda sound like you don't have experience with big tanks.

 

Use a Rubbermaid "Brute" trash can for mixing the sw: the white, grey, and yellow ones are the food-safe ones. Also get the dollies for the trash cans to make moving them possible!

 

Get a Python. I put it off, finally got one, and now can't figure out why I waited. It makes water changes a LOT easier for fw tanks, and will be useful in your situation, too. Use it to fill the water-mixing container (unless you're able to use RO/DI water, that is). When you're ready for the water change, use the Python to send the old water directly to the sink drain. Use a powerhead and vinyl tubing to get the new sw into the tank.

 

 

Ideas for the kiddies:

 

Do a copper test, and if you have copper, get some color-changing copper-absorbing media. Go into the chemistry a bit on why the media changes color.

 

Same thing would probably work with Seachem's Phosguard or Renew. Email Seachem about why the color changes happen and I'm sure they'd help (esp. if you explain the educational aspect).

 

Tetra's website has a whole section on "in the classroom" stuff, IIRC.

 

Keep a photo log of the tank's conditions. You could focus on that undernourished tang, too, and have the kids feed him the seaweed he probably needs.

 

If you can get any $$ for lights, you'll probably need a hood, too. Designing and building the hood could be a project, depending on the kids' ages -- and the woodworking equipment available.

 

Get a pair of cleaner shrimp and watch the eggs develop. You might even find a molt shell to put under a microscope.

 

Nighttime critter viewing: explain why stuff doesn't run away from the red light.

 

You might also email Bob Fenner (auth., Conscientious Marine Aquarist) for ideas; I'm fairly sure he's taught some. Email him via "crew@wetwebmedia.com".

[Dave ESPI]

Contrary to all the good comments Gobies made, PYTHONS WASTE A ######LOAD OF WATER. Yes they can make siphoning and disposing of water during a change out easier, but you waste water to create a back pressure siphon from the faucet.

 

Not too eco friendly in my eyes, but eh, billions of good water are wasted every day, who are we kidding? This is an effort to "Preserve the reefs in captivity".

X)

 

Just stick with buckets and the mentioned 50 gal barrel.

www.consolidatedplatics.com

It will keep the kids busy lugging water around.

[tinyreef]

i agree with dave's comment on the copper. :

 

you might want to try the biotope idea i spoke with bcguy about on his thread. shows the cross section of the reef/shore ecosystem and the interactions. (note: gotta do it just right or suffer an environmental disaster! )

 

i'm giving it more thought recently (because my bro finally is giving up his empty old 75g sitting in his basement). i'm already drawing up mental plans/designs.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Keep us posted as to how that goes Tiny. I'm giving alot of thought to if I want to do the nano/refugium combination. I'm having a bit of trouble finding decent lighting on a budget for the sizes I am considering. I figure for what it would cost me I can do alot more with a new tank or even get the 108 I've been thinking of.... I've got the plexi etc so I can through it all together but... I don't want to go the Home Depot 13 watt route.

[Pikelet]

Having the tank in an historical museum is a bonus because you have the huge advantage of a building open year round c/w aircon and heating. You have exposure from day one and that bodes well for success of the project.

 

Start with the assumption that you will probably have to part with a little of your own cash and a fair amount of your own time to get this excellent project off the ground. I don't think its going to be much though if you can get some sponsorship onboard.

 

Start chatting up nearby aquarium services and reef clubs, the county and city commissioners and local business owners and I'll bet you that you'll have this project cruising along under its own steam in no time.

 

Get your students working on how to obtain funding and get them working on planning the upgrades and have them helping out in the implementation phase. Make it their project! That, my friend, is a superb educational project in itself and the students will get far more out of it learning about how to get people involved in your project than they will ever learn about symbiotic clownfish and anemone relationships.

 

From day one of the project you should enter it into every educational competition you can find. Your students can work on this too. Why? 1. Because you're bound to win or do well in one of them. 2. Because competitions are a great motivator and will keep the project in the minds those holding the purse strings overseeing it. 3. Because success is going to make everybody involved look like megastars and that includes YOUR BOSS, the CITY, the EDUCATION DEPT, the SPONSORS, the whole community, if you do it right.

 

Guess who else benefits? Bingo!!! The wonderful animals in your new "oh my god this is fantastic, how did you ever manage it?" reef tank.

[lizbeth]

Congratulations! You finally got it!

 

I was getting ready to write you a big post and discovered that Pikelet covered most everything I was going to say.

 

Also as that guy Dave says take it slow. Get bulbs....go to your local hardware store, LFS and beg......get them donated. Have the kids write thank you letters to anyone who donates supplies, that's a very good lesson in "fundraising". Test the water and do some water changes.

 

Good Luck!

[SteveC]

As others have said, you definitely need to find out what kind of lighting hardware is on it presently. The bulbs may be burnt out, but the ballasts/endcaps/etc. are probably still good.

 

That said, if you have to start from scratch and want to keep some corals, consider this: you don't have to light the whole tank.

 

So, it's six feet long. Put 4-foot NO flourescent tubes over one side, and on the other, put 55-watt PC bulbs (or whatever). Put your corals under the bright lights. Or, for a more balanced look, put the PCs in the middle and 2-foot NOs on each side.

 

This has some educational potential because you can have a "shallow zone" and a "deep zone" with different kinds of life.

 

Another possibility is to use whatever cheapo lights are on it already (but replace burnt out bulbs), and get a small drilled tank to put next to it (and slightly above) and use that to keep your corals. With that much water volume and LR, it would probably be a pretty stable setup!

[Xavier]

What if you had the kids help you design and implement a new aqua-scape as well? It seem that with 6 feet, you could do a LOT of interesting stuff. What if on one end you had it raised out of the water and step it down to show from the beach down to the ocean.. at each step you can put livestock that you might find at each level.. then you can light it accordingly (and probably save some money). I don't know if you could slope it to simulate a true beach (instead of making steps), you could maybe use a wave machine ($$$) or just a rotating powerhead to keep it from eroding..

 

eh.. just a though..

[BustytheSnowMaam]

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

 

I printed out what lots of what is written here for reference. You all have some great ideas that I will use. I think the tank (based on what has been said) must be a 125. Our grant has some money that can be used toward the tank, but not a lot (depending on the educational value). I have no experience whatsoever with big tanks. I live in northern WI, there are no reef clubs here and the closest saltwater store is 1 1/2 hours away. I have lots of books, so I understand a fair amount about fish, but the hardware and setup of a large tank intimidates me. Reading about it and actually putting a tank together hands-on are two different things.

 

Can someone tell me perhaps what wattage of lights would be good? I believe the tank is 21 inches deep.

 

Thanks again,

Tasha

[tinyreef]

tasha,

you might want to think about what livestock you want to keep first and roughly how you want them placed before deciding on lights (if you're on a limited budget) imo.

 

if you have some leeway tho i would just jump to mh's. pendants imo with a couple of PC pendants in actinics for supplementation. probably 3~4 pendants, imo. or maybe high-Kelvin bulbs (20000K). the tank isn't really that deep so mh's are necessary but spend once if you can ime. that way you can later have anything you want (clams, sps, softies, fish, etc.).

 

think about a good skimmer and uv also. open public viewing, right?

[Pikelet]

Originally posted by tashayar

I live in northern WI, there are no reef clubs here and the closest saltwater store is 1 1/2 hours away.  

 

Many people in here consider 1 1/2 hours away nearby so don't be discouraged by that. Contact online stores through USA and reef clubs in Wisconsin and adjacent states. I'm positive you'll get some donations of livestock or used equipment if you make a good case for the project. You should also plead poverty on new items like lights and ask for a DEEP discount.

 

P.S. Grants generally don't cover on-going running costs so you have to try to squeeze that into someone's budget if possible. Shouldn't be a problem if you know how to smooge the right people.

[SteveC]

Drs. Foster & Smith is headquartered in northern WI (Rhinelander). Maybe they would be willing to donate some stuff in exchange for a little good publicity in their own backyard. In addition to supplies, they also sell livestock (liveaquaria.com and etropicals.com), so who knows? http://www.drsfostersmith.com

 

Also, if you find out what kind of ballasts & whatever you've got on this tank, post it here and maybe people can send you stuff (e.g. bulbs they've tried and don't like, etc.).

[Djm9288]

Sounds COOL

[Dave ESPI]

Just a warning as I am involved with a reef tank at RPI college in Rensalear, N.Y. http://aquarium.union.rpi.edu/rpi.html

 

Four very important concepts,.... you need to recognise and heed my words of wisdom.

 

>YOU CAN NOT COUNT ON ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.

 

>YOU MUST NOT LET OTHERS UNDERMINE YOUR DECISIONS.

 

>DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE HAVE COMPLETE IDIOTS HELP YOU OR ELSE YOU WILL LIVE A LIFE OF CONSTANT WORRY.

 

>PLAN,PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, READ, PLAN SOME MORE, GET FUNDING, MAKE YOUR OWN BEST EDUCATED OPINON DECISION AND THEN DO.

 

This is YOUR project. Don't forget that. A lot of well meaning people(ignorants) will tell you the tank is messed up, or that the fish are stuck in the filter and are dying (over flow, and they were put there because they are scavengers and were being bastards in the tank.... DONT ASK) and will in efforts of trying to help add a sand sifting goby, or a tang or a B-Flyfish or a Queen angel or a lionfish to yer happy community of lill fiesh, or god knows what chemicals because the fish had little spots and "the d00d at the store reccomended coppersafe fer salt fish with Ich", and proceed to F**ket all up.

 

Oh and KEEP THE TANK LOCKED. People will pour ###### in it and F**k with it just because they are #######s.

 

Im serious. Above all other post on this subject (no offence intended to good peeps who have posted here) Take this one with the MOST IMPORTANCE and be reverant.

 

One day perhaps you will say,.... Damn it ! Dave was absof'n-loutely right.

 

Fer sure... ya will see. assholz and elbowz.

 

Oh and Ill throw in some (SPAM)www.Aquacraft.net (SPAM) salt at cost if ya need it.

 

LOOK MAH I KAN SPEEIEL WHEN I WANNAH !

[Pikelet]

Vandals in northern Wisconsin? Say what?

[MrGuyPerson]

Originally posted by Pikelet

Vandals in northern Wisconsin?  Say what?

 

No, just pricks and #######s.