lmerryman

Thanks, everyone for the help and suggestions! The horseshoe crab is officially removed and I went to Petco and bought some peppermint shrimp who have gone to work on the Aiptasia. I started with 6 small ones, and we'll see if they make a dent in them. I also bought some books at Petco today to try to help me get an basic handle on things. Thanks, too for the info on the shells, they seemed to make sense, but I'll pull them out and give them to the marine bio class to play with; I'll get them out tomorrow when I go in to feed the tank. Because I know so little about the delicate chemistry of the environment I thought I'd begin with an organic/animal solution and work my way up to the chemicals (I even read about using a propane torch which gives me pause about the soot) if I need to. I have new light bulbs on order and am looking for a protein skimmer, too. I do have a canister filter like Dave mentioned. It has an intake on the left side of the tank goes into a three chambered filtration system in the cabinet below, and then expels the water on the right side of the tank. The water surface agitator mechanism is in the middle of the tank and has a piece that looks like a microphone that sticks out behind the tank and then a trapezoid-type nozzle that blows the surface. I'll add a back filter to my wish list, too, though. There is a freshwater tank in my classroom for two goldfish, Amy Pond and Dr. Who, and it has a filter that is that style. The timer sounds like a super idea, but on my lights, I have to flip a switch, so I turn daylight on as soon as I arrive at 7:15 and try to leave it on until about 4:00 p.m. when I leave. Then there is a night mode. Does anyone know if the heater will be enough during the holidays if they should turn the heat down in the building? That is a concern of mine. I'm going to ask my principal if I can keep the thermostat set to 60 in my classroom. Power outages could be another challenge in the future. Also, is there a weekly maintenance or monthly checklist that should be followed? I'm itching to get some blue and gold Damsels to put into the tank, as they are the school colors and are reasonably affordable. I did buy some red algae for the fish to munch on today, and had to restrain myself from purchasing one of each cool thing I saw. Thanks for the help! -Laura

Today, I took 4 tolerable photos of the tank and creatures in it (horseshoe crab, Brittney Spears, I'm sorry to say, died and was being consumed by the star fish & I wasn't sure whether to leave her or take her out as the starfish seemed to really be enjoying itself). I've attached them. Feather duster and fuzzy growths on live rock, a clown fish, the light fixture, and the aquarium are shown. Hope this helps (camera phone is not the best equipment for the job!) Nitrogen, Ammonia, & salinity fine right now, but could change, particularly with deceased crab. Wondering if star fish will turn loose. Thanks for the suggestions and ideas. I've marked the 29th on my calendar! Regards, Laura

After posting on Freecycle and Craig's list, I am thrilled to find WAMAS and join as a teacher member. A parent gave me a 55 gallon tall saltwater tank 2 weekends ago that took me 7 hours to move into my classroom(water, live rock, & critters). It has a feather duster, horseshoe crab, 2 ordinary clown fish, 6 small hermit crabs, a gobi, a star fish, and live rock (with brown sprouty things on it). I replaced the sand and filter content (& really cleaned it) and have checked the salinity. Tonight at the pet store, I learned that the Nitrogen and other content need checking, so I bought a kit for that and certainly want to make certain everything is safe before adding to the tank. In the week that I have had the tank, the kids have watched it like it was a television. I have students who are not even in my classes stopping by during lunch to see the new habitat (and I'm an English teacher, not science). This makes me happy, as they are having a great time learning about a whole different world and talking about animal behaviors etc. What I would love are some plants, coral, or fish that are 1. Safe 2. Compatible (& pretty) 3. Affordable. I would be willing to drive to NOVA during the weekend, and I live near Fredericksburg if anyone comes this way. I saw some puffer fish, blue "throw away" fish, and some tangs (Dori fish?) that I believe the kids would enjoy, and lots of cool bulbous glowy things. (The tank has a coral light and a "Cadillac" of a hood that the former owner said cost $700.00 which I would believe). Thanks in advance for your help.