dbartco October 9, 2007 Share October 9, 2007 In the process of setting up 33 gallon trapezoidal tank in the 5th grade science class at Cedar Lane Elementary in Ashburn. Got everything painted and cleaned up after a stint at Floris Elementary. Tank was originally donated by David Beasley in Reston to Floris. I was able to get the tank set up this AM, livestock to follow. Tank is running skimmerless until I find a reasonable priced or donated. Fins and Feathers has also volunteered to help out with discounts since it is nearby their business. A few details: Tank: 33 Gallon trapezoidal, center overflow acrylic sump Lighting: Single 175W metal halide 10K on magnetic ballast. (thinking of adding some small Flourescents on the sides. Flow: mag 9 return split 4 ways (thinking of adding more powerhead) Fish : 1 false percula 2 Bangaii Cardinals 3 green chromis 1 watchman goby 1 skunk cleaner shrimp Corals: trumpet coral capnella green mushrooms anthelia green star plyps lobophyton green zoanthids red mushrooms red poccillopora gold digitata Macro algae tapetum anemone hammer coral Looking for: Easy corals not listed, small fish, cleaners small skimmer Maintenence: Rebecca Lowe and myself Donations (Thank you!): Fins and Feathers - 10 snails, green star polyps, toadstool leather, featherduster. David Beasley - 33 gallon tank Dave Lin/Floris - liverock and MH lighting Carribean Jake - Capnella, mushroom, anthelia, green star polyps Doug Arthur - Auto top off, green and pink trumpet, green zoanthids, blue mushrooms, macro algae, clownfish, bangaii cardinals, green chromis, sarcophyton, red pocillopora, capnella David Hocheiser - Hammer coral Tracey (Zotzer) - Watchman Goby, Red mushrooms Chip Frederick (flowerseller)- golden montipora digitata, montipora capricornus, colt coral, lobophyton Aaron (txaggies) - swing arm salinity meters Tony Gallo (tgallo) - sixline wrasse (expired :( ), blue legged hermits, nassarius snails, cleaner shrimp Garrett (Gastone) - tapetum anemones Tom (biodork) - Xenia (expired - why can't I keep Xenia ) Almon (Almon) - Pink Sinularia I will continue to update this page as new livestock is added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 Hey Doug, next time you're in the neighborhood swing by and we'll pull some things out of the tanks. I've got some nice corals in school that you're welcome to frags of. The more we spread this out and educate the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 Can't wait to see the pics of this new set up. These kids are so lucky to have teachers and volunteers who are willing to spend their time and talents to teach them about the hobby. Best of luck to you with this project! At the moment, I don't really have anything available to frag right no, but could probably donate something in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco October 10, 2007 Author Share October 10, 2007 I got the rock and water in the tank today, plugged into the GFI, and NADA! We had to stretch an extention cord over as a temp setup. I also ran about 5 minutes late, and kids came into the room while I was cleaning up. Poor Ms. Lowe could not get their attention off the tank and to their work! This is just awesome to watch how excited they get, and the # of questions!!! I will be taking off work a few days just to go down there at talk about some things. My daughter has always grown up with this stuff all over the house, so she is a little jaded (but still can recite a few latin names at 3!). I will put livestock in tomorrow and take pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnguyen4007 October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 I got the rock and water in the tank today, plugged into the GFI, and NADA! We had to stretch an extention cord over as a temp setup. I also ran about 5 minutes late, and kids came into the room while I was cleaning up. Poor Ms. Lowe could not get their attention off the tank and to their work! This is just awesome to watch how excited they get, and the # of questions!!! I will be taking off work a few days just to go down there at talk about some things. My daughter has always grown up with this stuff all over the house, so she is a little jaded (but still can recite a few latin names at 3!). I will put livestock in tomorrow and take pictures. There's the mark of a good daddy. Your little girl and those kids in school are lucky to have you around to do something like this for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bprinehart October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 I have some zoanthids I'd be willing to donate if interested, drop me a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rioreef October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 Doug, One thing that concerns me with MH and kids is the level that they view the tank and what we (adults) see. If the MH is not in a full enclosure that extends down to the top edge of the tank (i.e., a full hood), the kids will have a view up into the MH fixture and the intensity of the bulb can hurt their eyes. You can tell the kids not to look, but they will. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 Love to see these pics sounds like an interesting tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco October 10, 2007 Author Share October 10, 2007 One thing that concerns me with MH and kids is the level that they view the tank and what we (adults) see. If the MH is not in a full enclosure that extends down to the top edge of the tank (i.e., a full hood), the kids will have a view up into the MH fixture and the intensity of the bulb can hurt their eyes. You can tell the kids not to look, but they will. Chris. Good point. The light is in a fairly well enclosed hood, and is in an enclosed reflector inside. Anyone in front of the tank can't see it directly. I will doublecheck tomorrow again. Chris, since you are close by and want to meet out there in the morning (Ms. Lowe's planning period is from 8-9am) and take a look, your ideas are always welcome. Besides having someone in Ashburn to know about this tank can't be a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rioreef October 10, 2007 Share October 10, 2007 At that time I have been at work for about 1 hours. I would have to try to make it another time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco October 11, 2007 Author Share October 11, 2007 I updated a few things I am looking for and I posted a few very poor pics. I suck at pics, but oh well. I am trying to bring it up fairly quickly as it is going into the school newsletter of 900 kids very soon. I still have a big rock in the middle with a cabbage coral on in to put in. I think the pics answer Chris' concerns to an extent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascal October 11, 2007 Share October 11, 2007 Looking for: Easy corals not listed, small fish, cleaners small skimmer swing arm salinity meter Easy corals - like purple, red mushrooms; brownskirtw/orangecenter zoas; xenia; purple monti digi? small skimmer - I have an unused CPR backpack that is just sitting around collecting dust. Same with a swing-arm I'm sure. I will not be offended it you hold out for better offers. The tank looks great and I'm sure the kids love it. My kids tend to be rather ho hum about the tank too, until they get the chance to show it off to their friends. I would love to do something like this for one of their schools someday. I think pre-primary might be a little to soon for the whole glass+water+electricity mix though. One concern I would have about setting up a reef tank in a classroom for older kids is the noise, especially without being able to employ higher-end equipment. Have you found this to be a problem? (Davelin feel free to chime in here too if you're reading) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda October 11, 2007 Share October 11, 2007 Nice start. I have some of the usual suspects around (digis, caps, red shrooms, weed gorgonian). Can bring to the meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 October 14, 2007 Share October 14, 2007 In the typical classroom it's nothing worse than white noise. I know that on this tank the worst part was the hum from the ballast, but other than that there was almost zero noise. If Doug has it set up the same way, the durso overflow I built was nearly silent and the way it entered into the sump was virtually silent as well because it was an enclosed chamber. Plus, in a classroom, it is rarely if ever silent. I utilized a submersible pump in that tank which was very quiet. In my current class I have an external pump but it's noise is negligible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco October 17, 2007 Author Share October 17, 2007 Updated donations list. Thanks to Tracey (Zotzer) we have some red mushrooms and a little watchman goby! I will be taking off a day in the next two weeks to go talk to the classes for the start of oceanography. The probably again when work is boring around the holidays. Thanks Tracey, but I forgot your last name... Easy corals - like purple, red mushrooms; brownskirtw/orangecenter zoas; xenia; purple monti digi? small skimmer - I have an unused CPR backpack that is just sitting around collecting dust. Same with a swing-arm I'm sure. Tne concern I would have about setting up a reef tank in a classroom for older kids is the noise, especially without being able to employ higher-end equipment. Have you found this to be a problem? (Davelin feel free to chime in here too if you're reading) Will take a little of everything anyone is willing to give at the meeting! Thanks you. As for noise, it really is not that bad since I put some foam in the overflows, and the hum of the light is not that bad at all. The amount fo noise in that enviroment is high enought it is drowned out. I have some of the usual suspects around (digis, caps, red shrooms, weed gorgonian). Can bring to the meeting. That would be awesome Dave. I have some of your gorgonian in there, just haven't got the pic. I also have a little gold digitata I can put in, but others are good. If Doug has it set up the same way, the durso overflow I built was nearly silent and the way it entered into the sump was virtually silent as well because it was an enclosed chamber. Once we cleaned the pump, there was enough water into the overflow that it was splashing, so I needed ot put a bit of foam to stop the splashing noise, which was annoying the teacher when some of the "quiet readers" were talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txaggies07 October 18, 2007 Share October 18, 2007 PM sent if you still need a swing arm salinity meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas October 19, 2007 Share October 19, 2007 Wow, thats my old tank I donated to Floris Elementry. With the same wood canopy I built. If the canopy hasn't been modified since I gave it to davelin, make sure the muffin fan is working. I wired it to come on when the halides are powered up. Since the canopy is all wood the fan is important to keep the temperature from reaching dangerous levels. I live in Reston and will donate SPS frags if you need some. Also I have Red and purple shrooms. Also xenia. David B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarlane October 28, 2007 Share October 28, 2007 Hello. My name is Rebecca and I am lucky enough to be the recipient of this wonderful saltwater aquarium. I want to say thank you to everyone at WAMAS, and a BIG, special thank you to Doug for setting everything up and answering all of my questions. The 5th grade team at Cedar Lane departmentalizes, which means that we each specialize in a subject and the students rotate to each class (like middle school). I teach science to all of the 5th graders, which means 104 students split between 6 classes. The aquarium has already fascinated and inspired the students in the short time that it has been in the classroom. They are eager to go over to it each day to find every one of the fish that they know are in there, and are extremely concerned if they cannot find one. The watchman goby likes to hide, and has given the students quite a few scares. They also love to point out all of the new things that they see. We have a few bristle worms that have stowed themselves away in our tank, which everyone agrees are about the most disgusting things any of us have ever seen. The students were amazed when they heard that a clown fish can change from a male to a female and that a male cardinal fish will carry the eggs in its mouth until they hatch. The most recent surprise came when I tried to remove one of the Aiptasias in order have the students look at it under a microscope, and discovered that they actually retreat from your hands. Even with all of the students Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal October 28, 2007 Share October 28, 2007 Welcome to WAMAS Rebecca! It's good to hear that the tank is coming together and that the kids are showing an interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer October 28, 2007 Share October 28, 2007 Rebecca, It's so great to hear the kids are getting such a kick out of the tank!! That little demon goby needs just the discipline that a 5th grade teacher can provide. LOL Tell him I said "hello" and to stay out of the overflow!! Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco October 28, 2007 Author Share October 28, 2007 updated donation list. Thanks to all of these wonderful donors. I still need more editing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 October 29, 2007 Share October 29, 2007 Hey Rebecca, Take a look at the other thread in this area, that's the one I maintain. You can take a look through and see some of the pictures we have used in the past. I'll try and send some more plans next week when we have two workdays. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarlane October 30, 2007 Share October 30, 2007 (edited) The new additions to our tank today were a HUGE hit. Doug added 3 Chromis and a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. I quickly found out that whatever I was teaching was much less interesting than the shrimp. It is a very social creature, and the kids loved keeping me updated on its activities. The Chromis are much shier, but the kids loved the bright colors and the fact that they traveled in a school. The Clownfish seemed very entertained by the extra company and was even more active than usual (if that's possible). I tried to add some pictures, but apparently don't know what I am doing. Can anyone give me directions? Rebecca Edited October 30, 2007 by Cedarlane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarlane November 14, 2007 Share November 14, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 14, 2007 Share November 14, 2007 yay! pictures! Isn't the cleaner shrimp a trip? I love those little guys! Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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