Cedar Lane Library

[dbartco]

The Cedar Lane tank has a new location! The tank has redsided in a 5th grade classroom for the past 3 years. This year, we have moved into the library for more visibility and access. We also have a very enthusiastic caretaker that is planning a myriad of activities around the tank! I'm sure she will chime in and introduce herself once the year begins.

 

The tank is basically the same as it was last year, with a few minor changes in the livestock. You can read about the previous tank here: Previous Cedar Lane setup

 

We did pretty well with the summer layover at my house. Had a couple of carpet surfers though. (black ocellaris, sixline, and the watchman goby).

 

The tank as of 8/29/2010:

 

Things we are looking for:

 

small in sump skimmer

easy corals

clean up crews

cleaner shrimp

maybe a brittle star

small comunity fish

 

Livestock Listing:

 

Tank: 65 gallon (Bamainva's old tank)

Home Made Canopy to match stand

Sump: (Davelin315)

Circulation: Mag 9.5 return (Davelin315), 3/4 " Seaswirl, MJ1200 with Maximod,

Lighting: 2 150W Metal Halide (OUsnakebyte)

 

Inhabitants:

 

Fish: Coral Beauty Angel, 3 Blue Chromis, Bangaii Cardinal, 1 Black Ocellaris, 1 Naked Orange Ocellaris, Yellow tang

 

Inverts: BTA Anemone, a few Nassarius Snails, and too much aiptasia!

 

Corals: Green Trumpet Coral (Coral Hind), Green Sinularia (Coral Hind), Green zoanthids (Coral Hind), Purple fungia (cowrie) , Briarium(lhcorals), Green Star Polyps(lhcorals), Sarchophyton (flowerseller), palythoa (valeria) Orange Zoanthids, Fox coral, Green Torch Coral, green pocillopora, gorgonian

 

 

More to come...

[dbartco]

Only one I know of now (that are asking for donations) are:

 

Oakton HS (vienna)

Cedar Lane Elementary (ashburn)

Floris Elementary (herndon)

Andrew Jackson Acadamy Craig (Aheto's) - (gaithersburg?)

 

Welcome to start one though.

[Charlie]

My neighbors are Kindergarten teachers. I'll talk to them. What do I need to do to make that happen?

[Cedarlane]

The fish tank has invited so many comments and visitors to the library. The teachers and I are already working on different projects for the year related to this lovely donation. One of the first grade teachers and I are planning to do a monthly comparison of the growth in the tank. We will be taking digital pictures each month and the students will be sketching different plant or animal life within the tank. Thanks so much for this opportunity. I am learning more about salt water fish than I ever thought I would and it has only been in our library for a few weeks.

 

Andria Donnelly, librarian

[Cedarlane]

Does anyone have any ideas of saltwater fish books that would be good for kids in grades 2-5? I want to purchase resources for our kids to learn about the animals and plant life in our tank. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

 

Andria Donnelly, librarian

[Cedarlane]

We noticed some pink caterpillar-like worms crawling in and out of the coral. We were wondering what they were. We're really enjoying watching the live-action. We had Open House today and the kids were very excited! Thank you for this opportunity!

 

Michelle Bagley, library assistant

[L8 2 RISE]

The "caterpiller worms" sound like bristle worms.

[Origami]

Doug, is this the tank that you and I set up in the classroom last Fall? (When I found out that your wife and my wife worked together?) The one with the industrial-looking metal halides?

 

It's looking good!

[davelin315]

Hi Andria and Michelle, the pink caterpillar looking worms are what Sam (L82Rise) said they are, bristle worms. Beware the bristle worm! They are beneficial recyclers in our systems, but as a worm, they are also a tasty meal for those that can handle them. Their built in defense (for those 4th and 5th graders learning about animals it's a structural adaptation) is that they have little spikes running up and down the sides of their bodies. These are made of chitin (basically the same thing as our hair and finger nails) and pack a little bit of a sting with them. If you touch them, the bristles will come out and stick in your skin. Some can have a mild allergic reaction to them, reddening and itchiness, but the beauty of their make up is that being calcium based they dissolve in mild acids, just like a jelly fish nematocyst or sting. Vinegar is a great way to dissolve them if you happen to touch them. If you look up some of the Floris threads I have posted there's one that has pictures of bristle worms under a microscope.

 

As far as the books, I sent Doug some recommendations. The best ones are probably going to be the ones designed for adult readers, which many of your 4th and 5th graders will be able to understand. I recommended dive identification manuals and some of the more basic books. When the kids get hooked, they pore over these and absorb them one page at a time. I have various atlases and references in my own class and the kids love to just look them over and when a picture catches their eye they read about it.

 

Good luck, and let me know if there's any lessons I can help with! I teach 5th grade myself and have been putting these tanks into classes at my school for years (your original Cedar Lane tank came from my classroom, as your aiptasia probably did, too!).

[dbartco]

Doug, is this the tank that you and I set up in the classroom last Fall? The one with the industrial-looking metal halides?

 

Yes it is the same tank, with most of the same inhabitants. The "industrial halides" are still in use. I had to make some wood covering of the Husky toolbox ballast & heatsink, and put on top of the canopy. It now looks about 8 ft tall! Ugly in my opinion, but the kids only care about the glass enclosed part. Besides, they're children...

 

These are not fire worms you may see in the ref books I gave you guys. Just common bristles, and not a big deal. I doubt you guys will have your hands in the tank enough to worry about stings, but if you want to pull a few out for observation later - no prob.

 

May be some of the same aiptasia Dave, but I made a PaulB style aiptasia zapper this weekend to play with.

[Cedarlane]

First grade did their first activity with the fish tank today. They will be monitoring the growth and activity of the tank. Today, we sketched the fish and talked about questions that they might have. We are going to compare and contrast the tank's development each month. here are the questions from today:

1. Why is the clown fish black and white?

2. Why are their so many shells (snails)?

3. Is the black and white nemo fish a boy or girl?

 

(Remember these questions are from first graders:)))

[Charlie]

Those are pretty insightful questions from 5 and 6 year olds. I think that it shows that they are thinking about new surroundings.

[dbartco]

First grade did their first activity with the fish tank today. They will be monitoring the growth and activity of the tank. Today, we sketched the fish and talked about questions that they might have. We are going to compare and contrast the tank's development each month. here are the questions from today:

1. Why is the clown fish black and white?

2. Why are their so many shells (snails)?

3. Is the black and white nemo fish a boy or girl?

 

(Remember these questions are from first graders:)))

[FearTheTerps]

Its true that you learn something new everyday, I had to look up the answer.

 

The clown fish is black and white because of the presence of melanin in its skin. The fish has melanin the same as we humans do (and most other organisms), which determines the pigment of our skin. The amount and type of melanin determines the pigment, which can result in dark colored skin or light, and its even the reason why our lips are red/pinkish in color.

 

Another animal example that you can relate to the kids is a black panther, which is the melanistic variant of a jaguar or leopard.

Edited September 28, 2010 by FearTheTerps

[Coral Hind]

3. Is the black and white nemo fish a boy or girl?

 

Not knowing the type, size, age, or how many clowns are in the tank makes it hard to answer that question.

 

However, understanding how clowns mature is very important and may help you guess what the clown in the library tank is. A Clownfish is hatched as neither boy or girl. Whether there are other boys and a girl in the tank or group, and after reaching physically mature around 12 months is when they will change into a boy or change into a boy then a girl. It is a one way trip, from not being a boy or a girl, to becoming a boy, then to a girl. They can never change back, once a girl it can never be a boy again.

 

A clownfish kept alone for as little as a month will become a girl if it is mature. If two boys are put together and they are old enough, one will turn into a girl. This ensures that there are always a couple to help the species survive.

[Origami]

1) Fish that we call clownfish can display a variety of colors, ranging from blue to yellow. Your black and white clownfish is just one of many. The one you have is actually uncommon, and is very special in that way.

 

2) Snails are good for our aquariums. They help keep it clean.

 

3) When it comes to boys and girls, clownfish are very different than you and me. During different parts of its life, a clownfish can be both a boy AND a girl. They start out as "nothing," developing into boys and then, if conditions are right, develop into girls. Living in groups, if there is no girl in the group, one clownfish will develop into a girl, while the rest will remain boys. If, for some reason, she is removed from the group (if she died, for example), another boy will change and become a girl clownfish. This is called hermaphroditism. You can often spot the girl fish in a group, because she's often the biggest one of the group.

[dbartco]

These fish recently paired this summer. Both were about the same size when they were introduced into the tank. Everyone loves the standard "nemo" in these school tanks, but I added this pair to show the diversity in the species. Look for growing dominance in size, and in behavior, of the fish in the anemone. That will let you know who the female is (which I believe should be the black and white ocellaris, not the "naked").

 

One other reason there is a lot of shells in the tank are for the hermit crabs. As the outgrow their shell, hermit crabs will swap homes and take a larger shell, leaving the old shell behind for the next.

 

Have any recent pictures?

[Cedarlane]

These fish recently paired this summer. Both were about the same size when they were introduced into the tank. Everyone loves the standard "nemo" in these school tanks, but I added this pair to show the diversity in the species. Look for growing dominance in size, and in behavior, of the fish in the anemone. That will let you know who the female is (which I believe should be the black and white ocellaris, not the "naked").

 

One other reason there is a lot of shells in the tank are for the hermit crabs. As the outgrow their shell, hermit crabs will swap homes and take a larger shell, leaving the old shell behind for the next.

 

Have any recent pictures?

 

We don't have any pictures yet as we haven't received all of the forms back from parents allowing us to share pictures. Hopefully that will come soon. Our preschool classroom has started using the tank at the end of library to review colors and shapes each week. The kids are becoming quite verbal for 3-4 year olds in their excitement to see the tank.

 

Also, we are introducing the tank to the entire grade levels of K, 1, and 2 this week with a lesson on fish tank etiquette. (ex. no tapping on the class, quiet voices at the tank, and completion of work/assignments before visiting the tank) Since there is so much enthusiasm about the tank. I am reading SEA ANEMONES by Lola Schaefer and CLOWN FISH by Carol Lindeen.

[davelin315]

Make sure to include the reason why you can't tap on the tank. Instead of ears, fish have a lateral line system (you can see it starts at around where the gills end where "ears" would be and then runs along the length of the body to the tail). This picks up vibrations in the water. Since the denser objects carry sound waves much better than less dense objects, it's akin to having someone yell directly in your ear. This ties in nicely with physical sciences (sound and matter) for 5th grade as well as biological sciences for most grade levels.

[dbartco]

Went by the school this am, caught Andria reading to the kids in there. She was explaining the differences in color mutations of the clownfish. Snapped a bad photo with the phone cam. (sorry bout the bad pic Andria )

 

[Cedarlane]

Today, we had first grade sketching at the tank. Here are the questions that they came up with:

1. How do fish breathe under water?

2. How did WAMAS find the house for the clown fish?

3. Why did the blue fish (chromis) have blue on his back?

4. How many sea anemones are there?

5. Why does the poky fish (cardinal) like to hang out by the sea anemone?

 

Also, some fourth grade teachers are using the time at the tank as an incentive to finish their work in a timely manner. If the finish their work, the kids can earn a few minutes at the tank to observe and ask questions about the tank.

[tecsavi]

Here are a few books that might tie into the reef tank in the library:

 

These are based on the Chesapeake bay but it shows relationships between saltwater animals and it's local so the kids can relate.

 

Sam: The tale of a Chesapeake Bay Rockfish by Kristina Henry (ages 4-8)

 

Chadwick the Crag by Priscilla Cummings ( ages 9-12)

 

Here are some that are more coral reef related but geared toward younger children:

 

The magic school bus takes a dive: A book about coral reels by Nancy White (Scholastic)

 

Fish Wish by Bob Barner

 

Hello Fish!: Visiting the coral reef by Sylvia Earle

 

I'll try and dig up some more books about reefs for children. My kindergardener it very curious about our reef and is constantly asking questions. Now he is the neighborhood tour guide for kids coming by to check out the tank. It's nice to see 4 kids staring into a reef tank and asking questions instead of playing the WII.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cedarlane]

Andria is reading the following books to kindergarten, first and second graders this week:

Corals by Carol K. Lindeen

and

Sponges by Jody Sullivan Rake

 

Here are a couple of questions from some first graders that were visiting the fish tank yesterday:

1. Do sharks get stung by coral?

and

2. Are sponges dangerous?

 

Thanks to Doug for doing maintenance on the fish tank this morning! It looks great!!

[Brian Ward]

In response to question #1:

I'm really not sure if corals produce any noticeable impact to the shark's skin. However, due to a shark's size and the composition of their skin, they are relatively unaffected by coral and anemone stings.

[Origami]

Regarding #2, I found a neat site providing an overview of sponges here:

 

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0697/0697_1.html

 

Some parts of the discussion may be easy to explain by the teacher to a group this age. On the matter of Question #2, the site says,

 

"Sponges typically compete for space and deter predators by chemical means (Porter and Targett 1988). They can't bite, sting, or flee from predators - but they surely can poison them. Many sponges are chemical factories producing some of the most poisonous materials found in nature. Depending on the sponge, they can release the chemicals actively in growing regions to poison corals and other animals that would tend to overgrow the sponges. Additionally, the chemicals may be stored in their cells and released only when a predator bites into a sponge. In some sponges as well, some of the spicules appear to be "designed" to assist the chemical action by puncturing or lacerating any predator foolish enough to try to eat them."

 

Keep in mind that the sponge has these defenses to protect itself from its natural predators. Also, there are many variety of sponges, so they may not all defend themselves the same way with the same toxins. Suffice it to say, I probably wouldn't take a big bite out of a living sponge.