Work tank?

[ImGoingCoastal]

So all my talk about setting up a tank got the people at work fired up and now the discussion has begun about getting a work tank.

 

I think a JBJ picotope will suffice ($50 shipped!). That said, I was curious as to if anyone has a small work tank and how they go about doing the maintenance (water changes and what not)

 

I'm thinking I can just get two identical 1/2 gal containers and bring fresh water from home to just scoop and dump.

 

Just wondering how much of a hassle it would be.

 

-A-a-ron

 

 

[ReefdUp]

I had a work tank... once...

Only do it if you don't have a long walk to your desk. And have a good support structure to hold it (other than your desk). And make sure the company doesn't turn off the HVAC on weekends (that was one tank crash thanks to an office that got above 90 degrees one weekend.)

Harlequin shrimp are fun to keep if you can regularly feed them. It's an awesome conversation starter. "Hey, check out these shrimp that only eat starfish. Wanna watch while I cut this leg off a live starfish that I keep alive just as food and then feed the leg to the shrimp? No? I swear I'm not a psychopath dearest coworker!"

Pistol shrimp are cool but will probably drive one coworker insane if it clicks a lot.

I'll think of more later.


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[ImGoingCoastal]

I was thinking of just a little clown goby and some inverts. Maybe ooh and ahh people with a cleaner shrimp (though that might encourage too many hands in the tank)...

I want to keep the bioload (and cost) low to help avoid crashes and the like.

-A-a-ron

[ReefdUp]

Avoid clown gobies with small shrimp... you'll end up with no shrimp. We learned that the hard way. A cleaner shrimp might be ok though.

For maintenance, yeah, I just lugged the water in... a gallon of fresh water and a gallon of saltwater each week. I had to do water changes on Fridays at the end of the day or people would complain about the smell.

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[menglish]

I have a 16G LED biocube on my desk. For water change, i take in a 5G bucket of salt water about every 2-3 weeks. I work in a lab, so i have access to RO water to do my top off.

[YHSublime]

I went through a phase. Here's my old Fluval Edge. I think it's a 5 gallon tank? Admittedly, not my nicest looking tank, and going through it again, I see that I right cluttered it up and had a great thing with just the anemones. 

I broke down my DT at home, and set up this office tank to quench my thirst. It was small enough that it fit on my desk, and I worked in a facility that was 24/7 handling operations, so if the heat was out, or the AC went, I was the first to know. I did 5 gallons about once a month, I didn't have a ton of evaporation, and used to bring in RO/DI in a water bottle, and manually top off about a pint every week.

My co-workers were accommodating, and actually became quite invested in it. Staff would come in and just "need a moment to relax" while they enjoyed it. When I took vacations, I had another co worker that was savy enough to feed light and top off water. 

I think I had the easiest office to ever have a tank in. That being said, typing it all out seems like it's still complicated. I would just focus on an "at home" tank. I've broken it many times, but I think a good rule of thumb is to just have one tank at a time, no sense in making problems when you don't need them!   

[John-Solo]

I am a paramedic and set up a 14gal biocube at my station. A lot of people from WAMAS donated equipment/stock for the tank and we are very grateful! We Have a clown, Wheeler goby, pistol shrimp, RBT nem, and a few corals (softies). The tank has been running for a while now. I do 5 gal water changes about once a month and keep a sponge filter with a bag of carbon in the media area. I bring the water in from home. Everyone loves the tank but knows not to touch it without my explicit instructions. Iv been lucky Iv heard some horror story of some peoples office tank experience. My recommendation is to just keep it simple. Low bio load and hardy live stock that can tolerate permitter swings if you’re late on a WC.


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[mogurnda]

I am in a biology department, and have access to RO water and an IT department willing to let me hook up an Apex controller to the LAN, so have it a lot easier than most.  Before you set it up, make sure they don't shut off environmental controls on weekends or holidays, and that they do not spray insecticides.  My office got to 99 degrees on July 4 this year (saved by the chiller), but in previous years, I learned which animals can take the heat (sea slugs) and which can't (amphipods) before I understood that facilities shut everything off during holidays.

 

 

[rt502]

Had a 20g Nuvo at my office a few year's back. Coworkers loved dropping by and checking out the fish, and with the 2 clowns and pistol shrimp/goby pair it was relatively easy to maintain (smart ato for top off, and heavy feedings before the weekend). I'd do a 5 gallon water change every few weeks and only kept hard soft corals and lps. That said, they shut the power off in the (government) building over a long weekend with no warning, and I lost everything, including the clown pair and goby I'd had for 3 years. It was pretty devastating. Even if you're familiar with your office's power situation, I'd be sure to add a backup battery. Otherwise, I'd do it again - the fish were peaceful company.

[menglish]

That sucks :(

Similar situation for me. I am at NIH and my co workers love to come by check out the tank and corals. i am not worries about the power issue as we have back up power. We have to protect "government property" so constant power to keep the cells frozen and other growing.

That works for me.