Teacher Trying Replacing Display Tanks in School

[PistachioSkyBird]

Welcome. Fellow teacher here. Currently installing a 90 gallon reef in my school. Plan carefully and budget carefully. Also, put together a really nice letter and email CaribSea. They are usually very generous when it comes to helping school projects with substrate and rock. I’ve never done tanks that big, but they will probably help with something. If you write to VeeGee they will probably hook you up with a refractometer. The key is to ask for help with startup items as the majority of your money needs to go to upkeep. Write a company and ask for salt, and the RODI. In the past I got a PAR meter from Apogee. The companies in this industry are very generous. This is how I get all my projects going. Then the funds you have cover ongoing maintenance. Best of luck.

That is great to know! I am unsure how much I will be able to get from the grant so getting help with anything would be amazing! Its also great to hear from teachers that are setting up reef tanks at their school.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

I would not rush to start a build thread. Create documentation and take photos, build content. You can stay a few months behind the build with the thread. Helps to manage time. Definitely reach out to the local community, parents, local reef club. Make sure the school's insurance covers aquariums.

Checking on the insurance is a great idea. I imagine that there is something in our insurance policy, the tanks that will be replaced have been there for about 21 years now.

 

[SPR1968]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hello and welcome to the channel.

 

[Cell]

I was looking at getting an Apex for the tank. Are its sensors good enough to replace a liquid test kit? The grant that I am applying for is a reoccurring grant so I am hoping to be able to apply for it again to get the extra funds for equipment replacement. I will definitely be adding the QT supplies in to the budget. I already have a supply of towels for the freshwater tank that is there now. You can't really under estimate the value of a good towel!

An Apex alone does not replace test kits. There are just a handful of options for automated testing and they are fairly expensive. The Apex is primarily used to monitor and control equipment and measure a few parameters like salinity, ORP, and pH. You would need to add on a Trident to test for alkalinity, calcium, and mg.

 

[Sharkbait19]

How big would you suggest the quarantine tank should be? I know that there are some spare 20 gallon tanks some where around the school. Would they be big enough?

20 is good for most qt. You may need larger if you have exceptionally large fish, but assuming you are purchasing juveniles it will work.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

 

[Eric R.]

I teach physics, what about you?

Thanks for the websites! They have some great examples of their uses in classrooms. I might even be able to use them as some extra information in the grant!

Great! Best of luck on the grants, hope they work out. Currently biology and earth systems science, though I'd love to teach a marine bio elective.

Not as straight forward to incorporate a reef tank into your curriculum I imagine as for other subjects (bio, chem), is there interest from other teachers to use it in their curriculums? And ideas about incorporating the tank into your classes?

 

[jabberwock]

Checking on the insurance is a great idea. I imagine that there is something in our insurance policy, the tanks that will be replaced have been there for about 21 years now.

Some things require special policies. And you would be surprised what people DON'T think about...

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

Great! Best of luck on the grants, hope they work out. Currently biology and earth systems science, though I'd love to teach a marine bio elective.

Not as straight forward to incorporate a reef tank into your curriculum I imagine as for other subjects (bio, chem), is there interest from other teachers to use it in their curriculums? And ideas about incorporating the tank into your classes?

I have the whole science department on board with working it in to their lessons. I am looking at mainly talking about how the pumps and filters work on each tank. I am looking doing three different types of filtration. The freshwater tank will have something similar to an over the top sum that will have a settling area that we will use for hydroponics. The brackish tank will have a canister filter, and the reef tank will have a sump. I am planning on going in to which parts are gravity fed and how some of them are under pressure and some are not.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

An Apex alone does not replace test kits. There are just a handful of options for automated testing and they are fairly expensive. The Apex is primarily used to monitor and control equipment and measure a few parameters like salinity, ORP, and pH. You would need to add on a Trident to test for alkalinity, calcium, and mg.

Thank you! We are testing a small saltwater tank at the moment and I think the teacher who is helping me has a test kit. I will make sure that she got the one that tests for everything. Right now we just have two clownfish so things like calcium and alkalinity are not as important as they are for corals.

 

[Cell]

Thank you! We are testing a small saltwater tank at the moment and I think the teacher who is helping me has a test kit. I will make sure that she got the one that tests for everything. Right now we just have two clownfish so things like calcium and alkalinity are not as important as they are for corals.

Do some research before purchasing test kits. Some are definitely superior to others. My recommendation would be Hanna Checkers for Alk, ultra low range phosphate and high range nitrate, Salifert Calcium, and Aquaforest Mg.

 

[G Santana]

Welcome to the Reef

 

[Tamberav]

I would familiarize yourself with saltwater fish diseases and pests in general. Fish disease is common, especially in newly set up tanks. A bad case of velvet can wipe out every fish in 1-2 days. It is devastating.

 

[Nicerreefs]

Hello! I am a teacher that was placed in charge of the large display tanks at my high school. I have been desperately trying to get them back in functioning condition for the last several years. They are 3 connected freshwater tanks that add up to 600 gallons of water. These tanks are really old (I estimate that they are at least 40 years old) and the seals are starting to break down. They currently house a pacu, and some cichlids (the cichlids seem to do the best in the hard water that we have around here). I am in the process of applying for a grant to replace them, and would really love to make them in to a teaching tool. My dream plan would be to have one freshwater tank, one brackish water tank, and one reef tank. That is what has brought me to R2R. I have never had the opportunity to keep a saltwater tank but have wanted to for a long time. I have been trying to watch all of the YouTube videos I can so I can make sure that I am getting all of the right parts. I am in the application process for the grant and keep adding more and more things to the budget. There are so many thing that are different from freshwater tanks!
I have talked to my local fish store but they specialize in freshwater, and don't carry any saltwater fish or coral. However, they are being very helpful and are going to help me order everything that I need for all three tanks.

I am looking forward to reading through the forums and this great wealth of knowledge!

In case you are wondering the current plan is to put in a 300 gallon planted freshwater tank, a 175 gallon brackish tank with mangroves, and a 300 gallon reef tank. Both 300 gallon tanks will be 8 ft long.

We'd be willing to donate some corals when you're ready for it! Let us know.

 

[jabberwock]

Alright, I just had a crazy idea... Senior elective science class! Write that into your Grant request!!! I wish you and your students the best of success.

 

[Rmckoy]

Hi and welcome .
This is such a great idea .

Ive contacted the local dentist office and doctors office trying to suggest aquariums

there has been tons of research done that proves how aquariums in homes and businesses help especially those with autism or other diagnosis

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

Do some research before purchasing test kits. Some are definitely superior to others. My recommendation would be Hanna Checkers for Alk, ultra low range phosphate and high range nitrate, Salifert Calcium, and Aquaforest Mg.

Thank you! I will look in to them and add them to the budget!!!

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

I would familiarize yourself with saltwater fish diseases and pests in general. Fish disease is common, especially in newly set up tanks. A bad case of velvet can wipe out every fish in 1-2 days. It is devastating.

That is what I have seen. It is very different than freshwater! You can cure most freshwater problems by adding some aquarium salt, that doesn't work so well with water that is already salty!

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

We'd be willing to donate some corals when you're ready for it! Let us know.

Thank you so much! We are still at least a year out from needing any livestock, but I will let you know when we are ready. Thank you again!!!