Waz
Community Member
Hi everyone,
I finally have been able to put together a thread for the Hall High Coral Project. I am a marine science teacher in West Hartford. I am in the process of upgrading my current system into a 300 gallon+ coral propagation system. This should be happening in the summer of 2019. Grants are currently being written, fundraisers are happening, and we are planning!
So first, I'll start by posting a full profile of the system now.
The marine science classroom at Hall High School has an aquarium system filled with corals. The system contains 4 tanks that are plumbed together. The system was officially filled with water and started on November 1st, 2016. The frag tank was built one year later.
The 90 Gallon Display Tank: This aquarium houses about 20 different species of coral and 7 fish. The tank is drilled in the back for it’s drain and return flow. It’s drain is a 1.5”, return is ¾”.
Lighting: 2 250 Hamilton Metal Halides. 2 48 inch Lumen deep blue LED strips.
Flow: 2 Neptune systems WAV pumps, both run around 50% power.
Biological Filtration: There is a 3 inch sandbed of Caribsea live sand, and about 100 pounds of live rock, the rock was all baserock at its beginning and is now teaming is coraline algae and other life.
Livestock:
Fish- 2 Black Percula Clownfish, Midas Blenny, Bristletooth Kole Tang, Timor Wrasse, Blackcap Dottyback, 2 Sapphire Damselfish
The 30 Gallon Frag Tank: This tank is filled with corals, over 40 frags. It’s a bare bottom shallow Deep Blue rimless aquarium.
Lighting: 1 Ecotech Radion, maxes at 50% light.
Flow: 1 Maxspect Gyre pump.
Livestock: The tank currently houses a small aquacultured flame angelfish and coral beauty angelfish. It also has a filefish for removing aiptasia.
The 20 Gallon Mangrove Tank: The flow in this aquarium is extremely slow, this aquarium acts as the refugium. The tank houses 22 red mangroves, they are currently approaching 30 inches in height. The mangrove roots lay in a deep sandbed of 4-5 inches of Caribsea live sand. The aquarium is filled with chaeto macroalgae, even 2 month months a majority of the algae gets tossed because it grows so fast and is likely absorbed a strong amount of nutrients. The tank lies in front of a window for natural light. However, the window gets very cold in the window so the blinds stay closed a lot of the year. The tank has a LED light above it with lower wavelength spectrum (red color mostly). The light turns on during the light so nutrients are released when they are created the most.
The 40 Gallon Sump: The sump is a 40 gallon breeder tank with 5 stages. The acrylic baffles were cut and siliconed into place. Stage 1 is where the water drains into, we have a large filter sock for the water to enter. Stage 2 contains 3 more filter socks for the water to flow through, when the filter socks are at capacity the water just flows over this stage. We did this so students can easily tell if the filter socks need to be changed. The 3rd stage contains the protein skimmer, a Bubble Magus Curve 5. A float switch connects to the skimmer’s waste container to shut the skimmer off when the waste container is flow. The 4th stage contains rock rubble, a sand bed, Apex probes (temperature, pH, Salinity (never can calibrate it well), and ORP), and a heater. Water travels through a bubble trap and into the final stage which holds a Mag Drive 12 for return to the three different tanks. A float switch is in the return stage for automatic topoff. The Apex DOS also releases Tropic Marin’s Three Part Balling liquids. The system currently receives 25 ml of calcium and 30 ml of alkalinity daily.
Feel free to follow to be updated with everything going on here. We are in the works of creating a new event for the reef and local community called "Ocean Night." On June 7th, from 6-9pm, we are playing the documentary Chasing Coral in our auditorium and running several coral reef activities from an art gallery by the students in West Hartford, Virtual Reality of coral reefs, kid activities that explore coral bleaching, and more!
Thank you!
- Waz
I finally have been able to put together a thread for the Hall High Coral Project. I am a marine science teacher in West Hartford. I am in the process of upgrading my current system into a 300 gallon+ coral propagation system. This should be happening in the summer of 2019. Grants are currently being written, fundraisers are happening, and we are planning!
So first, I'll start by posting a full profile of the system now.
The marine science classroom at Hall High School has an aquarium system filled with corals. The system contains 4 tanks that are plumbed together. The system was officially filled with water and started on November 1st, 2016. The frag tank was built one year later.
Lighting: 2 250 Hamilton Metal Halides. 2 48 inch Lumen deep blue LED strips.
Flow: 2 Neptune systems WAV pumps, both run around 50% power.
Biological Filtration: There is a 3 inch sandbed of Caribsea live sand, and about 100 pounds of live rock, the rock was all baserock at its beginning and is now teaming is coraline algae and other life.
Livestock:
Fish- 2 Black Percula Clownfish, Midas Blenny, Bristletooth Kole Tang, Timor Wrasse, Blackcap Dottyback, 2 Sapphire Damselfish
Corals- Green Frogspawn, Zoas, green trumpet coral, toadstool leather, Red Cap Montipora, Green Slimer SPS, Turbinia coral, trachyphyllia Brain Coral, Green/Purple Hammer Coral, Porties Coral, Green Finger Leather, green seriatopora, Rose Bubble-Tip Anemone, Favia Brain Coral, and more!
The 30 Gallon Frag Tank: This tank is filled with corals, over 40 frags. It’s a bare bottom shallow Deep Blue rimless aquarium.
Lighting: 1 Ecotech Radion, maxes at 50% light.
Livestock: The tank currently houses a small aquacultured flame angelfish and coral beauty angelfish. It also has a filefish for removing aiptasia.
The 20 Gallon Mangrove Tank: The flow in this aquarium is extremely slow, this aquarium acts as the refugium. The tank houses 22 red mangroves, they are currently approaching 30 inches in height. The mangrove roots lay in a deep sandbed of 4-5 inches of Caribsea live sand. The aquarium is filled with chaeto macroalgae, even 2 month months a majority of the algae gets tossed because it grows so fast and is likely absorbed a strong amount of nutrients. The tank lies in front of a window for natural light. However, the window gets very cold in the window so the blinds stay closed a lot of the year. The tank has a LED light above it with lower wavelength spectrum (red color mostly). The light turns on during the light so nutrients are released when they are created the most.
The 40 Gallon Sump: The sump is a 40 gallon breeder tank with 5 stages. The acrylic baffles were cut and siliconed into place. Stage 1 is where the water drains into, we have a large filter sock for the water to enter. Stage 2 contains 3 more filter socks for the water to flow through, when the filter socks are at capacity the water just flows over this stage. We did this so students can easily tell if the filter socks need to be changed. The 3rd stage contains the protein skimmer, a Bubble Magus Curve 5. A float switch connects to the skimmer’s waste container to shut the skimmer off when the waste container is flow. The 4th stage contains rock rubble, a sand bed, Apex probes (temperature, pH, Salinity (never can calibrate it well), and ORP), and a heater. Water travels through a bubble trap and into the final stage which holds a Mag Drive 12 for return to the three different tanks. A float switch is in the return stage for automatic topoff. The Apex DOS also releases Tropic Marin’s Three Part Balling liquids. The system currently receives 25 ml of calcium and 30 ml of alkalinity daily.
Feel free to follow to be updated with everything going on here. We are in the works of creating a new event for the reef and local community called "Ocean Night." On June 7th, from 6-9pm, we are playing the documentary Chasing Coral in our auditorium and running several coral reef activities from an art gallery by the students in West Hartford, Virtual Reality of coral reefs, kid activities that explore coral bleaching, and more!
Thank you!
- Waz
