Jabale
New Member
Yes! Our precious reef tank is at the school, but it's easy to go visit it because we live very close. My wife and I have had many tanks dating back to growing up as kids. All our tanks were small freshwater tanks when we were younger. My first saltwater tank was a 10g experiment! I kept it up and running for about three years until I got my first teaching job in Hawaii, and in 2007 we left Washington for a year. Living in Hawaii was a great experience, and we got to do a lot of snorkeling.
We moved back to Washington, and I started teaching high school physics, chemistry, math, and robotics at a very small school with about 35 kids per grade level. My wife and I bought a home and set up a 90 gallon freshwater tank. We've had kids since then and have always had freshwater tanks although we've often dreamt of adding salt to our lives! For the past five years I've taught middle school robotics, pre-engineering, and science. Getting ready for this school year, I started talking to my wife about doing something in my classroom that would get kids excited to come back once that happens in Washington. After talking about several options, we decided to dive back into the saltwater aquarium world. We searched for used tanks and found one that we felt would be a good fit for a reasonable price. It came with pretty much everything we could want.
Here's what equipment we have:
120g 4'x2'x2' tank with a stank and hood (a hood was a must because middle schoolers can be unpredictable!)
40g custom sump with built-in refugium
2x radion xr30 g2 lights
1x Ecotech Marine Vortech MP40 W
1x IceCap Powerhead (needs some tinkering still)
reefoctopus 150-int skimmer
Tunze 5017 auto top-off system
2x dosing pump (old Versa?)
LED refugium light
ReefLink wireless controller
Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite Controller
BRS Reactor (ROX carbon)
Goals:
We want to
Here's a picture of the tank and sump. I'll be improving the wiring soon!
Here's a view of the tank from the school's hallway. I hope I don't get too many kids into trouble for being tardy!
Here's a picture of the tank from across the classroom. My students access the PCs remotely for robotics, so I have them set up in a circle around me for easy management/assistance.
We moved back to Washington, and I started teaching high school physics, chemistry, math, and robotics at a very small school with about 35 kids per grade level. My wife and I bought a home and set up a 90 gallon freshwater tank. We've had kids since then and have always had freshwater tanks although we've often dreamt of adding salt to our lives! For the past five years I've taught middle school robotics, pre-engineering, and science. Getting ready for this school year, I started talking to my wife about doing something in my classroom that would get kids excited to come back once that happens in Washington. After talking about several options, we decided to dive back into the saltwater aquarium world. We searched for used tanks and found one that we felt would be a good fit for a reasonable price. It came with pretty much everything we could want.
Here's what equipment we have:
120g 4'x2'x2' tank with a stank and hood (a hood was a must because middle schoolers can be unpredictable!)
40g custom sump with built-in refugium
2x radion xr30 g2 lights
1x Ecotech Marine Vortech MP40 W
1x IceCap Powerhead (needs some tinkering still)
reefoctopus 150-int skimmer
Tunze 5017 auto top-off system
2x dosing pump (old Versa?)
LED refugium light
ReefLink wireless controller
Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite Controller
BRS Reactor (ROX carbon)
Goals:
We want to
- make the tank educational for kids. I hope to
- teach students about all things water related (production, testing, changing).
- include some good examples of symbiotic relationships.
- introduce kids to a healthy, fulfilling hobby.
- provide a calming environment for kids.
- stream the tank live.
- use robotics to make the tank interactive from a distance.
- make life a little better for our three little boys and baby girl, who at eight months already loves aquariums!
Here's a picture of the tank and sump. I'll be improving the wiring soon!
Here's a view of the tank from the school's hallway. I hope I don't get too many kids into trouble for being tardy!
Here's a picture of the tank from across the classroom. My students access the PCs remotely for robotics, so I have them set up in a circle around me for easy management/assistance.
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