Beech Elementary Library Tank

tkimmons85

New member
As a few of you remember I showed interest in a craigslist ad about a month ago that said it was looking for some cheap saltwater fish for school library aquarium. I emailed the ad and got in touch with the librarian Ms. Ownby and got the whole story. She started the tank for the kids and had the kids raise money to buy the fish. They had bought a clown and a few other damsels, etc when the tank pretty much crashed killing the fish. The tank is 6 months old now and doing much much better. But she still needs a few things to really get it right.

We need a hang on back protien skimmer and a hang on back refugium. Now if anyone wants to donate to this tank let me know, or if you have some of the mentioned equipment for sale let me know. I have already had one person donate the entire contents of his coral only nano. Which included nice live rock and corals. We are just waiting to get the tank really stabalized before we add any of the corals.
 

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why do they have a air stone? just for looks?? Wish I was close, I would offer to drill the tank out and install an overflow, just so it would always be more stable....Do they have a decent clean up crew?
 
I'll have a dotback and rusty angle to donate when my 180 is up a running. Looks like should be done around march I hope.
 
She has an airstone because she is really new to saltwater tanks ( hence the crash) I told her that once a skimmer is in that there would be no need for air stones. She has a few crabs but I am going to give her some snails to get somewhat of a clean up crew. Supertech, zef you guys are awesome. Supertech if you brought it to the swap that would be great. Zef keep me posted on the 180.
 
I have a ton of zoas. I could frag some heads for it and bring them to the swap(i really need to get them out, they are super fast growers). they are nothing spectacular(maroonish/brownish with tan mouth). Just LMK.
 
AdrianBryce That sounds good I'll pick them up at the swap along with the skimmer from supertech. Thank you guys so much for the offers.
 
Ill pick up a dart fish on the way there, i know the kids willl love one of those, and they arent too expensive, wouldnt mind donating that if you think the tank can handle a few more fish!
 
Thats really awesome of you to offer. But that one of the two fish she already has in there after recouping from the crash. She went and bought a yellowtail damsel and a dartfish for the kids. From what I remember dartfish dont do well with another one unless they are mated. I dont know, correct me if Im wrong.
 
thats truewell, give me an idea, what else would the kids enjoy? a school of random chromis/damsels? I dont really want to get a clown fish with that damsel in there because even though they are in the same family and the clown is tough, the damsel will bully them nd make them miserable...I wouldnt mind getting a pair of clowns to go in there if you can talk her into getting rid of the one damsel...does that sound good? or, she can keep the damsel and ill get her 5 green chromis.....let me know, thanks mike
 
also, what is the size of the HOB filter? if it is just a small one it wont do, it needs to be an oversized for the tank one, i mean, if you were going to use a HOB filter....are those koralia nanos in there? i dont see any filter....is there one? If not, Id like to see it have atleast a canister, Its alot better that a hang on the back one.....Maybe Ill be able to find a cheap one used...Ill keep my eye out..
 
I will be in town next weekend for the frag swap. I could bring some mushrooms, a toadstool, maybe some zoas. Let me know if it would help.
 
I know the kids really want to have a pair of clowns and im sure she could let the damsel go to accomidate the clowns. I was even thinking of buyin a pair for them myself at the swap, but that would be great if thats what you want to do. As for filtration, she is doing weekly water changes and has about 30 lbs of good live rock and thats it. Thats why we need a Hob filter of some sort badly escpecially when we start increasing the bioload. She has ok flow, She has two koralia 1s in a 40 gallon. A filter and skimmer running would def improve that and if it needed more I can help her with that. As for more corals that would be awesome. But again I may have to hold them a little while after the swap until her tank is really ready which shouldnt be that long. The tank is already cycled after all.
 
Right now just to keep track of all the offers here is everything so far

Zef - possibly a dottyback and a rusty angel in march(depending on 180 build)
Supertech- seaclone 150 skimmer to be picked up at swap.
AdrianBryce - brownish/maroon zoas to be picked up at swap
Lora- mushrooms, toadstool, zoas, sinularia to be picked up at swap
 
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As for filtration it really needs to be some sort of Hang on back filtration. The reason being is because she really doesnt want to have any chance of water somehow getting on the floor through a canister or sump set up. This would leave two options to my knowledge. One being a HOB biowheel and two being a HOB Fuge. Now Biowheels are ok but you have to wait for the algae growth on the wheels to really start filtering. The refugium which I am kinda leaning towards would be able to filter well right away with a nice amount of cheato put in. I figure with the rock she will have soon(about 50 more pounds) which would give her around 80lbs. Plus a skimmer and HOB filter plus weekly water changes. She should be ok.

Another good sign is that she has coraline algae starting to grow on the back glass. So I would say she has recovered from the crash well and has been keeping the tank clean.
 
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