Blue Mountain Middle School, Orwigsburg, PA Tank Project

[lawmary]

Recently our friends at the Blue Mountain Middle School asked CarlC and lawmary of NCPARS to help them with their salt water tank project and their two remaining fish, "Tiki" the damselfish and a lawnmower blenny.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669The_beginning.jpg

The tank had been running about a year with gravel and an underwater filter.

First, we removed the fish and they are temporarily being housed at CarlC's private sump fish motel. The tank was emptied and the gravel and underwater filter (clogged) removed. Then the students started placing rock:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Placing_rock.jpg

And CarlC worked with them to help:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Working_with_tsudents.jpg

And they had added about 5 to 6 inches of sand. They began refilling the tank:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Refilling_tank.jpg

But ran into a problem when they discovered that the stand they had bought from an LFS had a divider in it that made the refugium CarlC had brought impossible to fit under the tank. So, the school is going to find out if they can build a stand which will not only house the refugium, but provide a peaceful home for non-reef-compatible Tiki.

They also ran into a problem when the overflow box was not wide enough to accomodate the extra-wide tank lip.

The final picture after filling the tank:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Full_tank.jpg

Thanks to CarlC and Mary Miller for personal equipment donated.

Watch for further posts on the tank, as well as posts on donations needed.

Happy reefing!

 

[Tommyh]

aren't you Mary Miller?

 

[lawmary]

How did you guess?

 

[CarlC]

This is a great group of students! They are so excited to have the chance to improve on the system they had. The teacher responsible for the project is as excited as the students. The big event of the day was finding mysid shrimp swimming around. The rock Mary and I used has been in my sump for over a year so it is really loaded up with sponge and other small life.

I picked up a nice refractometer so they won't have to use a swing arm anymore. I am going to convert their current light from PC's to T5's. I think I can fit 6 bulbs in the hood. Luckily I have a couple of extra overflows and the next session at the school will be setting up the refugium once the new stand is built.

The donations we could use are a couple of Korilla pumps or modded maxi jets and a ATO.

In the future the students and teacher will be posting updates, pictures and I am sure they will have questions. Hopefully we can all help them out.

Carl

 

[Barney121]

That is one big damsel.

They look really excited about it. Too bad for the delay to upgrade the stand and so on. Is there a time frame on that, will it be ready for corals by the time of the swap? With T5s or PCs, they could certainly have some live stuff.

 

[CarlC]

The new stand for Tiki's tank and the refugium is going to be made by the the students in shop class. I have offered a 29g for Tiki so there will be more then enough room below for a 10g refugium and a 5g bucket for top off. We are going to go over a few designs in the next week or so.

I think we'll be ready for some corals by the swap. I wanted to give the tank a month to settle in before adding anything. A different student tests the water each day and they record the results in a log book.

Tiki is REALLY big! He has no problem showing off his dorsal spines when you approach the tank he is in.

Carl

 

[Sanjay]

Sounds great...

Let me know when you are ready for corals. I'll be happy to donate.

Lets keep the NCPARS education mission going strong.

I think we should have a separate area at the swap for the 3 school tanks that will be represented. This will make it easy for people to find and talk to all the school representation that will be there. Each school can may be set up a poster display too.

sanjay.


sanjay.

 

[CarlC]

I stopped into the school today to check out the tank. Now that the water has cleared it looks great! The students did a great layout with the rocks. Next time by I'll get some pictures.

Over the Easter holiday I'll be converting the lights.

Thanks to everyone who has offered to help stock the tank!!

Carl

 

[CarlC]

Quick update.

The students and teachers have just about finished the Tiki/ refugium stand. We will be setting up a date to finish adding the refugium soon.

I will be building a canopy for the main tank this weekend. The lighting we have decided to go with is 36" T5's along with a 150w halide. This weekend Mary and I will be purchasing the T5 retro kit and a good clean up crew. I'm donating the halide.

Carl

 

[Bill King]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12092495#post12092495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sanjay
Sounds great...

Let me know when you are ready for corals. I'll be happy to donate.

Lets keep the NCPARS education mission going strong.

I think we should have a separate area at the swap for the 3 school tanks that will be represented. This will make it easy for people to find and talk to all the school representation that will be there. Each school can may be set up a poster display too.

sanjay.


sanjay.

Good idea Sanjay

this would allow us to know which tank would be appropriate for
coral our particular donations.

see you at the swap
Bill

 

[lawmary]

Last week Carl made a beautiful hood for the tank. Here are some pictures installing of the hood and trying the lights, which Carl put on a timer for the school.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Carl_adjusting_hood.jpg
Close-up of hood:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Close-up_of_hood.jpg

With the lights on:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669With_light_on.jpg

The students made a colorful thank you poster for us and NCPARS:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669Thank_you_poster.jpg

And they also posted information about our organization:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/92669NCPARS_info.jpg

Today Carl will be adding the many donated corals we received at the swap this weekend. Thanks to all who donated! More pictures soon.

 

[MOX]

looks good and sounds like the kids are enjoying it also keep up the photos and update.