Help with School Tank

Phong33

New member
Hi all,
I am currently a high school teacher at St. Augustine Catholic High School (eastside of Tucson) and am starting up a Marine Biology class this year. I was in the hobby for about 5 years before I moved to Tucson 3 years ago. I am originally from Michigan were I had a 150g and 29g mixed reef. As much as I loved the hobby, I had to sell my tank and move to Tucson where I am now trying to instill the love into the students.

After talking to my administration last year, they were fully supportive of incorporating the new class into our curriculum this year as a single semester science elective. I believe that a marine tank will bring excitement to the class and fuel curiosity. I could go on and on about all the benefits a tank can bring to a classroom in terms of hands on learning (I also teach Biology so it can also be used in that class as well) but all of you already know this.

I was able to get a drilled 90g tank with a 29g sump donated along with a protein skimmer and return pump but that is about it. As much as I would love to dive right in a start a full blown reef tank, I decided to take it a little slower by only doing a FOWLR this year. My long term goal would be to use the 90g as a FOWLR and plumb it to a bigger sump (perhaps a 100g rubbermaid). I really believe that creating a big, fully functional sump with macro, mangroves, ect to show how nutrients cycles within an ecosystem would be extremely beneficial. Then next year, I would like to get a 50g tank and use that as a mixed reef tank and plumb it into the larger rubbermaid sump.

Anyways, that would be my goal but would need some help. I have no other equipment besides what was listed so if anyone has any spare equipment such as pumps, heaters, lights, powerheads, test kits, chemicals, or any of there hundred things that would be helpful that you can donate (or sell for cheap :)), we would greatly appreciate it. We could also use some live rock, sand, fish, clean up crew, macro, ect.

Anything you can do would be of great help.

Thank you so much!!
 
I have the following I could donate.

Plumbing
hydrometer
200 watt heater
Grounding probe
Fuge light
Misc chemicals
Mag float

maybe more.
 
I'm hoping that the tank will be full of water in the next couple weeks and could use some rocks so if some people can donate/sell 10 pounds, that would be of great help.
 
I can also donate a few things. Probably rock, maybe a few fish, etc. Ill take a look at what I have to spare when the time is right for it. PM me and we'll talk :) im glad to help for education things like these! good luck!
 
Give me a call when you are ready, I am home after 4pm on weekdays.


572-9951

Thank you! Unfortunately my wife's grandmother passed away today so I will be out of town this weekend but I will give you a call next weekend.

I can also donate a few things. Probably rock, maybe a few fish, etc. Ill take a look at what I have to spare when the time is right for it. PM me and we'll talk :) im glad to help for education things like these! good luck!

Thank you so much! I will be in contact with you once we get it filled up with some water for the rock.
 
We are finally starting to fill up our tank with water! We currently only have 30lbs of rock right now but I hope to get more by the end of the week. The students are starting to get excited about just having it filled with water.

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The tank is now finally filled with water and about 100lbs of rock!! Now we're just waiting for it to cycle. The students are already getting anxious and want to put some fish in there asap. That brings me to my next question, what would you stock a 90g tank with? The tank will remain as a FOWLR so the fishes don't have to be reef safe although I would like to keep shrimp in the tank.
 
A school of green chromis would be inexpensive, hearty and fun to watch additionally they are shrimp safe and overall very friendly community fish. I think it is great what you are doing, I wish my biology teacher would have done something along these lines.
 
No shrimp and go with a dog face puffer. One of the coolest fish and the students can take turns hand feeding it if they get good grades :p every A+ is a nice silverside.
 
A school of green chromis would be inexpensive, hearty and fun to watch additionally they are shrimp safe and overall very friendly community fish. I think it is great what you are doing, I wish my biology teacher would have done something along these lines.

I love the idea of a school because I can use that as a teaching point. How many do you think we'll need in order for them to school?

Fairy and or flasher wrasses. Clown fish.

I really like wrasses. I can't remember, are they known to be jumpers? I ask because the tank is completely open. A clown fish is definitely going in.

No shrimp and go with a dog face puffer. One of the coolest fish and the students can take turns hand feeding it if they get good grades :p every A+ is a nice silverside.

I love dog face puffers (I think its because its so ugly its cute) but I would really like shrimp because they offer so many teaching points with symbiotic relationships (cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp/goby).

How about a eel. Kids will love it.
 
If I get what I want next year which is a separate tank for a reef, a dog face puffer and an eel will be at the top of my list.
 
How big is st. Augustine? I went to seton catholic HS in chandler. Havent heard of st. Augustine, must be new. Seton was 3A, but now it's 4A.
 
We are a tiny school, only 141 students (still trying to grow) and we have been around for 10 years now. Did you go on a Kairos retreat?
 
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