School Tank Build

[Linda C.]

Since last year I've volunteered maintaining the tanks at my local school. I obtained a 90gallon tank this past June and have been wanting to get it up and running since.

A week ago my husband and I emptied the 55 gallon FW tank and also the 75gallon SW tank. The 75 took the spot of the 55 and the 90 that I donated is in the spot of the 75. The 55 is just holding rock and sand until the 90 is up and running. Only took us 5 hours with the help of six 6 graders :)

The kids are fun and amazing to work with this year. I get to meet with the Jr. Save Club (conservation club) and we are trying to start a reef club.

These are just some photos to start with.

The school is 4 miles away from my home and next door to where I work.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture066.jpg


I left the 90 'as is' to let the kids clean it up...the 75 was moved and is now used for the Fresh Water Fish.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture055.jpg

even though this photo is blurry...just wanted to show the containers I use to bring the heated/salted ro/di water to the school with. This time I was lucky that Tom came along to help me.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture059-1.jpg

The parts to plug up the drilled holes in the tank...picked up the pvc caps today at Lowe's...only .42 cents...not sure if there was something else I could find). Not going to use a sump at this point for the saltwater tank.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture047.jpg

Caps aren't ideal but were .42 cents and all I could find so far
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture048.jpg


My husband's favorite fw fish there...A bit of a fatty
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture056.jpg


James filling the 55 as a 'holding tank' for the sand and rock.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture053.jpg




tomorrow, the bulkhead plugs are going in...tank is getting filled with fresh water and vinegar to start soaking off all that crud....hopefully the smell of 'Easter eggs'...will go away by the next morning.

I need something positive to focus on right now...so I'm really excited about getting this tank up and running :)

[Doctor_Reef]

Looks like a lot of fun!!!! Thanks for sharing!!! :fing02:

[Elsherst]

I wonder what this world would be like if we had more people like you in it Linda. Kind, very thoughtfull and careing about others and what might make them a little happier.
Very nice thing you are doing getting that setup for the school.

[Jennifer]

Linda...very nice :) I agree with Elherst...to bad that aren't more people with a heart like yours :D

I hope the project is a source of joy for you :)

Jen

[Tony A.]

Good job Linda! :hatsoff:

[Toyota Guy]

Looks good so far! Nice job with finding the plugs for the bulkheads:biggthumpup:

[Linda C.]

Went over Monday after work...Tom noticed me missing from the house and came over to join me :) The other guy is Jack...the custodian that loves the fish and calls me if there is ever anything wrong.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture073.jpg


View of the Fresh Water tank from one side of the Learning Center.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture074.jpg

Getting James familiar with the Refractometer and how to read it.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/Picture070.jpg

James testing the water :)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/IMG_6270.jpg


I just came back from the school (my day off) and showed James how to test the water. The classes changed and kids were everywhere. James was the man...he got a bunch of kids interested in a reef club.

[Toyota Guy]

Great Job, lloks good! Glad to see the kids are into it

[scotia-reefer]

Nice job Linda...and Tom! Think it's possible to get that James kid over here to test regularly?! I know I should but I hardly ever do anymore.

[Linda C.]

:arms: THANK YOU ED :hatsoff:

...for you donations of 2 pails of Reef Crystals for the School

The students of Ichabod Crane Middle School and I appreciate your generosity very much.

[Gottcha]

np Linda ... glad i can help ... always nice to see kids involved in something productive.

[Linda C.]

Went back to the school again today...James scraffed down his lunch to come help with getting stuff in the tank.

I said we needed to acclimate the fish and the coral .

when his friends stopped by James he told them "yeah, I got them ready for the temp. of the water..that kind of stuff...get them ready for their environment pretty much. AND I got to put them in the tank"

It was great letting him do the stuff. I like working with James :)

I didn't have much choice but to get some stuff moved in right away. Water will be tested almost daily to keep watch for any spikes and I have 60 gallons of salted heated RO/DI water ready for a water change when needed.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/CopyofPicture069.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/IMG_6286.jpg

[marshalrckman]

Linda-Been looking over this post for a couple of days now.I think it is great for you to help the school do something so cool!Maybe you could give some of the kids a class on the chemistry and organisms in a reef.That would be sweet!
Good looking tanks!Steven

[Linda C.]

Thank you Tony A. for the donation of the GSP, Gorgonian, the ricordia, mushrooms and the Sea Urchin. They are a nice addition to the tank. I had James acclimate everything.

I got a photo of the GSP today while at the school.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/IMG_6514.jpg

This is one of the two clowns I got while at MACNA XIX. These ORA clowns are from the Deltec booth. At the end of the day they were 'up for grabs'. I took two for the school :)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/IMG_6517.jpg



I am also thrilled to say that I was successful with my first 'sale's pitch' for the "Aquariums in the Classroom" for the school.

The first donation of $1000 will be arriving beginning of December :). It is being given from a past graduate of the school. :)





.

[Tony A.]

:hatsoff:

Glad to help out! :approve:

[Gimis66]

Great job Linda, sounds like your project is off to great start! I love hearing about kids that want to learn & help.

[Linda C.]

I've been busy the past few weeks working with the students at the middle school. My goal is to get all 5 buildings involved in having tanks...and I think I have a great opportunity for the high school now...

A couple of weekends ago I attended an event held by Manhattan Reefers at Pace University. A MR/LIRA member offered me a 175gallon bow front and a 150gallon tank to use for the school. (I'm going to the LIRA meeting on Jan. 18th to go take a peek at the set ups).

Then the next weekend I went to the Hudson Valley Reef Keepers meeting. I was mentioning how I might get the tanks but was trying to figure out the best way to get them back to Columbia County from Long Island.

Well...one of the members wives family owns a trucking company. So it appears my 'trucking issues' has a solution :)

I took some photos today of James putting in donated corals from HVRKs. The members there were great! The school got some blue pulsing xenia, mushrooms, palys, and kenya trees from the members.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/school1219_1jpg.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/school_1219.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/school_12_19.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/close5/school12192007.jpg

[Elsherst]

Looks like it's coming along nicely. And what a great opertonity you are giving the kids of that school.

[Jennifer]

Linda the tank is looking great! Maybe the next time we all get together we can give you one of the BTA's we have the green & purple one split again :D

[Tony A.]

Keep up the good work! :)

[gman0526]

Looks great Linda :D . Keep up the good work, I know it's not easy at all, but the rewards outweight the difficulties.

[Toyota Guy]

Looking great Linda. Keep up the good work