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  #1  
Old 12/21/2007, 07:37 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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Talking SPS in a classroom - update

This 120 gallon SPS reef has been in my classroom (middle school science) for 4 years, had its share of ups and downs, just sharing a pic from yesterday - enjoy - all comments welcome!

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  #2  
Old 12/21/2007, 07:56 PM
sjfishguy sjfishguy is offline
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Awesome! Job well done for the enjoyment of the kids.
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  #3  
Old 12/21/2007, 07:59 PM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
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do you ever get any of the students banging on the glass or dropping things in there? i know in high school my bio teacher had a fw tank in there and people would spit in it and throw bubblegum in there
  #4  
Old 12/21/2007, 08:20 PM
NanoReefWanabe NanoReefWanabe is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by nietzsche
do you ever get any of the students banging on the glass or dropping things in there? i know in high school my bio teacher had a fw tank in there and people would spit in it and throw bubblegum in there
thats because a lot of high school kids are ignorant....

BTT

the tank looks nice i really like that big fat blue acro in the back there...
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  #5  
Old 12/21/2007, 08:42 PM
mr pink floyd mr pink floyd is offline
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Quote:
thats because a lot of high school kids are ignorant....

i resent that
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  #6  
Old 12/21/2007, 08:47 PM
J. Montgomery J. Montgomery is offline
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Why does your occupation say "Ex"-science teacher?

The tank looks awesome, I wish classes had something that cool when I was in high school (or college, or grad school).
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  #7  
Old 12/21/2007, 08:49 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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Thanks for the comments.

The 7th grade students have always been amazing with the tank - they have total respect for the livestock and equipment - they notice that this is not the typical classroom aquarium - this is something very special.

J- Montgomery - I am now a Vice Principal at me school - was a science teacher for 8 years, now I supervise all math and science instruction.
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  #8  
Old 12/22/2007, 01:20 AM
Caleb Kruse Caleb Kruse is offline
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Very nice tank! The only thing I would change would be putting a background on it.
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  #9  
Old 12/22/2007, 05:57 AM
Dave VG Dave VG is offline
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very nice i like the 360 viewing. do the kids help with care and feeding.
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  #10  
Old 12/22/2007, 07:11 AM
SPStoner SPStoner is offline
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I wish my tank was that clean. Nice looking tank, pitstop! Are the students actively involved in the maintenance? Also, on a side note, how are you liking the move from teaching to administrator? My brother in law just made a similar move from high school math teacher to asst principal in charge of discipline, and the adjustment has been tough for him...
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  #11  
Old 12/22/2007, 07:46 AM
adtravels adtravels is offline
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I have tanks in my classroom partially funded by school, did you pay for the tunze, frags water and supplements or did the school, good job any way.
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  #12  
Old 12/22/2007, 01:38 PM
xian xian is offline
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Looks great, better than the one in my classroom

I've got a piecemeal system funded, by both myself, and the school. Essentially it is a 20gal nano attached to a 20gal prop tank with a common sump. 150 HQI's for lighting. Funding is limited so the system is meager.

I have the students do coral propagation as a project. We'll be starting after Christmas. They'll be growing frags of a large sinularia from my home system

I have a couple questions. Other teachers feel free to chime in. How do you deal with being away for vacations and weekends?

I have been dealing with vandalism issues this year. Mostly because I share the room and I am out of it for half of the day. Someone decided to stab the guts of a pen into an LPS. Also I find objects in the tank all the time. Unfortunately the tank is near the door and the substitutes for the other teacher have not been good about protecting the tank. My collegue has requested that the substitutes who allowed the vandalism not return to our room. Any other tips?

I should mention that I am a high school Biology and Physics teacher.
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  #13  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:28 PM
SPStoner SPStoner is offline
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How about a "Danger! Venemous Fish!" sign? You could add a Foxface so it wouldn't be a lie
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  #14  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:40 PM
xian xian is offline
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If the tank wasn't too small I'd consider it.
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  #15  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:47 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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To answer many questions:


I am very lucky to work in my school - we have the best staff and students in the world, which has made the transition into school administration easy, exciting and enjoyable.


Again, vandalism is NON-EXISTANT - the reef has been going now for close to 5 years - never an issue other than a tornado that killed power to the town for 3 days last May.


During the power outage the entire reef died - all corals and fish dead - a parent stuffed $200 into my mailbox in the school to get new fish!


The original start-up funding came from a grant I wrote and won from Toshiba American Foundation - they hooked me up with $5,000 to start the system (this explains the TUNZE's, HUGE EuroReef RC-250, Dual $00w MH Lighting, Chiller, etc.)


Vacations, weekends, summer is tough - the Superintendent - again, the Superintendent was in the lab viewing the reef 2 weeks ago, heard the story about the reed crashing due to power outage last year and bought a 5,700w generator on the spot - it was at the school assembled, tested and ready to go within 48 hours!


We also raise live trout from eggs - so we need backup power for both systems.


Getting back to vacations, etc. - water top off is taken care of using a 55 gallon rubber maid food-grade barrel with auto-top off (4-stage RO/DI with Spectrapure top-shelf resin and cartidges), food using an Eheim Feed-air (the new double barrel model for multiple food types), lights on timers, chiller and heaters using a controller - massive skimmer set for espresso rich dry skimming)


The system is good for 12 days with no eyes on it - during summer break, I come into school for maintenance.


We also have the best custodians ever who look at the system 365 days/year and call me on my cell phone if there is ever an issue.

Funding today comes from the science department budget, PTA mini-grant program, donations, and my wallet.



Vacations
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  #16  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:50 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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I just sold my Ca reactor setup - GEO 612, Pinpoint pH controller, etc. and bought a Sentry dosing pump for 2-part B-Ionic - I love the drip system - growth rates have increased dramatically.


Another...

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  #17  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:51 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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Here is the tank last May days before the tornado hit Ridgefield and killed my reef

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  #18  
Old 12/22/2007, 03:52 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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Another - you can see some of my students through the tank...

I am getting depressed seeing what I lost 6 months ago.... :-(


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  #19  
Old 12/22/2007, 04:01 PM
xian xian is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by PITSTOP
To answer many questions:

During the power outage the entire reef died - all corals and fish dead - a parent stuffed $200 into my mailbox in the school to get new fish!

We also raise live trout from eggs - so we need backup power for both systems.
We raise the trout as well, I'm going to get an RODI system installed for next year, the whole department needs it and the best RODI systems are still far less than a still.

I guess I need a bigger ATO for my system, right now I only have a 5gal reservoir it only lasts a couple days. I haul all the RODI to the school. I take trips to school on vacations but I live 45minutes from school so its a hike.

If you could get me some info on who to contact for grant money I'd love to try and track down some funding.

You think that RC might be interested in setting up a forum for teachers doing stuff in their classrooms?
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  #20  
Old 12/22/2007, 05:20 PM
Dave VG Dave VG is offline
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Do the students help maintain it ???????
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  #21  
Old 12/22/2007, 06:25 PM
JC VT JC VT is offline
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That water is gin clear! Do you use filter socks, etc?
  #22  
Old 12/22/2007, 06:40 PM
mesocosm mesocosm is offline
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Greetings All !


Quote:
Originally posted by xian
... You think that RC might be interested in setting up a forum for teachers doing stuff in their classrooms?
An interesting idea ...

For educators (K-12) who are interested in integrating aquaria into their classroom, or actual hands-on student experimentation with sexual reproduction in corals or invertebrates, help and experience can be found here:

ProjectDIBS
http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/index.php

ProjectDIBS Mission Statement
http://www.projectdibs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3



JMO ... HTH
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  #23  
Old 12/22/2007, 07:49 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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Dave VG - yes, to some extent - I have trained student to clean the protein skimmer, check salinity, temperature, calcium, alkalinity, feed the fish, clean the glass inside and out, help with water changes, help with aquascaping, etc.

The greatest value has been using the system and it's inhabitants as a teaching and learning tool - endless examples, discoveries, etc.
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  #24  
Old 12/22/2007, 07:52 PM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
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JC VT - Yes, but not now. In the pictures from last May (the ones with more corals) filter socks were used - I had a set of 8 sox - 2 sox were used at the same time, the other were washed (in the clothes washer in the Home Ec room (no dryer was used) - they air dried in the lab - I replaced the sox every 2 weeks.

This became a hassle, so I stopped using them - however, they were awesome at producing insanely clear water.
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  #25  
Old 12/22/2007, 07:57 PM
JackKerouac JackKerouac is offline
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Awesome!Very nice tank PITSTOP,I think it's a great way to interest young people to the reef inhabitants.
I wish I could have done something like that when I was a 7th degree student!
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