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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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SPS-Anon |
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Awesome! Job well done for the enjoyment of the kids.
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Rich |
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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
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BTT the tank looks nice i really like that big fat blue acro in the back there...
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Marine Aquarist Society of Barrie (MASB) Member, which is proudly supported by Aquariums Obsessed. |
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Quote:
i resent that
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~Mike An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. There would never be an "Escalator Temporarily Out of Order" sign, only "Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the Convenience." |
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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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Josh |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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Very nice tank! The only thing I would change would be putting a background on it.
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The new and improved www.calebkruse.com is coming soon! Check out my website for info on fragging mushrooms, and the benefits of Vitamin C on soft corals! |
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very nice i like the 360 viewing. do the kids help with care and feeding.
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Dave |
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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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"Baseball is 90% mental...The other half is physical."- Yogi Berra |
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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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Avatar: Orangutan crab in lps coral mabul borneo in july 2006. Photo taken by myself 18 metres |
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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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-Matt Christian Define Irony: Algae growing on a snail. |
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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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"Baseball is 90% mental...The other half is physical."- Yogi Berra |
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If the tank wasn't too small I'd consider it.
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-Matt Christian Define Irony: Algae growing on a snail. |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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Here is the tank last May days before the tornado hit Ridgefield and killed my reef
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SPS-Anon |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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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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-Matt Christian Define Irony: Algae growing on a snail. |
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Do the students help maintain it ???????
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Dave |
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That water is gin clear! Do you use filter socks, etc?
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Greetings All !
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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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Mesocosm |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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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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SPS-Anon |
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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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Oh God!Mrs.Robinson you are trying to seduce me !!! |
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