high school classroom tank

[jorjef]

+1 on the below, I don't know how many times I heard from my 17 year old "dad why don't you get some cool fish". Shock value, and the unusual is what you need to grab their attention and to get them asking questions. My feather dusters always get a gasp when the plume disappears in a blink of an eye.

Originally Posted by Seafan

Well I have a grade 11 daughter, I had my own ideas about what she enjoys about my tank so I threw them by her to see if she agreed with what I thought. Basically fish are fish to kids, sw or fw. Anytime she goes with me to lfs it's always the bizarre and out of the usual. Urchins, star fish (hitchiker as well as the usual), bristle worms, sea cucumbers and anything else that fits into the unusual category. If the fish are unusual this works too, puffers, lion fish, basically characteristics that most other fish do not have, or fish that will reproduce in captivity, clowns or cardinals, as well as symbiotic relationships. For corals, she finds most boring, until I want to start and do some fragging then she is in there like a dirty shirt with the cutters. For tank size she says a tank in the classroom might prove distracting during times when they really don't care what the teacher is saying, so placement of the tank should be considered. But should be as large as can be reasonably accomodated. Last year she was so taken with the unusuals that she had a fascination in biology class, and kept bringing things like bristle worms, bristle stars, asterinas, and amphipods out of my tank to study them under the microscope. Just our 2 cents, hope you find it useful.

[pinhead]

I can provide a perspective that others cannot. I am a high school Biology and Chemistry teacher. I have set up a number of freshwater, saltwater, terrariums and vivariums over the years. The past few years I have set up a little Biocube 8 and would not go with anything larger. It is stocked with softies, LPS and a couple of clownfish.

The main consideration for going small is maintenence. During the week there are always enough kids around that want to help out with water changes and feeding but what do you do during holidays?

The Biocube is just running PC's (non stock lighting) and has a lid so there isn't a lot of evaporation. It can make it through winter break with no maintenence and a couple of little fish can live off any fauna living in the rocks. What are you going to do with a big tank over Christmas break? In the summer, I knock the whole thing down and send it home with a kid or a teacher and set it back up in September.

Educationally, A reef tank is definitely worth it but there are some practical problems you have to consider.

[dunl]

Thanks for all the comments. Personally, I'm not planning on any large trip for the next couple of years, and I am sure I could have someone check in briefly if I need to go somewhere for a few days.

However, thinking about that, there is less room for error with a smaller tank than there is for a larger tank.

Pinhead - much appreciated to have some comments from a fellow colleague. If you have any ideas on lesson plans to go along with a saltwater setup, that would be most appreciated as well.

[intarsiabox]

I've had a 20g reef for two years. I just kept live rock,softies, lps and a couple of clowns and a goby in it. It had a HOB skimmer, Aquaclear filter, heater, 4-bulb T5 lights with a bare bottom and glass top to slow evaporation. The only thing I ever tested for was salinity and did weekly 2.5g water changes. Everything grew like weeds, the fish are all still alive and fat and I only put in less than 1/2 a week of maintenance. It was easy enough to keep care of that when I took 2 week vacations all I had to do was get a friend to top off the water and feed pre-measured portions of food and all was well when I got home. I honestly don't understand the mind set that small tanks are harder to keep, make it simple with easy to keep livestock and there will be no problem.

[dunl]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I honestly don't understand the mind set that small tanks are harder to keep, make it simple with easy to keep livestock and there will be no problem.

Please don't take my comments the wrong way. I don't believe they are harder to keep. I do however, believe that if something goes wrong, that having a larger tank with more water will allow it to spread out the emergency over more time instead of killing the tank very quickly.

[Ian]

I have a classroom system set up in my classroom that is 2 display tanks and a fuge all connected. All are 30 gallon tanks so I have the benefit from larger volume and can have different tank types. So far I have a peacock mantis in one and a pair of clowns and 1 tiny foxface in the other( I know it will outgrow this tank but then it will come home to my display here). I will not be going with anything other than easy softies and Lps and the mantis will be moving into the sump in time, it is viewable as well.

So far the kids love them and the mantis is a complete hit ....keep it simple and as easy as you can to maintain..this setup I have left for 5 days and it is fine...I am making tops for all tanks and all fish I choose will be on pellets prior to summer (mantis will come home) so the tanks will be able to be left for longer periods of time.

Have fun

[dunl]

Originally Posted by Ian

So far the kids love them and the mantis is a complete hit ....keep it simple and as easy as you can to maintain..this setup I have left for 5 days and it is fine...I am making tops for all tanks and all fish I choose will be on pellets prior to summer (mantis will come home) so the tanks will be able to be left for longer periods of time.

Have fun

Funny you mention a mantis...I was thinking of one as well. I've had a few, and they are pretty neat...figured it'd be a hit.

[bignose]

I voted mixed community. A tank that is easier to care for and works with your schedule. I'm sure younger students would be more interested in the fish than corals.

[s.tan]

I've read the comments here with interest and thought I would contribute my thoughts. I teach Biology 11 and Junior science and am currently running a 29 gallon biocube, and 2 - 14's in the classroom. I have had them running since last year and the kids find them fascinating. I actually gave quite alot of thought to what I wanted to do before I started stocking the tanks and this is what I wanted to accomplish.
1. I've had freshwater tanks in the classroom in the past and have found erasers, pencils etc in them so a) the tanks are located at the front of the class and b) the tops are covered. This also reduces evaporation.
2. Smaller multiple tanks are easier to breakdown and transport as well as for setting up different themes. The downside is I need alot of outlets for electrical and have had a 14 gallon get wiped out when the breaker tripped over a weekend and I lost filtration and heat.

The 29 is my display tank with heavy emphasis on the inverts to correspond to the Biology 11 curriculum. I've got a pair of Bangaiis (mouth brooding would be fascintating for the students if they get to that point), a mandarin (the body shape with large pectoral fins for hovering and small mouth shows adaptations), an anemone crab to show symbiosis as well as filter feeding, a tiger tail cucumber that deposits sand pellets as it feeds, and a variety of softies like pulsing xenias and LPS that I can feed to show that they are animals. The softies are also great for talking about things like palytoxin and how tropical cnidarians pack more punch than our local stuff. I take my student to the intertidal invertebrate program at the Vancouver Aquarium for the touch tank experience so they don't miss out on the touching inverts part.

The theme for one of the 14's is symbiosis between a pistol shrimp and goby (plus the action of the pistol "cracking" is a lesson in physics). I started out with what I thought was a pair of high fin black ray gobies and a Randall's pistol but the gobies had a squabble and one ended up in compartment 3 in the back and I haven't been able to get it out. I lost sight of the Randall's pistol recently so now have moved the lone goby to the 29 since the biggest complaint of students is the lack of "fish" action. Fish are more immediately noticeable than inverts, especially colourful fish and sometimes that's the hook before the students become more fascinated with the inverts. On that note, the cardinals are great since they don't hide in the rockwork as much as some other fish. Students always want "nemos" but I've had a few too many clowns that didn't get along with each other so I am now staying away from them unless I go with just a single individual. In the other 14, I had purchased a tiger pistol and will be getting a partner goby for it soon.
Haven't decided what to do with the vacant 14 at this point and may sell it to finance other acquisitions (the school does not chip in any funds). Some options may be a small angler. I've had a couple before and the fin adaptations and spiracles instead of gill flaps amaze students as well as, of course, the carnivorous predator action.
I also have a nice acrylic 29 gallon sitting empty that I 'm saving for a peacock mantis when one becomes available. I've had one before and the destructive power of its smashing apendages is awe inspiring! (Did I mention, I'm running out of outlets. The students still need some for microscope work!
Anyways, that's my 2 cents. If I get a chance, I'll post some pics.