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Tank at The High School

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SamK

I've been trying to get the tank going. We started a reef club in late September and now we are starting to get it going. Still a long way to go, but lots of interest.IMAG0135.jpg Then we filled it with di water and tryed to cyle the water.Before tank shot.jpgThen we got some rock going.IMAG0180.jpgWe added some fish to see if they would live (after a cycle or two)IMAG0204.jpgThen we changed the rock setup and put in some frags with help from reefers - Brian was great. And we added some fish from the Camden Aquarium - they were also a great helpIMAG0290.jpgand now it's starting to look like a reef tank. We still have a ways to go, but the Xenia propagated elsewhere in the tank, so I guess all the water testing and making sure the tank is as close to a perfect balance as possible, has been paying off. Thanks to the members who helped us and anyone who wants to give something, it would be welcomed. The kids are making sure that everything is reef friendly and we add more as we raise funds through selling donuts.

:)
 
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SamK

The tank is running on a reef keeper that the NJ reef farm helped me set up. The tank is on automatic top-off, auto lights and heating, and we are saving for a chiller for the summer. We have an auto feeder for the longer periods of time, and there is always a coach (who is also a science teacher) here for the whole summer, who said he would be happy to help out with whatever we need. If a problem would arise, he gets me on my cell. We change out about 5 gallons weekly, test daily, and everything seems to be thriving. It ran well over the Christmas break and that was 9 days.
 
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SamK

Thanks, it's all due to the help and information that I have gotten from you and others who helped me get started. It's a great activity!
 
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SamK

Great to hear from you guys. The clownfish is happy to have some friends from the Adventure Aquarium and the corals are thriving. One of the corals fell off the rock it was expoxied to, but it landed right up front at sand level. You can see it in the picture. I'm hoping the will begin to spread, but I guess it takes a couple of months before real growth is evident. Is that a reasonable amount of time?
 
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SamK

We are located in Pennington , NJ - Hopewell Valley Central High School. We have a 75 gal tank with an overflow into a 29 gal sump. There is an in-sump skimmer. The water just runs through a filtration sock, then through a bag that helps remove phosphates and nitrates, then through a phosphate reducing medium, then through a sponge filter and back out to the tank. It keeps the water very clean and clear. The reef keeper has been a great addition and so much is automated. The kids just fill the top off water and test the water for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, pH, temperature, and phosphates on a regular basis. we do a weekly changover of 5-10 gallons.
 
TanksNStuff

TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Tank is looking good Sam. Tell the kids they're doing a great job! (and so are you.)

If you aren't already using activated carbon along with the "phosphate reducing medium" you mentioned... you should use that as well. It helps keep the water clear.

Thanks for the update and pics. Wish I was closer as well. I'd gladly donate a few frags.
 
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