Teaching Marine Biology HELP!!!:)

marinecurious · Jan 26, 2011

These are great ways to use your tank! Thanks for the ideas. I will utilize these ideas in my Marine Biology class as well as the chemistry section in my Physical Science class.

stacy22;604749 wrote: I teach Microbiology and AP Biology at a high school in Gwinnett. I have 4 tanks in my classroom, including one saltwater. I use my tanks to help teach many different aspects of biology. These would include:

1. Biogeochemical cycles (specifically the nitrogen cycle)
2. Symbiotic relationships
3. Aquatic dissolved oxygen content
4. Aquatic microscopy
5. Animal behavior
6. Taxonomy

Good luck with your endeavour! If you have questions please feel free to ask.

Welcome to the ARC!

cr500_af · Jan 26, 2011

If you have lighting that will sustain simple corals, I have a large green-polyped toadstool (about 8" across) that I will donate to you. No pests in the tank, by the way.

marinecurious · Jan 26, 2011

Hi everyone! Due to the interest and help that this wonderful forum has been providing, I am going to update information about our aquarium. Just to clarify, this is a completely informal “marine biology” class. It does not have a curriculum; students do not get a grade. The purpose is to get students involved in something that is of interest and to be able to create and inform others. Any information resources that you would like to share will be utilized. 
 
<ol>
<li>I have decreased the photoperiod to 6 hours a day to help control the HA growth. </li>
<li>Results of yesterday's water test:
<ul>
<li></li>
<li>pH- 8.2</li>
<li>ammonia- 0</li>
<li>nitrite- 0</li>
<li>nitrate- 0</li>
<li>salinity- 1.015 (?) using a hydrometer</li>
<li>I don\'t have a test for my phosphates, but I know that this is a problem.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>We are definitely going to get the refugium up and running. Planning on lighting, mangroves, and macro algae. (hopefully this will also help with our phosphate problem.)</li>
<li>Working on getting a RO unit.</li>
<li>Today my students put together a list of fish that they want. I know that we can't have our entire list due to bio-load and some compatibility issues. We also realize that we will have to wait on the introduction of some fish based on temperament. I am going to share what they came up with to get your feedback on ease of care, compatibility, size limitations, etc. Also, any information you could give on timeline for new additions would be great!!</li>
</ul>72 GAL TANK REEF TANK (I already know that a few of these are probably a bad idea, but I thought I would get your opinions.)
<ul>
<li>Yellow Tang (tank too small?)</li>
<li>Bicolor Dottyback</li>
<li>Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (pair?)</li>
<li>Blue/Green Chromis</li>
<li>Clownfish (pair)</li>
<li>Orange Stripe Prawn Goby w/ pistol shrimp</li>
<li>Spotted Cardinalfish (more than 1)</li>
<li>Pincushion Sea Urchin</li>
<li>Brittle Sea Star</li>
<li>Emerald Crab</li>
<li>Flame Angelfish</li>
<li>Pakistan Butterflyfish</li>
<li>Snowflake eel</li>
</ul>FINAL QUESTIONS …
· What is your opinion on how many fish to have in a system? We seem to find different advice in different places.
· What is your salt mix preference?
· How do you keep water for water changes? (I was considering buying a Rubbermaid tote and a siphon.)
· Do you see any glaring problems or oversights with our setup or wish list?
 
Thank you again!!!!

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

I like the snowflake eel they stay a smaller diameter so if you keep it with a yellow tang they should be fine. They are jumpers and you will have to keep tank sealed because kids and it has a potential to bite. I keep water in a brute trash can myself with wheels. If you put a pump n hose in there you can just turn it on to make changes a snap. Oh as a neat thing to learn you could teach them how fish like clownfish change sex also anthias are that same way.

KrisDeitz · Jan 26, 2011

Your salt is way low! Need to get the up about .010

stacy22 · Jan 26, 2011

The dottyback and flame angel may have aggressive tendancies. Cardinals of any kind typically fare better with less boisterous tankmates. I think the rest of your livestock list looks pretty good. Keep in mind that some butterflies and angels will pick on corals and some snowflakes may eat your crabs and snails.

cr500_af · Jan 26, 2011

I'm no eel expert, but some of the smaller fish (like the dottyback) could turn into lunch. They (as stated above) are experts at escaping; the tank would have to have a tight lid that is weighted.

I'd personally, considering the environment, avoid things that have any danger factor at all (the eel and the urchin).

If you get a brittle star, get a "banded" star (black/grey with striped legs). The green ones are carnivores and excellent hunters.

If you intend to keep any corals other than soft corals, I'd skip the butterflyfish also. Besides their propensity to eat corals, they live off of them in the wild... so they can be touchy to acclimate to eating prepared food.

stacy22 · Jan 26, 2011

Consider a pencil urchin instead of the pincushion. I am a big fan of echinoderms. They are my favorite phylum

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

Yellow tang, lawnmower blenny, 3 Bartlett anthias, 2 nemo clowns, 1 blue reef chromis, 200 blue leg crabs, a cleaner shrimp and a whole lot of coral. That would sound like a great tank wait that's my tank

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

Oh we are having an informal meeting Saturday you should come many of us could bring stuff then

KrisDeitz · Jan 26, 2011

Yeah i have a snowflake and he can eat a fish bigger then his mouth. They have to be pretty big for him not to make lunch

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

cr500_af;607310 wrote: i'm no eel expert, but some of the smaller fish (like the dottyback) could turn into lunch. They (as stated above) are experts at escaping; the tank would have to have a tight lid that is weighted.

I'd personally, considering the environment, avoid things that have any danger factor at all (the eel and the urchin).

If you get a brittle star, get a "banded" star (black/grey with striped legs). The green ones are carnivores and excellent hunters.

If you intend to keep any corals other than soft corals, i'd skip the butterflyfish also. Besides their propensity to eat corals, they live off of them in the wild... So they can be touchy to acclimate to eating prepared food.

+2

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

Amici;607383 wrote: Your advice is horrible and its quite frustrating, especially when its an educator is trying to get info for her class. Ill send you a pm to further explain.......

Then help don't hinder both y'all come together and give advice. I gave pros snowflake is a smaller eel probably the easiest of any species he mouth wouldn't get big enough to eat a yellow tang. Then I gave cons she had to think of the potential harm an eel could pose to children as it could bite. Something eels are known to do. Also a con would be they are jumpers they can escape. So she may make a well informed choice on that basis. I also then did add a short list of other fish that would go together. Please y'all we are here to help each other out let's keep it on the up n up leave n the banter for another page ok. Oh keep the spirits up y'all.

rolo65 · Jan 26, 2011

i have a pencil urchin you can have as well.....hes in my sump right now.....was actually a hitchhiker...

myvwrock · Jan 26, 2011

If you really want an eel , their are other options. A Golden dwarf moray for insistence.

firstfear · Jan 26, 2011

A green wolf eel would be a better choice then (if they are set on an eel) perhaps as they will take Krill etc. Though if it can fit it in it's mouth it's still gone...

myvwrock · Jan 26, 2011

Amici;607427 wrote: On a schools budget and with them needing to be spot fed pretty much daily I wouldnt suggest it considering spring breaks and summer break. If the principle wont foot the bill for an RODI I would day high end specimen would be an irresponsible decision.

yeah true , i was really just trying to say that their are other eels out their that could work. But yeah get the RO/DI

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

Here is a good link for you teach go to liveaquaria.com it gives details on that fish and others you mentioned. It's a really cheaper fish in the saltwater world I think it's like 20$ at best. It mentions it's only semi aggressive it will stay small in your tank usually under 2ft from my experience and it is fish safe. For fish like I mentioned a yellow tang. Any fish it can't easily fit in it's mouth it will not eat. It will eat shrimp crabs things of that nature. It will not harm corals.

raisedonnintendo · Jan 26, 2011

Also feeder shrimp can be purchased rather cheap.

Teaching Marine Biology HELP!!!:)

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