High School Classroom 150Gal - tank journal
- Thread starter jstiltne
- Start date
RE Wifi: one solution is buy a cheap wifi extender/router and have it join the 5ghz network and allow things to connect on its 2.4ghz network. I'm not sure the exact model to do it, but the biggest thing would be first vet if the school's IT department is going to freak out if you do so.
jstiltne
Supporting Member
The IT department has been about as interested in this subject as the students are in math, so I think I'll be ok lol. Trying out a dongle today that came in the mail, fingers crossed!
BAYMAC
Supporting Member
I'd also dose PNS Pro Bio. Let me contact them and see if they'll donate to a school. If not, maybe they'll give me a good discount and I can buy it for you.
PROBIO | hydrospace
www.hydrospace.store
jstiltne
Supporting Member
Update time on what has been a very active summer in my classroom:
The good:
1) I need to give a HUGE thanks to @Srt4eric for all of his help - he handed me a POND UV clarifier - who woulda thunk it! And, well, it was broken, tried to replace the bulb and am pretty sure it was a ballast issue blah blah BUT They are SO cheap compared to reef tank UV sterilizers and it cleared up my literal green muck haze in about a week!
2) Neptune apex is back online.
The bad:
I was told I need to move rooms. Into a smaller classroom. With a 150 gallon fish tank. I can hear your chuckles from here. SO, my summer project has turned into using the 50 gallon low-boy frag tank from, once again huge thanks to @Srt4eric , to downgrade into, as that tank will fit nicely in the new classroom. I have already built out the stand from 2x4's, I have a sump, and I'll be transferring over the lights (Photon v2 48) and heater to the new tank. @Cheedo was the original supplier of this tank and I'd like to thank him as well. Unfortunately I am looking at a steep climb on funding the plumbing, skimmer, overflow, for the new tank so, with permission, I'd like to offer up tank parts/ the tank itself for pennies on the dollar to attempt to recoup some of the non-funded items I'll have to be finding.
Honestly not too bummed, I have been given something to keep my hands busy this summer, being a teacher the summers can be tough if you are a workaholic like me, so I have been enjoying the rebuild and planning!
The good:
1) I need to give a HUGE thanks to @Srt4eric for all of his help - he handed me a POND UV clarifier - who woulda thunk it! And, well, it was broken, tried to replace the bulb and am pretty sure it was a ballast issue blah blah BUT They are SO cheap compared to reef tank UV sterilizers and it cleared up my literal green muck haze in about a week!
2) Neptune apex is back online.
The bad:
I was told I need to move rooms. Into a smaller classroom. With a 150 gallon fish tank. I can hear your chuckles from here. SO, my summer project has turned into using the 50 gallon low-boy frag tank from, once again huge thanks to @Srt4eric , to downgrade into, as that tank will fit nicely in the new classroom. I have already built out the stand from 2x4's, I have a sump, and I'll be transferring over the lights (Photon v2 48) and heater to the new tank. @Cheedo was the original supplier of this tank and I'd like to thank him as well. Unfortunately I am looking at a steep climb on funding the plumbing, skimmer, overflow, for the new tank so, with permission, I'd like to offer up tank parts/ the tank itself for pennies on the dollar to attempt to recoup some of the non-funded items I'll have to be finding.
Honestly not too bummed, I have been given something to keep my hands busy this summer, being a teacher the summers can be tough if you are a workaholic like me, so I have been enjoying the rebuild and planning!
jstiltne
Supporting Member
@MolaMola
Going great! I'll have to get some updated pics, but the vision is certainly coming together. My last thing I am trying to figure is some good long-term powerheads. However, the setup is currently a 50gal low-boy frag tank that is going through the new tank uglies, but snails are arriving later today! I am hoping to have the tank sps-ready by the spring. How is your setup??
Going great! I'll have to get some updated pics, but the vision is certainly coming together. My last thing I am trying to figure is some good long-term powerheads. However, the setup is currently a 50gal low-boy frag tank that is going through the new tank uglies, but snails are arriving later today! I am hoping to have the tank sps-ready by the spring. How is your setup??
Hey, fellow HS science teacher here! I keep a 75g reef in my classroom. I just completed some upgrades. I have a Jaebo powerhead you can have. I also have a nice Kenya Tree softie you can have. They are very hardy. I have some Candy Cane lps coral I’m willing to donate as well, also quite hardy. I’m in the Santa Cruz mountains area.
jstiltne
Supporting Member
Thanks for the offer! I bit the bullet and got some Jebao's about two weeks ago. Still fighting the ugly stage!
How are your phosphates? I've been using GFO to help keep phosphates under control. I have an extra media reactor you can have if you want to start using GFO.
SupraSaltyReefer
Supporting Member
Look into using lantham cloride to bring down your phosphates. It’s much easier, quicker and less expensive than gfo. I use PhosphateRX.
BAYMAC
Supporting Member
Are you at SLV?
SLV Charter, yes
MolaMola
Supporting Member
@jstiltne How's the tank managing during summer cleaning at the school? (My tanks are not in great shape but made it through cleaning during heat wave with no issues - whew!) Your new classroom worked out well for you and tank? Staying put, do you think? Any interest in a calcium reactor setup? A few years ago @xcaret and other members arranged a donation of one to my classroom from ReefCentral people. I am positive I am not going to use it and would like to pass it on to another school. Let me know what you think.
PS. Fire marshal came while I was not there and removed some posters and student projects from the walls/cabinet tops due to fire hazard. Zoom in photo to see spaghetti cords by big tank due to problems with Apex, lights, pumps - not mentioned in his report. heehee
PS. Fire marshal came while I was not there and removed some posters and student projects from the walls/cabinet tops due to fire hazard. Zoom in photo to see spaghetti cords by big tank due to problems with Apex, lights, pumps - not mentioned in his report. heehee
jstiltne
Supporting Member
Ah what a time to check in! Officially, this tank is in peril of getting shut down. I had figured out a workaround for the wifi for a time, but I have been told by IT that 2.4 gHz wifi is officially dead in all capacities at the school. This makes my Apex, Trident, and two DOS heads entirely nonfunctional! This happened a few days into summer, and it has been a heck of a time as my ATO is really prone to turning off. I have had to check on it every few days, which is...obviously nonideal for a teacher on summer break. Really at this point, fighting the wifi battle for months and taking on Biotech and Chem in the room, I just don't have the time for a nonautomated tank.
At this point, I am sick of the wifi battle and probably going to break it down and rebuild into a small AIO that can come home with me over summer breaks. With that said, I have a lab for you if you teach Chem or have an interested chem teacher! If you send your email to me, I can share a copy with you.
MolaMola
Supporting Member
Sorry to hear of your tank troubles! "Tanks in peril" sums it up. My similar issues started a few years ago and I've been dragging the tanks along as best I can, which is not great at all. I haven't had my Apex online reliably since Covid distance learning year, and during this past school year I have been unable to control it at all and haven't had the time to properly deal with it since school has been in upheaval since returning. My district doesn't allow anything except managed school computers on wifi, and keeps changing network and at this point I cannot control Apex via ethernet. Working with IT is on my to-do list. Tank overhauls is also still on my to-do list, but I have a lot going on this summer with home improvements and helping family. Not ready to throw in the towel yet, though. This past year we were understaffed and had couple new sci teachers and an open position (unheard of at my school), so for the good of the school and my dept I had to make lessons for other courses, get field trips going again, etc. I really wanted to hang it up or change schools before last year along with my colleagues but did not, and I think we are definitely over the worst of it and I am glad I hung in there. New (bad) curriculum supposed to be followed and enforced this coming year, but I intend to focus on bringing back our tanks to a good state and trying to simplify what I can. I still have a marine science elective class, too.
Bummer that most chem is being moved out of my grade level, but I am always interested in cool labs for me to use or share with colleagues. Sending you my email - thanks!
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
I’ve got a 200 gallon tank that’s about 8 years old now. When they purchased all the equipment, a Neptune apex thing was included but has never been installed. In many respects I’m very happy that it’s not! This system ain’t broken and I ain’t fixing it!
Sorry to hear or your troubles
Sorry to hear or your troubles
