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View Full Version : An old experienced newbie with questions


Blueyak
11/16/2013, 10:23 AM
I have been a high school biology teacher for many years. 20 years ago and many years before that I had many tanks, both salt and freshwater in my classroom. (Up to 13 tanks at one time) I got out of the habit because students seemed to not be interested anymore and it was costing me a fortune in my own money. This year I have some students that want me to set up a reef tank. I'm trying to decide the best way to go. Years ago nano cubes did not exist and tanks were a ton of work and not self contained at all. I want to be able to keep inverts including corals etc. I don't have hardly any money to do this, I'm starting from scratch and I want to keep maintenance time down. Should I try a nano cube or build my own from scratch? Any one know where I can get a great educator discount? My school has no money. Suggestions?
Thank you for help in advance:fish1:

oscarinw
11/16/2013, 10:29 AM
Best way would be to get tank, skimmer and lights from someone upgrading or leaving the hobby. Craiglist is good for that. As far as what kind of setup, I would probably recommend a 50+ gallon setup with a sump underneath. Many of the things you could DIY but it's also easier to work on than a nano cube.

Blueyak
11/16/2013, 11:55 AM
I have looked at craigslist and have found some pretty appealing deals, some are for tanks already going. I don't know how risky it would be. Also, for every person that says not to get a nanocube I have read 2 posts by people who say they love them. Does anyone on this forum use them?
Thanks!

ajcanale
11/16/2013, 11:57 AM
Best way would be to get tank, skimmer and lights from someone upgrading or leaving the hobby. Craiglist is good for that.

+1, also consider contacting/posting to any local reef clubs.

Amatuer21
11/16/2013, 12:20 PM
I think your best bet would be the nano route. Since you will be in the classroom often you will be able to monitor things and perform maintenance as needed. To keep things simple you could have a pretty successful reef in a 30 gallon or less all in one setup. But money is always a factor and most AIO tanks are pricey depending on which manufacturer you decide to go with. Sometimes you can find bio cubes on Craig's at a considerable price. A bio cube could be a good choice.

brvheart
11/16/2013, 01:04 PM
The bigger the tank, the bigger the cost. If you're truly trying to keep costs down, the cost of live rock, sand, salt for water changes, any supplements or media, lighting, etc etc etc will all be more with a larger tank. I'm not sure about the comment from the previous poster about a large tank being "easier to work on", except for the concept of a larger tank being less sensitive to mistakes due to volume of water. I've owned very large tanks as well as very small tanks. And I haven't really found one "easier" to take care of, except for the sheer work of things like water changes, etc. And IMO, mistakes are mistakes regardless of the size of the tank.

My suggestion is shop around, as mentioned above. I wouldn't get too hung up on size right now, just start looking at pre-owned tanks and be open minded with consideration of the available space and requirements in your classroom. Look in your LFS's. They get used stuff in all the time. Check Craigslist, eBay listings close to you, and your local area club/community here on ReefCentral. When you find the right setup at the right price, just go from there. But again, I wouldn't go into it with too many concerns on sizes and restrictions other than any that are potentially imposed by your classroom space.

Mark9
11/16/2013, 03:30 PM
I have looked at craigslist and have found some pretty appealing deals, some are for tanks already going. I don't know how risky it would be. Also, for every person that says not to get a nanocube I have read 2 posts by people who say they love them. Does anyone on this forum use them?
Thanks!

I have an 8G biocube and a 2 1/2 gallon pico, plus my 29g with sump.
the small tanks are a lot of fun.

Bowels
11/16/2013, 04:21 PM
Thats awesome, if you could get some student volunteers to check params, change skimmer, fill ato and record everything, you could basically have a tank controller made of flesh and meat. Id go with a nano for sure, larger tanks can be more expensive. Def check your local swap sheets, and craigslist and if there is a local forum here on RC check it out. Make the tank a lesson and make the school pay for it haha