Starting A Classroom Aquarium!

 

 

Oh and it's a 16 gallon tank. I actually filled out the tank info. section of my profile but for some reason it doesn't seem to show up on my profile.

 

That looks really good Lots of fun colors!

 

Tank looks good, the black skirts will look nice against all that color. I would look for another tall plant to help hide the heater on the right there a bit and then something mid level height for the back center. If you want some more tall plants go with some thinner ones in the back as well.

 

Tank looks good, fish looks good. How are you doing? Isn't fishkeeping fun?

 

Looking good

Just a tip, to get rid of the bubbles in the background, you could try use a damp sponge and wet the back of the tank, then put the background on. Use a credit card or similar to smooth over the bubbles, maintaining the one direction to push all air out the end, then tape down

 

I disagree on trying to hide the heater. It does not look bad from aesthetic point of view. Let's not forget that this is a classroom aquarium, and part of the purpose is to teach kids about aquariums. If you try to hide the heater, they would be more likely to forget to include a heater in their own tanks someday because they may remember that yours "did not have a heater."

 

Thanks for all of the great tips!!

I've been wondering if I'm feeding the fish the right amount. We've been giving them a pinch a few times a day. First, I'm not sure if our pinches our enough. Also, I'm not sure how many pinches we should be giving them each day.

Since the weekend is here, I will be feeding them at the end of the day and then they won't eat again until Monday morning. Should I give them extra food today and if so how much?

Thanks!!

 

Thanks for all of the great tips!!

I've been wondering if I'm feeding the fish the right amount. We've been giving them a pinch a few times a day. First, I'm not sure if our pinches our enough. Also, I'm not sure how many pinches we should be giving them each day.

Since the weekend is here, I will be feeding them at the end of the day and then they won't eat again until Monday morning. Should I give them extra food today and if so how much?

Thanks!!

If they are finishing up the food, and there is none left, you should be fine. Do not feed them extra for over the weekend. Fish are hearty creatures and can survive without food for several days. Adding extra food will only pollute your tank with decaying food.

 

I've heard that one rule of thumb is to feed fish no more than they consume in 3 minutes total per day, so for example you could feed them twice a day an amount that they completely finish eating in 1.5 minutes each time. Some people will say no more than five minutes per day, but I think kids have a natural inclination to over feed fish if not carefully monitored and it is healthier to underfeed than to over feed the fish. We actually just feed our fish once a day, and I set a timer for 3 minutes, and we give them a pinch and watch until they finish eating, look at the timer and if it is not done yet then give them another pinch. I read that most fishes' stomaches are only as big as an eye, and thus they cannot consume much food at once, so actually given that it may be good to spread out the pinches throughout the day, as long as the total is no more than 3 minutes worth of feeding per day. Fish are opportunistic, and will eat or look for food, even when no longer hungry, but that's not healthy for them. Also remember that leftover food decomposes and creates waste. I just remembered that you are still cycling your tank! This means that you should actually be feeding your fish even less - it is safer to underfeed fish during cycling because then the fish food will not contribute to ammonia as much and if fish eat less, they are going to poo and pee less thus resulting in less ammonia. So it is safer to underfeed fish when cycling, perhaps even not feed them every day. Fish can live much longer without food than expected, for example if one goes for vacation for less than a week, it is safer to leave fish without food than to use an automated feeder or an inexperienced neighbor (safer to underfeed than to overfeed.) when I first started I was looking for guidance on the actual amount to feed, and found the 3-minute rule to be too imprecise, but now I think it is precise enough.

 

I read that most fishes' stomaches are only as big as an eye, and thus they cannot consume much food at once, so actually given that it may be good to spread out the pinches throughout the day, as long as the total is no more than 3 minutes worth of feeding per day.

LOL Just to clarify the eye comment: It has been said that a fish's stomach is only as big as the FISH's eye. So feed that approximate amount. (just in case someone might think JoannaB meant a human eye!)

 

Thanks for all of the information on feeding. I'm glad to say after reading the above posts I don't think we're overfeeding them. We've been feeding them about 3 times a day. The first day or two I fed them and modeled for the students how much to pinch between their fingers. Since then I call on 3 students a day to come up and feed them while all the others ooohhhh and ahhhh at the little racing fish darting up to eat.

Although it is definitely a ton of work, and quite costly I'm still glad I've undertaken the project and think it will be a great learning experience for my students. I've done measurement/temperature math lessons in the past and have never had as much genuine interest in a thermometer as I've had these past few days. The kids see me sticking the thermometer in all of the time and want to know exactly where the red line needs to be and why. There are so many other skills that will arise from this project (life cycles, characteristics/needs of living things, etc.) and will be brought to life in a way that the textbook could never achieve.

Additionally, it adds a calming and peaceful charm to the room. The kids love sitting by it to read and/or work on other assignments. Hopefully, I'll start to get the hang of the nitrogen cycle and many of the other care taking procedures and things will go well.

Thanks again to everyone on this site for all of your wonderful help and support!!!!

 

glad to hear that the kids are really interested in it! Its amazing what can be accomplished with object lessons and things they can see going on. You'll get a hold of the cycle, all of a sudden things will just click for you with it.

 

That is great, thank you for the follow up. It sure sounds like a success story! I'm happy for you and your students, and I hope you continue to enjoy your aquarium in good health.

 

Additionally, it adds a calming and peaceful charm to the room. Why is it that I can't help but think that this is what you do?!

Hopefully, I'll start to get the hang of the nitrogen cycle and many of the other care taking procedures and things will go well. What part of the nitrogen cycle do you feel that you do not have the hang of? Ask any questions you may still have about it, since it is an importany concept to understand fully

My comments are in RED inside the quote

 

My comments are in RED inside the quote

Thanks for your kind words!! As far as the nitrogen cycle, I think it is because I haven't started testing yet that I don't feel I fully understand it. I used tetra safe start to begin the cycle and have read that I need to wait 10-14 days to begin testing. Today is day 6. In about another week when I begin to test, I'm sure I will have many more questions. At that time, I can also have a better idea of how complicated the testing process/nitrogen cycle will seem to me. Hopefully, I will get a good grasp on it and it won't be quite as complex as it now seems.

Thanks again for all of your help!!

 

I'm still a little worried about your having added the conditioned water the other day. I know I recommended that you avoid the temptation of testing, but I am very curious what your ammonia readings are. If I ask you to test and post your ammonia (I guess on Monday), do you think you would be able do that and not panic and do anything rash (like a water change) until getting some guidance? According to Tetra it is not uncommon for ammonia to get up to 1.0-1.5ppm before the bacteria takes hold.

But my thinking is that your ammonia should be pretty low by Monday, although I would expect to see elevated nitrites. But if you think you're the personality type that will panic, just wait it out.

 

I'm still a little worried about your having added the conditioned water the other day. I know I recommended that you avoid the temptation of testing, but I am very curious what your ammonia readings are. If I ask you to test and post your ammonia (I guess on Monday), do you think you would be able do that and not panic and do anything rash (like a water change) until getting some guidance? According to Tetra it is not uncommon for ammonia to get up to 1.0-1.5ppm before the bacteria takes hold.

But my thinking is that your ammonia should be pretty low by Monday, although I would expect to see elevated nitrites. But if you think you're the personality type that will panic, just wait it out.

She let it sit 24 hours and Tetra recommends that. Will be fine.

I'm so excited for you and the students. Hands on learning is the best way.
I remember teachers who made learning exciting from my childhood.
Enjoy it!

 

I added aqeuon water conditioner to the tap water that had been sitting for a day about 2-3 minutes before I then poured the water into the tank.

She let it sit 24 hours and Tetra recommends that. Will be fine.

The water sat for 24 hours, then 2-3 minutes before adding to the tank the water conditioner was added.

 

She's a teacher LOL. Teachers don't panic. (smile)

 

Sorry for the delay in replying. I was out of town for the weekend.

I will read the instruction for testing on the kit tonight and then test it in the next day or two. Hopefully the results will be where we want them to be.

As far as the temperature, most of what I've read has said to keep the tank at about 68-79 degrees for skirt tetras. This seems like a pretty big range. Should I aI'm for the lower or higher end of the temp. range?

Thanks

 

I'd go right in the middle temperature wise...about 74 degrees.

 

yeah I agree, I would aI'm for about 74-78 for the tank

 

I personally think you have chosen a very good fish for your tank. The Black Skirt (Black Widow) Tetra is a very hardy fish and can survive in a very wide range of water parameters. Most all that are available are captive bred which has made them very adaptable to most conditions in the aquarium. They are a very peaceful fish which makes them very suited for peaceful community tanks.

The ones that I have seem to like the temperature in the mid 70s the best. They seem to become less active if the temperature gets too low and when kept at higher temperatures they seem to get sick more. So except for when treating for ich I keep them in waters around 76 degrees.

 

Hi!! Sorry I haven't stopped in to update. It was a really busy week!!

Good news. I tested the ammonia level last week and it came out at 0....or yellow, which was the lowest level in the master kit. Tomorrow is the 14th day since adding the tetra safe so I'm going to go ahead and test the water using all of the other things in the kit.

Thanks for the information on the temperature. I probably need to reduce it another 1-2 degrees. I think it was 77-78 degrees when I left on Friday.

My water level has dropped again so I'd like to add more water. I filled a small bucket with tap water on Friday and added water conditioner to it. It has been sitting for almost 72 hours. Would it be safe to add to the tank tomorrow?

Also, I keep getting this nagging feeling I'm not feeding them enough. I give them 3 small pinches of food a day. I know it was said that they should be able to eat it in under 3 minutes, which they are definitely able to do. I also realize it is very dangerous to overfeed them. I just want to make sure I'm not starving the little guys.

Thanks again for all of the help. I'll be back on during the week to update all of you on the water levels I've tested.

 

Don't add the water! You could be putting ammonia in your tank! Prime detoxifies ammonia, but only for about 24 hours.

Test the water tomorrow for the Big Three: ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Then post the numbers here and we'll make sure things are kosher. Ideally you should have zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and some nitrates.

<smile> You're almost there.

 

Don't add the water! You could be putting ammonia in your tank! Prime detoxifies ammonia, but only for about 24 hours.

I do not believe her tap water contains ammonia. The reason for letting it sit after adding the Prime is for the same reason you need to wait 24 hours between adding Prime and then adding SafeStart, just in reverse.

From here on in, there is no need to let the conditioned water sit before adding it.

 

To check you are feeding sufficient observe the condition of your fish.

They should look well nourished.

If in doubt you can see if they are well fed by looking at them from above and seeing how thick the body is.

As you say, very important not to overfeed (and this is easy to do).

As I also have these doubts I keep in mind a scientific study I read about in which Goldfish could maintain their body weight eating only 2 flakes a day.

Although I feed more like 10 each (in two separate feedings) to ensure the weaker fish get some too, remembering this keeps me from feeding more.

 

Hi. Thanks everyone!!

Checked the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels today. The ammonia and nitrite came out at a clear 0. The nitrate came out at a golden yellow. The color on the card is yellow for 0 and 5.0 ppm for orange. Most of my coworkers have said it matches the yellow more than the orange but to me it almost looks like a combination of the two with the yellow being slightly more dominant. How should I read these results??

Also, can I go ahead and add the water. It has been sitting for over three days and the conditioner was added three days ago.

Thanks

 

Yes add the water and Congratulations! it sounds like you have cycled!

 

Yes add the water. And congratulations, it sounds like your TANK has cycled LOL.

Laura I didn't want you to add the water in the unlikely event the tank may not have cycled. Jdhef, since I wasn't sure whether her water contained ammonia, I wanted to err on the side of caution and not risk losing the cycle or adding chloramine for that matter.

Jdhef is correct that you do not need to let water sit. That was an old "rule" that allowed for dissipation of chlorine. The old rule no longer applies because many municipal water utilities use chloramine now, either instead of or in addition to chlorine.

OK, now that we've got that straightened out: CONGRATS! YOU DID IT!

 

not monthly? Just like the oil companies and 3000 mile oil changes. How often do you change?

 

I personally do weekly water changes on almost all of my tanks with the fry tanks being the only exception to that and they get water changes daily or at least every other day. I change out anywhere from 20% to 50% depending on my water test readings. The higher the nitrate reading the more water I change.

 

I should have been clearer. I will be doing weekly water changes. I was not sure how often to change the Bio Bag for the filter? I think I read in this forum not to change monthly or as often as the manufacturer says. Does the fact that I am still cycling tank make any difference.

 

I never change the filter media until it literally starts to fall apart. I just rinse it out in the used tank water during a water change. Never change the bio-media just the filter bag and only then when it is falling apart. During a cycle process you don't want to change the media or the filter bag at all, just lightly rinse it out.

 

HI everyone. Everything has been going great with my tank!! The students love it and the water cycle is still going well.

Unfortunately, the school year is almost over and I'm now faced with the daunting task of disassembling the tank so that I can transfer it and the fish home for the summer. I'm very unsure of what the best and safest way to go about this is.

I remember someone mentioning that the filter holds the bacteria the fish need. I have a 10 gallon tank with no lid, light, etc. I was thinking of setting it up and filling it with water, gravel etc. Then bringing the fish home adding them along with the filter from their current tank. I could then bring home the 16 gallon tank and transfer them back into that or just look into getting a lid for the 10 gallon one. Suggestions?????? I'm really unsure of how to do this while still keeping the fish (two tetras) alive. Thanks so much for all of your help.

 

Since your classroom tank is cycled. You can get some water from that tank home and add it to your home tank. It would decrease drastically your cycle time for your home tank (I take water from my first established tank for all my othertank and the cycle process only cost around 2 weeks, cut by half when I set up the first tank it was 4 weeks+) .

HI everyone. Everything has been going great with my tank!! The students love it and the water cycle is still going well.

Unfortunately, the school year is almost over and I'm now faced with the daunting task of disassembling the tank so that I can transfer it and the fish home for the summer. I'm very unsure of what the best and safest way to go about this is.

I remember someone mentioning that the filter holds the bacteria the fish need. I have a 10 gallon tank with no lid, light, etc. I was thinking of setting it up and filling it with water, gravel etc. Then bringing the fish home adding them along with the filter from their current tank. I could then bring home the 16 gallon tank and transfer them back into that or just look into getting a lid for the 10 gallon one. Suggestions?????? I'm really unsure of how to do this while still keeping the fish (two tetras) alive. Thanks so much for all of your help.

 

That is not how cycling works. The cycling bacteria live on surfaces, such as gravel, plants and most importantly the filter media. Transporting the water will not achieve anything.

The scenario you outlined should work well enough provided that you are careful with the filter media. BE sure to keep the media immersed in declorinated water at all times and never ever let it dry out or come into contact with untreated water, because doing so will cause the cycling bacteria to die. Be sure to have the temporary tank set up, with a heater and airstone, and please remember to declorinate the water before the filter is hooked up, otherwise you will kill your cycle.

The ten gallon tank should be a suitable home for the two tetras (provided it is heated and filtered) so you won't need to bring the 16 gal home if you don't want to. If you decide to leave the 16gal at school you should probably empty the water out first, lest it turn into a slime factory over the holidays. Some flyscreen and string should make an adequate temporary lid for it, but you will probably have to top it up more often, I believe plastic eggcrate would be better because you can place items on top of it, but I'm not sure where to get eggcrate. If everything works out, I would probably go ahead and increase the tetra school, just to make them more comfortable. You'll want give them several days to adjust and ensure the cycle has held first.

 

Great advice from LockedBox above. The only things I want to add is that if it were me, I would get a couple of 5 gallon buckets with lids and put the filter and fish along with some tank water (maybe 4 gallons so there is some room for air) in the one and at least 4 gallons of the tank water in the second. I would then take the water from the bucket without fish and put it in the empty 10 gallon tank. I would then take the fish and put them in the 10, then add the rest of the water from the bucket that the fish had been in. Then top off the tank with dechlorinated water and get the filter running and the heater set.

The reason for this is so that the fish will not need to be acclimated. The water chemisrty between school and home could be different enough to shock the fish. When I upgrade my 36 gallon tank to a 46 gallon tank this is the method I used and it was all the same tap water. But the water chemisrty does change as the tank becomes established.

But do keep an eye on your ammonia levels after the transfer. Since some bacteria does live in the gravel and on the other hard surfaces in the tank, it is possible that you would experience a short lived minI cycle (but I think it would be unlikely)

Good luck!