# Giant School Vivarium



## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

Since I created a photobucket account today I thought I would share the photos of the revamped giant terrarium that we purchased for the community college I work at from Devin Edmonds last year. When we moved it the bottom cracked so it had to be broken down and repaired and I took that as an opportunity to replant it. I decided to put in a water feature and I think it would qualify as a paludrium, although about 2/3 of the floor space is still land. I haven't decided if I'll put any critters in the water but there's about 20 gallons worth of water in it so I could. I have a 4 bulb T-5 fixture on it and a fan aimed at the front glass to keep it from fogging. For substrate I used hydroton but used aquarium gravel in the front so it's not visible.

The wide view photo shows a 120 gallon marine tank next to it to give a sense of the size of this thing.

Christina


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## S2H5287 (Sep 7, 2006)

very cool. Ironically i was thinking today about how i almost wanted to become a teacher JUST so i could build a viv. with all the kids every couple of years. Ha, it would be fun. What frogs are going in there?


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## sNApple (Mar 19, 2007)

better pics please!


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Christina,

Great to see you over here!! Nice looking tank.

Melis


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

It looks great!

Do you have a plant list for the tank ?

That thing is huge !

Thanks for sharing,


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Was it Tracy Hicks that helped a class set up a small tank per child or group? That is such a good idea.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

I think it was Steve B??? can't remember his entire name. Of course Tracy might have too.



SLEDDER23 said:


> Was it Tracy Hicks that helped a class set up a small tank per child or group? That is such a good idea.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Yeah, I can't recall either. I just remember the post, or thread, and I really enjoyed it. I always enjoyed Tracy's posts so maybe I subconsciously attributed it to him. 

It was really cool though, as is this one. We need to do more of that hands on stuff for education. I donated a terrarium to our kids school last year, maybe we'll do that again.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Let me know about animals. Could actually try to teach the entire life cycle in there.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

I still have my 3.5 year old tadpole, wonder how they would explain that one?


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## fknighton (Aug 9, 2008)

Wow! That is one huge tank! My students and I put together a 20 gallon tank for our 4th-grade classroom. We are getting a pair of azureus next week. They (and I) are very excited. It has been a wonderful learning experience so far. They have already researched and wrote a book about them, helped set up/plant the tank and started different food cultures. It really gets them excited about Science.

Frances


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Frances - where are you located?


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

looks pretty sweet!! can you post some bigger pics?


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

Superb Christina!


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

Thanks everyone, it's been a lot of fun and I'm really lucky that my school encourages me to set up aquaria and vivaria. In planting the tank (still ongoing, especially the wall) I'm trying to use plants that are "academically interesting" since we teach botany. I like that I have a living example of modified leaves, a dominant gametophyte generation etc... to show the students in vitro rather than just a specimen plopped on a lab bench.

Frogs will likely be D. tinctorius, depending on what we have floating around at home.

Here's some close-ups of the plantings and water feature:

Christina


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Very nice Christina! That thing is huge. What are the measurements on it? Is that 120g tank the one from the house?


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

It's a hexagon, about 3 feet wide by 5 feet long by 4 feet tall..... No, the aquarium at the college (120 gallons) is over twice the size of the home reef (which we broke down, actually). The aquarium in the picture is about to become a Puget Sound Marine tank, I have it at 55 degrees and so far a few local organisms that I introduced have thrived. Next to it is an integrated "touch tank" which is actually a refugium. Behind the wall is the sump for the tank with the chiller, mechanical filtration and a protein skimmer. The coolest thing about the tank is that we decided to go with an LED lighting array, which is frankly awesome and adds no heat to my cold tank.

Christina


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

melissa68 said:


> Let me know about animals. Could actually try to teach the entire life cycle in there.


I've actually thought about that, but not sure I would send frogs to someone w/o the knowledge first, or take care of them myself at the school. I would feel bad about the one and not prepared for the other.

I gave them Anoles last time. It was a blessing because I was DONE with crickets. Man I hate those things.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Looks like a very nice tank, about how big is it? Custom built I assume?


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

christina hanson said:


> It's a hexagon, about 3 feet wide by 5 feet long by 4 feet tall.....
> Christina


Looks like almost 450 gallons Kyle...


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## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

I wish my college would do something like this! I tried to offer writing a grant to have one built (for education purposes), but no one seemed interested. Shame cause I know a guy that can build one awesome tank for the school. 
That tank looks sooooo good!


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

anymore details on the construction of the tank?

like what's the background, misting, etc.


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## porkchop (Aug 29, 2005)

Nice Job Christina, look great.
Wish i could come see in person.
The possibilities of which animal you could add is trying im sure.
Do lotsa these.... They are gorgeous ! From your house !!!


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## Devin Edmonds (Mar 2, 2004)

Looking great! love the water area in front


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## skylsdale (Sep 16, 2007)

If you could get some leaves hanging over the water area, some splash tetras (_Copella sp._) would be interesting to have in there.


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

Here's some new pictures from today. I'm happy how the floor area has filled in, the wall not so much but I haven't been very diligent about adding new plants to it although I did put in some new cuttings today. No frogs in it yet because they still haven't worked out the heat issues in our remodeled building, plus my venting system isn't very well thought out (by me) and theres the possibility of escapees. 

The tank was built by Protean designs. I have the bottom filled with a false bottom made of eggcrate and 2 50L bags of hydroton. I have made a dam with wood and put aquarium gravel in the front because I don't care for the look of the hydroton. Lighting is a 6 bulb T-5. 



















Christina


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

Looking good!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

i love how the small plants at the bottom have grown in! how are the kids learning from it?


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## thetattooedone (Mar 26, 2007)

Wow! That looks great Christina! Where abouts is this Viv? I'd love to come see it. 

Brent


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

That's an interesting question, we teach botany next quarter so we can talk about epiphytes, ferns, etc.... And when I had the frogs in the old tank we could talk about adaptations and such. 

What is nice though is people come in just to pull up a chair and look at it for a spell, I think that's worth something, and it's always a stop for folks that are being given a tour of the school so it's good publicity for the college and the science department. Sitting next to it is the 120 gallon salt water tide pool tank so it's a nice display.

Christina


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

thetattooedone said:


> Wow! That looks great Christina! Where abouts is this Viv? I'd love to come see it.
> 
> Brent


Thank you Brent! We are just north of you at Edmonds Community College. I'd love to get some reef tank tips from you too.

Christina


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## thetattooedone (Mar 26, 2007)

Of course! Let me know what you need help with. Where abouts in Edmonds CC is the tank? I'll run up there sometime and check it out.


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

We are Brier Hall 2nd floor. Just knock loud when you get here, there's lots of rooms for me to hide in. Send me an e-mail when you decide to stop by just to make sure I'm here.

Christina


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## thetattooedone (Mar 26, 2007)

Great, will do.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Gorgeous! Well done Christina.


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## christina hanson (Feb 16, 2004)

Thanks Sarah!

Christina


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## yours (Nov 11, 2007)

Looks awesome! And I thought my 90 vert was big!! 

Did you ever get the tinctorius for it??

Thanks for sharing!! 


Alex


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## herper99 (Mar 21, 2008)

S2H5287 said:


> very cool. Ironically i was thinking today about how i almost wanted to become a teacher JUST so i could build a viv. with all the kids every couple of years. Ha, it would be fun. What frogs are going in there?



Every couple years?! I build a new one with the kids every semester! I Love it.

Although I cant say they look like this one. Outstanding Viv!


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