STEP BY STEP PLANS FOR MAKING A COMPACT CORAL FARMING UNIT

We have designed this coral farming set to be used in classrooms. It supplies the needed room for the corals and experiments the students are doing. This type of stand only takes up 4' x 2' of floor space and it's very easy to take care of.

We will show you how to build the lights that helps make this tank very inexpensive. It will grow almost every type of coral that you would like growing your classroom.

. GEOTHERMAL AQUACULTURE RESEARCH FOUNDATION CORAL FARMING UNIT #1

This system can be used for the whole school if it's placed in the school library or science room. Several students could be in charge of taking care the tanks. When they are ready to leave they could take the responsibility to teach the younger students how to do their job.

This could also be used for home schooling to teach children about science. It can also teach the family how to run a small business and learn about economics. This unit is big enough to grow corals that would definitely pay for the hobby. There is a good chance to make extra money, and that that could teach the children the value of work.

One of the most important things that children can learn is that they can have a bigger return from any type of job if they stay in school and learn more. Children can learn to research resources such as this lesson plan. One of things that we will also teach is how to search the web for information on which type of corals are the most valuable and can be grown at home.

This picture shows the two basic pieces you need to make for the wooden stand. I made these from 3/4 inch oak. The legs are made so that the shelves fit into slots on the three cross supports. I made the legs and the shelves all the same size so that the units can be put together quickly. The shelves do not need any screws to hold them together because they lock into the legs. This unit can be put together by one person.

The picture below shows how the bottom shelf is placed in the slots on the legs. The first Plexiglas tank is placed on the bottom shelf before the next shelf is locked into the middle supports. This unit holds 1000 coral plugs when it stocked. The corals are held in plastic racks that set on the bottom of the tanks. We drill holes in the plastic racks and the corals are mounted on Aragocrete^TM reef plugs.

I made these tanks so the units can be made ahead of time. When the hatchery is ready for a new set of tanks they can be installed in a few hours. The frames are made by framing in a base of 1/4" oak plywood the size of the bottom of the aquariums.

This unit has foot print of 24" by 48". I used 2" oak as a frame around the bottom of the plywood. Use waterproof glue and woodscrews to secure the frames. I added an extra piece of 3/4" oak to the end of each shelf.

This extra piece of oak is grooved so that the groove in the legs can lock in place when I put the unit together. The weight of the water holds this shelf in place. I used several small plastic spacers between the back of the tanks and the stands legs. The finished unit is very stable.

CORAL FARMING UNIT #1

The bottom tank in this unit is 12 inches tall and the other two tanks are 9 inches tall. I made the bottom tank larger because it is the sump for the unit. I pump water from the bottom tank to the other tanks with Maxi-Jet 1000 power heads. I like these pumps because they can lift a large flow of water against a head pressure for several years.

I set up a 12" by 47" plenum in the bottom tank and I covered it with Garf Grunge^tm so that Sally Jo could put her cuttings in the unit the same week I set it up.

When this unit is finished the lower tank will have a layer of course Grunge and mixed shells. Sally jo will be able to cut up Mushrooms and other soft bodied Soft Corals, such as Green Nymphea, and drop them in the gravel. This tank will always have 6 - 40 watt lights. The other two tanks will be upgraded in stages to VHO as soon as the coralline algae have covered most of the plastic.

CORAL FARMING UNIT #1

This drawing shows how the water flows from the bottom tank to both of the other tanks. The drains from both tanks go into the bottom tank. I made a plastic box with two holes in it for the water to pour into.

The lid on this box stops almost all of the salt creep that would build up because all of the bubbles break inside of this box. Later I will add a skimmer to the bottom tank and I will draw my water from the foam inside of this return box.

THIS IS THE FINISHED CORAL FARMING UNIT READY FOR PLUMBING AND LIGHTING

CORAL FARMING UNIT #1

I have been building several different types of systems to lift the lights out of the way.

I have found out while watching Sally Jo work on this unit that it is often necessary to have all three lights up at once. She is often moving corals from one layer to the next so I am working on a method of lifting all three lights with a push button.

GARF Home Page

Orders (800)600-6163
Support (208)344-6163
E-mail leroy@garf.org

1726 Merrill St. St,

Boise, ID, 83705