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DIY suggestions

Coral Reef To Classroom

Coral Reef To Classroom

Good morning. Thanks so much for the warm welcome and offers of support.

I am looking for DIY project ideas that I could use involving students in my STEM program. If you could include approximate cost and source of materials that would be helpful. Thanks again.

John
 
H

harthag12

While not exciting there are many uses for Egg Crate in this hobby, building baskets to contain media, stands for skimmers, frag racks, ect. A 4 x 2 piece of egg crate at home depot is roughly 12$ + zip ties & that would be enough for the class to build something. I created stands for use in my 65g All in one tank media section & a basket for Chaeto.

I'm sure you could do a DIY led light kit, depending on the budget. They sell kits that involve soldering the leds or if that's to much there are led kits without soldering. I don't know cost, rapidled, reefledlights.com they're looking in the $200.00+ range; I'm sure you could find a kit, maybe not aquarium level on amazon for way cheaper though to show the basics of it.

Same with T5 bulbs, you could get a retrofit cheap kit, some 1x4 wood & build a canopy with the light kit; probably looking in the $125 - $150.00 range new though from a marine depot or BRS though I'm sure you could craiglist it or forum find it cheaper.
 
Coral Reef To Classroom

Coral Reef To Classroom

I definitely plan to try LED lighting projects. It will allow me to cover many different science topics. I was thinking about using materials that do not require soldering hoping that I will be able break down and reuse the parts for multiple lessons.
 
Coral Reef To Classroom

Coral Reef To Classroom

James
Using a Raspberry Pi was suggested to me a while back by a friend of my sons but he had a hard time explaining how I might incorporate it in a lesson or project. Thanks for the suggestion and I hope to use you as a consult when I am ready to start such a project. Can you suggest helpful resources with information about Raspberry Pi I could have on hand for the students to access? Resources that are not overly technical would be best for use with my younger students.
 
Sponge

Sponge

I believe you are teaching a key component of the hobby. Every thing is a project. Everything can be built or purchased. You could...
Build the tank
Build the stand
Do the plumbing
Make lights
Make scrubbier
refugiums
Top offs
Overflows
Bulk heads
Sumps
Holders
Etc etc etc. the list is endless. Seems you have enough subject matter for a life time. Best of luck. Sounds like a wonderful program
 
njtiger24 aquariums

njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
Coral Reef To Classroom said:
James
Using a Raspberry Pi was suggested to me a while back by a friend of my sons but he had a hard time explaining how I might incorporate it in a lesson or project. Thanks for the suggestion and I hope to use you as a consult when I am ready to start such a project. Can you suggest helpful resources with information about Raspberry Pi I could have on hand for the students to access? Resources that are not overly technical would be best for use with my younger students.
Click to expand...

If you want to teach more the coding side of things then look at python as that works great on the pi. If you want to teach more the eletronic side of things and not worry about software side then check out reef-pi - An opensource reef tank controller based on Raspberry Pi. I been following these guys for awhile and its a nice system.
 
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