What can I do to help?

[sharuq1]

I am starting a job at a long term care facility and we've been given a lot of free rein as to how to brainstorm ways to make the resident's experience nicer while they are living there. I am thinking what better way to do that then to have a pretty little fish tank to stare at during the day! Even the folks that can't communicate, the ones that are "trapped" in their bodies, I think would benefit from the relative peace and beauty of a tank to look at.

Does anyone have any advice about how I could start this project in a cost effective way? The facility cannot help with decorations unfortunately and I'm a new grad, so although I would love to take this project on myself, I fiscally cannot do it at the moment. But I could probably donate a small tank or some used items and a baby clown (hopefully).

Can you help me by brainstorming out some suggestions canreefers? What could I do to make this happen for these folks? I'd like to do a little SW nano if I can. I will do FW if I have to, but I think SW would have a greater impact because it is something people don't commonly see. Maybe you know someone getting rid of old dead tuffa? Or is overrun with gsp or something, anything. Please, any ideas at all, post em up Both myself and the future residents of the facility will appreciate your suggestions.

[JonT]

I have seen tanks that have been filled from donations. The first step is getting a tank there. Best way is to find one being sold cheap. Maybe you can convince the owner that it is going to a good cause and negotiate a cheaper price.

From there, you can make it a fish only low bio load tank. It would only need normal lighting (cheap to do) and minimal filtration. From there, it would get only as expensive as you make it.

If you can get some decent lights for the tank, and some rock in there, then you can look to put easy growing corals in (keep it simple applies here big time!). Most will over look leather corals, and mushrooms, but they can look very nice is a simple setup.

I would stay away from nano's too small, too much maintenance. The small size would make it easy to be knocked over as well (depending on the residents in the LTC your at)

Find a tank, I still have a bucket of rock sitting at my place. I was going to put it up for sale, its yours for the cost of shipping. Since the last person I was talking with here hasn't answered the messages.

Anything past a couple weeks, and I am going to have to sell it. She-who-must-be-obeyed (and isn't a huge fan of my tank either) isn't happy with the bucket of rock beside the tank!

[kevNnic]

my girlfriend does long term care and home care, and i think they residents would really enjoy looking at a nice fishtank! Definetly do a nice nano sw setup and im sure the seniors will love you for it!

[dave_C]

Very cool idea, count me in for helping. if you have a idea of what size of tank you want to go with, i can donate the tank, sump and stand for you but you would have to pick them up in calgary though

[lastlight]

You are welcome to have the stock light for my Solana. It's the strange looking disco ball. 150w and I can give you a 3 month old radium and another brand new radium. So your lighting is set for a year or more! I cannot access the rear of the tank to give you the stock ballast but I have an old magnetic that worked perfectly and that's actually what I was using.

The cord coming out the top has been cut and I'm using the swing out arm so you'd need to find a way to hang it after you do some splicing which is easy.

Free free. Just let me know.

[Wingin It]

I know we're all Salty enthusiasts, but IMO, if you're wanting to just give them a little piece of serenity, maybe doing a FW tank would be better. Cheaper for sure and the maintenance would be so much simpler. You could always do colorful Cichlids or community fish that reproduce easily and if you lose a FW fish it's usually much cheaper to replace. Sorry if I offend, but it's just my opinion.

[lastlight]

I was thinking that a bit myself too.

Most won't know much about either...and those african cichlids in some cases look as nice as many sw fish.

[Red Coral Aquariums]

Count Red Coral in:
Kevin

[gobytron]

coem on guys...
a softie tank I think looks significantly more serene with much more to look at and enjoy than even the most elaborate planted tank...

and softies are much more forgiving than a full on mixed reef or sps system.

plus, Kevins in...lol

that can only make this easier to do sw.

[sharuq1]

Oh wow! Your offers are beyond generous and I am just reeling reading your posts! I will be pm-ing everyone who would like to donate and see what arrangements I can make to pick up things and whatnot. On behalf of the residents, thank you so much.

Due to the closure of two nursing homes here in Red Deer, our facility will be receiving many admissions during the months of September and October-so I might not be able to set up the tank until after the majority of the admissions have come in due to time constraints, my own move and the upheaval that will be happening in the building. I was planning on just doing something extremely small (like 2.5-10g) with anything I had lying around, but with the things you guys have listed it could be something so much nicer and bigger as well.

With that being said, bigger also means an increase in the cost--as salt is an added cost and I am on my own with that as this is my "project" and the facility is unable to help. Do you think I should make it a salty tank, or would I be better off making a fresh tank for them? I need to keep this project cheap so the options I am considering are fresh community tank, cichlid tank or sw softie tank.

Will consider any and all ideas, so please help me brainstorm. I do hear what you're saying in regards to cost. It is a big deal so it may be more sustainable to do the freshwater tank in the long run.