Powell River Jasper's Reef is up & running!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

So, got a call from my buddy Dean (guy I get to help me with reno projects like my pergola) up in Powell River. His daughter's classmate is dying of cancer (third bout and it's terminal according to the specialist). She told Dean he made a bucket list of things he wants to do/try first and one of the items is to have a saltwater tank. So Dean calls me up since I'm the only guy he knows who does sw. Gonna plan a trip up to Powell River in the next few weeks (probably after Felicia's birthday - June 6th but before Isabella's birthday - June 22nd). Dean's going to talk to his parents tomorrow about actually checking off this item from their son's bucket list.

So here's the tentative plan:

Go up 2nd week of June with my Fluval Flora 8g, small heater, small power head and small filter.
8 lbs of cured live rock and an ice cream bucket of dried, clean aragonite sand.
1/2 bucket of salt and spare bucket for future water changes.
Refractometer for testing salinity. (Gotta pick up a decent hydrometer to leave with them)
Have my sw friend Marie who lives in PR save me 5-6 gallons of her display tank water.
Getting my LED friend to build me a mini LED light with timers, controllers & hanging kit for the Fluval Flora (1x 10w blue & 1x 10w 10000k white).
Gonna bring him a few very hardy soft corals (Kenyan tree, waving hand anthelia, some colourful zoas & some mushrooms).
Plant a few strands of Caulerpa prolifera (nice looking, hardy macro algae) for nutrient control.
Pick up a couple small hermits and snails from LFS.
Maybe a couple of blue with yellow tail damsels.

Presto-zesto, instant reef. Just took down Felicia's nano so I'll bring most of that up to PR to set up for this kid.

Sounds like he's a great kid but has spent most of his life in and out of hospitals. Have two little ones of my own and I can't imagine what his parents are going through knowing he's now terminal. It's the world's worst tragedy for parents to outlive their child.

So if anybody has some spare hardy frags or macro-algae or hermits/snails they would like to donate to this bucket list project, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking a standard nano-reef but maybe if someone has a sunken ship ornament they would like to donate to the project, we could make bling it out for him. I will take pics of the finished tank and post it here along with pics of the boy and his family.

If anyone has any ideas they think would be cool or interesting, please post on here. Also, if you think I've forgotten something off the list above please let me know.

Sorry for the long essay. Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you have any suggestions to make this an awesome tank.

Anthony

[SanguinesDream]

Pm'ed you.

[ScubaSteve]

I have a bunch of zoas and palys to donate to the cause.

[windcoast reefs]

It's a really good thing your doing! I hope it puts a smile on the families face! I don't have much in the way of hardy frags, but if I come across any I'll send some your way!

[Wheelman76]

I could make a couple zoa frags to give to him , let me know.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Any and all donations are deeply appreciated.

Thank you all for your generous offers to help with this bucket list project.

So here's my latest brainstorm for this bucket list project.

I'm thinking that for local reefers, how about I set up a potluck bbq lunch or dinner/reefer get together before we leave (or couple nights before) and you can bring your frags/donations for the project and meet up with local reefers at the same time. I do a killer bbq & will marinate some meats to throw on the Webers.

Tentatively looking at bbqing Saturday June 8th and leaving Monday morning June 10th.

Sincerely,

Anthony

[Skimmerking]

Karma to you my friend, ethics are in deed a huge part of your life.

your mom and dad did well

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Any and all donations are deeply appreciated.

Thank you all for your generous offers to help with this bucket list project.

So here's my latest brainstorm for this bucket list project.

I'm thinking that for local reefers, how about I set up a potluck bbq lunch or dinner/reefer get together before we leave (or couple nights before) and you can bring your frags/donations for the project and meet up with local reefers at the same time. I do a killer bbq & will marinate some meats to throw on the Webers.

Tentatively looking at bbqing Saturday June 8th and leaving Monday morning June 10th.

Sincerely,

Anthony

[Myka]

What a fantastic project, kudos to you for stepping up and making this kid's dream! I think I'm too far away to help much, but if there is anything you need please send PM.

A couple thoughts (even though I know you're quite capable I can't resist lol)... Caulerpa could be a real pain in the butt in the tank, and if it gets carried away and goes sexual it could crash the kid's tank. Since maintenance might be a challenge for the family and waterchanges might not happen as often as should, make sure the lights aren't very strong. Instead of two Yellow Tail Damsels (which are personally one of my fav fish...shhh don't tell anyone) which will fight if they are same sex, maybe a Damsel and a Royal Gramma? Grammas are pretty cheap.

In fact Anthony I just thought of a way to help. I would like to donate by funding the purchase of the fish. Let me know which store you're buying from and I will work it out with that store to send payment.

[marie]

Hey Anthony in response to the voice mail you left me last night, of course you can have 5 gallons of water, my tank wouldn't even notice that missing

A little fromia starfish might be nice as well (I would pay for it). As any kid who has grown up around here knows, the ocean means crabs and starfish

[Delphinus]

Unfortunately I know their pain all too well as friends of mine's daughter, same age as my son (8) is going through something similar.

I am too far away to donate livestock but I too, like Myka, would be all too happy to donate funds of some kind if it helps.