Columbia Springs

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Aquarium Supplies

Supplies Provided by CPU:

  • One 55gal Plexiglas tank
  • One chiller unit
  • One cabinet/ tank stand
  • One air pump
  • Aquarium gravel or rocks in a neutral color
  • One bottle of stress coat or other decholrinator
  • 10 feet of narrow tubing
  • 10-20 feet of 3/4" od (outside diameter) chiller tubing
  • 4 hose clamps
  • One Rio 1700 or 2200 powerhead
  • One thermometer
  • One fish net
  • One battery operated air pump
  • One gravel-cleaning siphon
  • One AquaClear 300 filter and cartridges
  • Under gravel liner
  • One aluminum condensation trap

Supplies provided by participant:

  • Any tank decorations (plastic plants, rocks, etc).

Participants are responsible for replacing all consumable parts over the life of the tank. These include: filter cartridge steps 1, 2, and 3, tubing, Stress Coat, gravel or rocks, thermometer, and chiller hoses.

Where Can I Buy Supplies?

Supplies for your Salmon in the Classroom aquarium can be found at most aquarium supply stores such as Petsmart and Petco. You may want to call ahead to find out if a specific store has the supplies in stock. If you have trouble locating a store that carries what you are looking for, please call your Salmon in the Classroom contact for assistance.

Aquarium Maintenance

Maintenance Provided by CPU

If you're having aquarium maintenance difficulties please call the Salmon in the Classroom Coordinator at (360) 882-0936 ext. 228 or send an email.

We will come exchange or service your mechanized parts. To help us better identify your problem, please use the tank diagram to determine the name of whatever part is malfunctioning.

Mechanical failures that immediately endanger your salmon are:

Chiller failure - In case of chiller failure please contact us immediately. You can add ice to your tank as a temporary solution, but this can add chlorine so please add a small amount of stress coat. Preferably, have a capped gallon jug filled with water and frozen that you can put in your tank.

AquaClear 300 failure - Your fish will have several days before the water accumulates enough ammonia to endanger your fish. You can change out 1/3 of the tank's water to keep the tank going.

Air Bubbler failure - Call us as soon as possible. It is important that the dissolved oxygen level does not fall below a critical point. You can use your portable bubbler as a temporary solution. Also, cold water can dissolve more oxygen. If your chiller and AquaClear are working properly, your fish should be fine for several days.