SSMV Aquarium Maintenance Funds
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Mert Sekmen. I am currently a sophomore at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt, based in Nashville, Tennessee (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cso/ssmv/). At SSMV I get to further explore science in depth on an interdisciplinary level. We do experiments ranging from all fields of science: marine biology, microbiology, civil engineering, neuroscience, and many more! I am really excited to have the opportunity to have an aquarium in our classroom. Two-thirds of our world are composed of the oceans, which teem with wildlife. This saltwater aquarium allows us students in Nashville to observe and conduct studies on marine ecosystems - a piece of the world’s ocean here at home! With the ever-increasing threat of global warming, it is now more important than ever to observe these marine ecosystems. Worldwide increasing ocean acidification and temperature has caused mass coral bleaching and death to reefs. Marine organisms found in US waters are now migrating further North, where the warming waters are becoming suitable for their survival and reproduction. In these areas, the southern invaders may out-compete native species. If the negative effects of global warming on the oceans are to be counteracted, it is up to students of the next generation like us to become educated and spread awareness.
During the last few months, we have been working with our SSMV instructors to bring in and get a 90gallon tank installed. Our aquarium contains corals, fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks and algae, all living in harmony with each other. Through this aquarium, all classes of SSMV students learn about the adaptations of marine organisms, how they interact with each other, and the influence of environmental conditions on their health and behavior. My classmates and I have already helped this endeavor by researching marine life and selecting organisms that can co-exist happily.
Our aquarium is a state-of-the art learning environment using the best in aquarium supplies. Thanks in large part to the earlier fundraising campaign, all the essential hardware and marine life has been purchased and put into the tank. The students and staff are amazed and so grateful for the support received! This couldn’t be done without you. Our inhabitants include 2 Blackice Clownfish, 3 Banggai Cardinalfish, 1 Royal Gramma, 4 corals, 1 Diamond goby, 4 Firefish, and many invertebrates!
Although we have inhabitants, we still have many issues we need to overcome! Overfeeding fish may be the number one cause of poor water quality in any aquarium, and failure to keep tabs on several environmental factors can be catastrophic for aquarium organisms. Some essential aquarium maintenance tasks are given below:
Restocking food
Testing chemical composition of water
Checking and adjusting water level
Cleaning bad algae and salt deposits from the tank
Treating the animals with basic medication as needed
To ensure the overall health of the aquarium, the SSMV have brought in a local Aquarium Design, Consulting and Maintenance company in Nashville to perform monthly maintenance tasks for the first 18 months from August 2017 to February 2019 . During this time, their expert staff will fully train us students in proper aquarium care, so that we can take full ownership of the aquarium after the contract ends and train the upcoming and future SSMV students on how to properly maintain the aquarium. We are excited to work with these experts!
The cost of the 18-month contract will be $2700 ($150 per month). In addition, we would like to raise further $300 to purchase animals. We are currently seeking financial contributions to satisfy total costs of $3000.
On behalf of all the students, I cannot thank everyone enough for their continuous support throughout this process and helping us better educate ourselves to tackle these environmental problems of the future!
Every little bit goes a long way. Thanks in advance, it truly means a lot to myself and all the SSMV students!
Sincerely,
Mert Sekmen and SSMV Students
Photos:
This is what our aquarium looks like so far. A lot of progess has been made!
The aquarium sump which consists of skimmers, filters, and even a refugium to culture aquatic plants and act as a reproduction reservoir for animals.
Pictured are some of the inhabitants of our tank. The red and white are Firefish. The black and white are Banggai Cardinal Fish, and you can kind of see the tail of our Blackice Clownfish.
Our one elegantly covered Royal Gramma and next to it a fellow serpent star hanging out in the rock crevices.
Our Diamond goby sifting through sand to get food and detoxify our tank.
One of the zoanthid coral that we have. Slowly and surely it grows...
Our Blackice Clownfish couple enjoying a nice swim through the tank.
The leather coral, which has grown significantly over the last couple months and a Banggai cardinal fish looming by
Beware of the angry Royal Gramma!
The elegantly colored Radioactive Dragoneyes coral.
During the last few months, we have been working with our SSMV instructors to bring in and get a 90gallon tank installed. Our aquarium contains corals, fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks and algae, all living in harmony with each other. Through this aquarium, all classes of SSMV students learn about the adaptations of marine organisms, how they interact with each other, and the influence of environmental conditions on their health and behavior. My classmates and I have already helped this endeavor by researching marine life and selecting organisms that can co-exist happily.
Our aquarium is a state-of-the art learning environment using the best in aquarium supplies. Thanks in large part to the earlier fundraising campaign, all the essential hardware and marine life has been purchased and put into the tank. The students and staff are amazed and so grateful for the support received! This couldn’t be done without you. Our inhabitants include 2 Blackice Clownfish, 3 Banggai Cardinalfish, 1 Royal Gramma, 4 corals, 1 Diamond goby, 4 Firefish, and many invertebrates!
Although we have inhabitants, we still have many issues we need to overcome! Overfeeding fish may be the number one cause of poor water quality in any aquarium, and failure to keep tabs on several environmental factors can be catastrophic for aquarium organisms. Some essential aquarium maintenance tasks are given below:
Restocking food
Testing chemical composition of water
Checking and adjusting water level
Cleaning bad algae and salt deposits from the tank
Treating the animals with basic medication as needed
To ensure the overall health of the aquarium, the SSMV have brought in a local Aquarium Design, Consulting and Maintenance company in Nashville to perform monthly maintenance tasks for the first 18 months from August 2017 to February 2019 . During this time, their expert staff will fully train us students in proper aquarium care, so that we can take full ownership of the aquarium after the contract ends and train the upcoming and future SSMV students on how to properly maintain the aquarium. We are excited to work with these experts!
The cost of the 18-month contract will be $2700 ($150 per month). In addition, we would like to raise further $300 to purchase animals. We are currently seeking financial contributions to satisfy total costs of $3000.
On behalf of all the students, I cannot thank everyone enough for their continuous support throughout this process and helping us better educate ourselves to tackle these environmental problems of the future!
Every little bit goes a long way. Thanks in advance, it truly means a lot to myself and all the SSMV students!
Sincerely,
Mert Sekmen and SSMV Students
Photos:
This is what our aquarium looks like so far. A lot of progess has been made!
The aquarium sump which consists of skimmers, filters, and even a refugium to culture aquatic plants and act as a reproduction reservoir for animals.
Pictured are some of the inhabitants of our tank. The red and white are Firefish. The black and white are Banggai Cardinal Fish, and you can kind of see the tail of our Blackice Clownfish.
Our one elegantly covered Royal Gramma and next to it a fellow serpent star hanging out in the rock crevices.
Our Diamond goby sifting through sand to get food and detoxify our tank.
One of the zoanthid coral that we have. Slowly and surely it grows...
Our Blackice Clownfish couple enjoying a nice swim through the tank.
The leather coral, which has grown significantly over the last couple months and a Banggai cardinal fish looming by
Beware of the angry Royal Gramma!
The elegantly colored Radioactive Dragoneyes coral.
Organizer and beneficiary
Mert Sekmen
Organizer
Nashville, TN
Ilknur Sekmen
Beneficiary