My high school tanks

I took some pictures today of an ongoing project - my two large High School tanks.

Tank one is in my classroom. It's a 75 gallon with endangered Ameca splendens and Zoogoneticus tequila, a bunch of donated black sailfin molly fry, and X nezahualcoyotl and helleri swordtails. All these fish, except the juvie mollies, lived this summer in a safe, sheltered outdoor pond, in a school courtyard predators couldn't get into. Well, there was a heron, but it failed.
Yeah, the spongebob stuff is popular...





A large male Ameca splendens, and a small male Zoogoneticus tequila, in front of Squidward's house.



A nice male Ameca.



My oddly shaped malawi tank, in a room used to give kids a calm place.



Some of the fish, including a Labidochromis holding eggs.



A young tequila male from the first tank.




More of the second tank, which runs on a homemade top of the tank filter.

Wow! I love the pics, the fish, and the setups! It really is a wonderful thing you are doing for the students as I'm guessing they are learning lessons much deeper than practical fish keeping! Embedding your commitment and knowledge into the learning process is truly useful for them! Love it

I like your tanks Gary. A fish tank in the calm room is a really good idea. In my son's high school they call it "The Friendship Room". A fish tank would be a great addition in there.
 
Even though I am not much of a fan of Spongebob, I also have a Squidward house. My daughter insisted on it when she had a tank in her room. Now she has a snake and Squidward's house is sitting in the shelf. I am trying to talk her teacher into getting a tank. I agree that it is a great educational tool. Then I can give the house to her.

None of my daughter's teachers ever kept fish or any pets.

Darn I was hoping for vintage photos of you keeping fish waaaaaay back when.. before I was born!

Gary, I could be wrong but, to me it looks like a male Chapalichthys pardalis (leopard goodeid). I keep both species.

Where there already cameras back then?! LOL

Hi Gary
Great looking tanks and these young adults have the benefit and privilege of seeing a rare species and some hard to keep fish. I admire the creativity in bringing living creatures into the learning environment; all life is precious and the introduction of fish develops respect and stewardship as values. Fish take time and patience which is a great lesson, taught by a wise and thoughtful mentor, in a society to seeks instant gratitude. Bravo my friend !

The pictures of the fish in the tank my teacher had when I went to school were painted on the cavern wall using a variety of plant based finger paints. We were better at antelopes in those days, but the guppies came out pretty well too.

Sailfinja - I think I may have grabbed a thumbnail photo of the wrong fish there - I used to have pardalis too. I'm going to nervously take a look at the tank in case one somehow got in, but I think I'm okay.

I love that you keep fish in your classroom. I learnt so much from watching fish (both in tanks and starying over the edge of my Grandparent's dock watching perch, rock bass and punkinseeds).

What age are the students you teach?

GaryE wrote:The pictures of the fish in the tank my teacher had when I went to school were painted on the cavern wall using a variety of plant based finger paints. We were better at antelopes in those days, but the guppies came out pretty well too.  

Yep - those were the days...I remember etching our drawings into the rock and then using berries to add colour...good times...good times... 

what a wonderful idea!!!!
I have a friend who just mentioned last evening that one of the Sunday school teachers in her church would love to have a tank in the classroom! Great idea!!!!

ps...re my comment a tank in a sunday school classroom...this is a large city church with frequent visitors and staff in attendance on a daily basis...just in case someone thought fish would be left unattanded and tended to only on Sunday's....

Shell wrote:

GaryE wrote:The pictures of the fish in the tank my teacher had when I went to school were painted on the cavern wall using a variety of plant based finger paints. We were better at antelopes in those days, but the guppies came out pretty well too.  

Yep - those were the days...I remember etching our drawings into the rock and then using berries to add colour...good times...good times... 

  Had to think about it at first.

goldfishbetalover wrote:what a wonderful idea!!!!  
I have a friend who just mentioned last evening that one of the Sunday school teachers in her church would love to have a tank in the classroom! Great idea!!!!

And you can give her a little advice if she decides to do so, you've done well with your babies so far, you are a good, caring fishy mamma


We have a betta at our office that was adopted by the manager; his name is Blue, and he is in a 2g. He has been there for about 3 months or so, and is doing great, but I've been thinking about investing in a new, bigger tank for him with a filter - just as in the high school, there are opportunitis to learn at my office: lots of clients, children, teens, and adults, who stop and take notice of Blue....and they often ask several questions...

If you are going with a tank in an institution, go with the largest possible, and stock lightly with hardy fish. Avoid goldfish and common plecos like the plague, as they are high maintenance. Keep it simple, and have fish that don't need a lot of heat. There will be no one home if there is a blackout in the winter.

Put one person in charge, and have him/her choose every fish that goes into the tank. Many a well meant school tank has ended in carnage after the old "I have a fish that needs a home..."

thank you for the wonderful advice!!!! I will be chatting with my girlfriend likely over the wknd and will relay this to her!!! (so true if the young people were involved in selection heavens knows what they would end up with...and likely very likely a tank that is too small and overstocked!)...

Nice pic's Gary, thanks for sharing.

Never had that in any of my classes growing up, but then that was before glass was invented.  

Steve

There was a steel rim ten gallon in a corner of one of the biology classrooms. Lots of algae and those glorgious little wild guppies that were so common then.

Your school tanks are amazing, Gary. Pretty interesting inhabitants.

What do you teach, Gary?

cephalotus wrote:What do you teach, Gary?

'Life', I think:-)

English, actually. Don't judge me by my typing....