I'd like to collect a couple more tanks of unusual shapes between 5 to 25 gallons for future school tanks so if you have a cube, tall tank or hex tank taking up space that you're not using or some other equipment or livestock you'd like to donate or sell, let me know please.
OK, now to answer a few frequently asked questions several people have asked me:
Am I paid to do this? (usually the first question people have asked me about) - No, the teachers and school do not pay me for these tanks. The setups are donated to the classrooms for use during the school year. Some stuff has been donated by my friends and fellow BCA members, like a heater from Victor, the vase from April, and some plants & discounted cherry shrimp, but most of the equipment, supplies, plants & fish I take from home or go buy of BCA or Craigslist.
What happens in the summer? - I'm hoping some of the teachers will be able to take the tanks home and keep them there in the summer and I'll bring them back and reset them up in the classrooms in September. If not, I'll take them home, clean them out, keep some in my tanks over the summer or trade/sell the larger fish to pay for small ones in September.
Why? - Because my kids enjoy having tanks in their classrooms and so do their classmates & teachers. Had an epiphany a while back that without our active recruitment of kids into this hobby/addiction, the number of young fishkeepers will continue to shrink each year since kids nowadays are far more interested in video games, surfing the net & social media. Unless they are exposed to living fish & wildlife in their classrooms and/or through their parents, they will grow up not caring too much about fish or fishkeeping. So, hopefully by setting up interesting, beautiful tanks in their classrooms, some of my daughters' classmates & schoolmates will become interested enough in fish to ask their parents for a tank and we will be able to recruit a new generation of fishkeepers.
What's my biggest expense? - Probably gas, cause I've burned through at least 2 full tanks of gas collecting all the equipment & livestock over the last few weeks driving to Cloverdale, Surrey, North Delta, Richmond, Vancouver, North Van, North Burnaby/Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
I think we have to be proactive about recruiting young people into enjoying our hobby. By setting up at least one tank with shrimp and nano-fish, I'm letting them know that even a small tank can still be pretty and fun to keep.
The excitement the kids exhibit when I bring in a tank or a new bag of fish is the best reward I can get. The teachers use the tanks as teaching tools as they research the different types of fish and plants living in their class tanks and learn about protecting our ecosystems and water resources. It makes it all worthwhile.
Also, if anyone here wants to start a school tank, feel free to ask and I will make time to explain what is needed and how to do it at a reasonable cost in time and money.
Peace,
Anthony