School project aquarium running for ten years

Ten years after the start of the school project Aquaristik at the Werner-von-Siemens-Realschule in Gladbeck, we took a look - and discovered something amazing! The former biology teacher Daniel Kroll, who supervises the project at the school in the Ruhr area, has now become the principal. The former AG participant Betül Sayal is now a teacher herself - and nature-loving children and young people are still around today.

We first reported on the project in aquaristik issue 3-2011, and to mark the anniversary of "10 years of the school aquaristics project" we are visiting the students again. Dähne Verlag, manufacturer Eheim and dealer Welke had supported the project at the time. Ten students set up a Scubacube 125 measuring 50 x 50 x 50 cm and, weeks later, after the run-in phase, stocked it with water darters(Pristella maxillaris) and purple tilapia(Pelvicachromis pulcher).

Ten years ago, we reported on the start of the project.

"I knew the editor Harro Hieronimus, and that's how the collaboration came about," recalls Daniel Kroll, now "Direx." He himself has had an aquarium since he was 22 years old as a student, and today he also looks after the Recklinghausen Zoo as chairman of the Friends Association. "The school zoo attracts special people - and always nice and reliable ones," he explains with a laugh.

School zoo is a good keyword, because Gene, Jason, Luis, Melina, Ashab and Aliha not only look after fish, today there are also gerbils and agate snails in the AG. At times also walking leaves were maintained. In the meantime, aquaristics had taken a back seat in favor of the furry noses, "but now, with our three strategists Gene, Luis and Jason, I have a couple of guys who take care of fish again," says Kroll.

Dwarf carps(Heterandria formosa) are successfully propagated in the school's aquarium project.

The tank and AG have been moved and now the aquaristics are slowly ramping up again, he said. After all, the fact that the project has survived for ten years at a school with naturally constantly changing AG participants is somewhat extraordinary. Dwarf carps are currently being propagated and a 300-liter tank with Endler guppies, sucking loaches and blue catfish is located in the school bistro.

Gene Urmersbach already knows, "I'm going to be a fishkeeper."

Principal Daniel Kroll and teacher Betül Sayal have been there since the beginning.

Aliha prefers to take care of the large agate snails.

The three "fish boys": Gene (from left), Jason and Luis in front of the 300-liter tank in the school bistro.

Melina and Baker take care of the animals, sometimes even during vacation times.

Gene has been an aquarist for years and also wants to breed sticklebacks and honey gouramis with his two buddies from Class 8c. In addition, dwarf swordtails and splendid groundhogs have moved into the Werner-von-Siemens-Realschule. Gene is certain: "I want to become a fishkeeper." One hour a week during AG and during breaks, the boys take care of the tanks.

Aliha especially likes the snails and Melina the furry noses. She has been the leader of the zoo AG for three years. "We need some younger ones," she solicits participants. In addition, Baker takes care of the animals in the "Penne" - even on vacation! "Everyone is passionate about it, otherwise you don't do something like this," explains Betül Sayal.

After training and graduating from the neighboring Johannes Kessels Academy, she is now studying to be a teacher of math, chemistry and - of course - biology. During all this time, Betül Sayal has always kept in touch with the school and the zoo society, and now she even teaches in the house herself.

Let's hope that the project will continue to find enough nature-loving students for many years to come..

Text & photos: Oliver Mengedoht