Fund an Aquarium Chiller for Axolotl Class Pets

Hello! My name is Gabby, and I am a second-year high school science teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis, IN.

My goal as a scientist and educator is to get students, who may otherwise find themselves uninterested in science, to engage in the material and open their minds to the scientific world around them.

One way I like to do that is by utilizing classroom pets. I brought my own bearded dragon and leopard gecko into my classroom as pets, and, out of my own pocket, I purchased two 20 gallon long fish tanks, one of which is a standard saltwater tank and the other of which is a reef tank with corals and anemones amongst the fish. Additionally, I purchased two axolotls and their setup. Their names are Cookie and Leche, and they are VERY popular with my students!

Axolotls have grown in popularity recently, which makes it exciting for the students to get to see them in-person. But more than being "trendy," they are fantastic examples in science class! Did you know that axolotls are used in medical research because of their amazing ability to regenerate any part of their body? They are also extremely useful when discussing genetics, as they are great examples of carriers and the expression of different genes. I plan to use my axolotls as a part of a genetics project where we will breed two of them (my current two are both females, so a good breeding male would be purchased) and look at the traits that are passed down, studying the ratios just as Gregor Mendel did in his famous pea plant experiments.

Many students form great connections with the axolotls, and I've heard several tell their friends that when they are having a bad day, they like to come into my classroom and sit by their tank to calm themselves down. It's no secret that humans form beautiful bonds with animals, and the human-animal bond is a powerful classroom tool that is often underutilized due to lack of funding.

Axolotls need their water to be kept very cold at 60-64°F. Most classroom temperatures range from 68° at the coldest to over 75° in the summer months, even with air conditioning.

Because of this, I need an aquarium chiller to keep their water at a safe temperature for them. I purchased one second-hand last August, but in April it unexpectedly broke and is not able to be repaired. Unfortunately, they are very expensive pieces of equipment. I drove out of state and purchased the previous one for $450 with my own money. This time, I would like to purchase one new so that I have the warranty if anything were to go wrong.

Brand new, the chiller I need is $850, not including taxes and shipping. It is a JBJ Arctica 1/5 HP chiller. I have already spent thousands of dollars out of pocket on the habitats for my classroom pets, so any help in making this large purchase would be greatly appreciated! If there were any money leftover, it would go to maintaining the animals in my classroom (food, habitat decor and upkeep, water for water changes, etc.)

Thank you so much for supporting my classroom, its critters, and my amazing students!