Purple loosestrife

Scientific Name: Lythrum salicaria
Common Name: Marsh Monster
Description: The purple loosestrife has attractive purple flowers that come off from a green stem. They can grow to be fairly tall as well as a bright purple.
Reproduction: The Purple Loosestrife can produce two to three million seeds while budding.
Problems Caused: Purple Loosestrife is an invasive plant in wetlands. It's had become an issue in all states but Florida. They can double in an areas almost over night so pulling by hand to get rid of Purple Loosestrife is not an option.
Prevention: More than a dozen biological controls have been studied and released onto these plants. It is imperative for researchers to find even more forms of pesticides to kill these invasive weeds.

Salvinia

Scientific Name: Salvinia molesta
Common Name: Giant Salvinia
Description: small free floating plants that grow in groups and form thick mats over the top of the water. They can also double in size in in four to ten days under good circumstances.
Reproduction: Giant Salvinia reproduce by fragments that fall off. As well as budding from the plant.
Problems Caused: Giant Salvinia reduces oxygen exchange and negatively effects water quality and ecosystem habitat.
Prevention: In order to prevent Salvinia from entering the ecosystem it is advised to never put aquarium plants into the lakes or wetlands.

Water Lettuce

Scientific Name: Pistia stratiotes
Common Name: Water Lettuce
Description: Water Lettuce looks exactly what it sounds like. A open head of lettuce found within the water. Although it's leaves are much wider and longer they are easy to spot. They are also free floating plants.
Reproduction: Water Lettuce reproduces through daughter plants.
Problems Caused: Water Lettuce form large mats on top of the surface preventing oxygen and sunlight to the rest of the body of water.
Prevention: In order to prevent Water Lettuce there are pesticides that can be harmful to the person spraying. In which case it is important for the person to remember to wear all appropriate safety gear when destroying water lettuce. Although it may not be as quick as some of the other weeds it is just as destructive to the environment.

Water Hyacinth

Scientific Name: Eichornia crassipes
Common Name: Water Hyacinth or "The World's Worst Weed"
Description: Beautiful purple flowers with green petals and shoot. This was originally brought from South America because of their delicate and pretty color.
Reproduction: The Water Hyacinth can produce two to three thousand seeds as well as reproduction through daughter plants. It is one of the fastest growing plants known.
Problems Caused: The Water Hyacinth takes up nutrients from the water and in turn produces H-ions that acidify it killing the life. The dense mats it forms on top of the water lowers the levels of oxygen as well as blocks navigation in the water.
Prevention: In order to prevent Water Hyacinth many scientists have discovered that you can spray pesticides that will kill the weed. However it is quick to grow causing the damage and the fixing of bodies of water to play a nonstop game of cat and mouse.

Eurasian WaterMilfoil

Scientific Name: Myriophyllum spicatum
Common Name: Eurasian Watermilfoil
Description: When the water milfoil is growing stems are red. However it is mostly found green and is a submergent plant.
Reproduction: The Watermilfoil is spread by seeds as well as fragments breaking off. It has also been spread by birds that have carried it across America.
Problems Caused: The Watermilfoil shades the needed sunlight from the water causing suffocation and death to the plants and animals. It also impedes navigation in the water.
Prevention: In order to prevent Watermilfoil from spreading there are fish that specifically eat plant life. Unfortunately this is risky and the only fish that can be introduced to the weeds must be sterol so that their population can not multiply and destroy the ecosystem.

Hydrilla

Scientific Name: Hydrilla verticuillata
Common Name: Hydrilla
Description: Grows from bottom of ocean to the top. Long green shoots that extend upward with petals around it.
Reproduction: Through Tubers, Turions, stolons and fragments. They do not have seeds. However they can grow more than an inch a day and because they are so fast growing it is extremely hard to control.
Problems Caused: Hydrilla also shades out desired sunlight and impedes navigation in the water for vegetation.
Prevention: In order to prevent the spread of Hydrilla boat owners must sufficiently clean off all parts of the boat before taking it anywhere else. For instance Hydrilla could get caught on a propeller, in which case it is imperative the owner hose off their boats then burn the Hydrilla or at least throw it into the garbage.

Alligator Weed

Scientific Name: Alternanthera philaxeroides
Common Name: Alligator Weed
Description: White flowers in center with green leaves stretching out of different sides that are pointed.
Reproduction: Alligator Weed can spread through seeds as well as plant fragments being dropped.
Problems Caused: The problems caused by Alligator Weed is extremely aggressive. They form mats along the surface of the water. They always get in the way of water navigation and can bring harm to the vegetation if not treated. By not allowing sun to enter the water Alligator Weed is causing plant death.
Prevention: The best way to prevent Alligator Weed is by spraying the area of the weed with herbicides or taking large machines and digging up the weed life trying to end it's spread.

Algae Lab

For this lab my partner and I took different samples of pond water and looked at them under a microscope to identify them. We found many different types of algae such as navicula which are often shaped like diatoms and are yellow brown. Also mixed diatoms, which are small different shaped cells. And oscillatoria which is the second most tolerant of organic pollution. These were all very interesting finds to my partner and I because we never knew how easy it was to obtain the algae we had learned about. This lesson really made me not want to ever get in a lake or pond again. However these algae may be small but they are fast to grow in large amounts and are often found grouped together.

Aquarium blog

I did not attend the aquarium field trip.

Algae

The Golden Algae!
The Golden Algae has been a very interesting algae for me to learn about. This algae is the size of a human blood cell, one drop of water can contain over 2,000 golden algae. The adaptations of the golden algae include two tails so that it can swim faster and move around better. They are a growing 'breed' of algae. As another adaptation Golden Algae release toxins into the water. These toxins negatively effect gill breathing aquatic life such as fish and clams. It has a very high resistance to the different ecosystems which makes it even faster growing. Whenever these toxins are released into the water and reach the fish they will begin to bleed internally. Eventually this leads to death. An interesting fact about the Golden Algae is that most often a bloom of Golden Algae is also considered a 'fish kill', because of all the fish death. Also they are most often found in fresh water environments and finally they were discovered in Texas in the year of 1985 since then 41 different 'fish kills' have been linked to the Golden Algae in Texas!

Free Day

Before taking this class I had absolutely no clue how to keep a fish alive. As a child my father always had a huge fish tank and would constantly be messing with it and doing all the ins and outs of being a good fish owner. He made it appear so simple and easy, however now having had my own it is definitely not that simple! I learned how important it is to constantly be checking your water. That was continually our biggest issue. If it wasn't nitrite it was the ammonia and vise versa. I also learned how important it is to dechlorinate your water or the nitrite levels rise A LOT..
Also not only the rocks but the left over food can cause issues with the water. We have scrubbed our rocks twice now and that definitely seems to help the water. I was surprised to learn that fish will constantly eat what they are given and can die from overeating. I am definitely a better fish owner now and if I ever do decide to buy any fish after this class I'll know exactly what to do. Thanks for the lessons! :)

Toads vs. Frogs

A. Frogs generally have the characteristics of bulging eyes, strong hind feet that are adapted for leaping and swimming. Smooth, slimy skin.  Whereas Toads have short stubby bodies with short hind feet as well for walking instead of hopping. Their skin is also dry and sometimes contains warts.
B. Amphibians are a good example of the health of an ecosystem because of how delicate they are. For instance before touching a frog you wet your hands with their water, or else you could harm and kill them. Their skin is absorbent of chemicals and other toxins that could be in the water. Because of this amphibian population can change with the ecosystem health.
There has in fact been a severe decrease in amphibian population over the last fifty years. The polluted waters have harshly effect their lively hood and caused them to die of toxins and diseases their immune system could not withstand. In order to prevent the populations to continue to dwindle it is important that we begin cleaning the water. For years factories have dumped their trash and toxins into the ocean and other lakes killing fish and amphibian life.

Assessing a pond

First the person assessing the pond should observe the area and water. A lot can be discovered by just looking at its surroundings and possible issues created or helpful plant and animal life. Next the observer should look for dead or decaying plants and animals and the possibilty of algae blooms within the pond. This could possibly appear alongside foam ontop of the water. This could be because of too much phosphorus in the pond. Although phosphorous is a natural resource in ponds if there becomes more than necessary it will begin an algae bloom. Next the observer should collect samples of the water as well as insects and algae. This would be important in order to know what kind of ecosystem this pond has. Because not every body of water is the same and some insects or algae may be more prevenlant which could be harmful to the water or helpful. Finally after you have collected the water samples you should do the pH, nitrite, ammonia, nitrate, and temperature test on them. However make sure they are all different samples of the same water so that it is controlled and not polluted with the different testing aids. Because ponds are natural body of water it is important to not try and control the ecosystem. Understanding the issues facing the pond as well as strengths is a useful tool in being able to know the aquatic ecosystem better.

Watersheds

A watershed is an area of land where all the water in it goes back to the same place. They have high points and low ridges running through them. Watersheds are drained by rivers and streams. The water moves in a cycle, after rain falls and snow melts. We live in the Elm Fork of Trinity River water shed. It is important to monitor the water quality of a watershed because only 1% of freshwater at any given time is available for use. Through watersheds we are able to store water and need to identify any issues early before droughts begin to occur. Watersheds provide the ability of carbon storage reducing green house gasses in our area. The healthy watersheds also provide a strong home for fish and plants in our are. They can keep recreational activities such as fishing clean and growing. Watersheds are an important part of our communities.

Algae search lab

Before the algae lab I had no idea what a single drop of pond water could have in it. Honestly I was amazed and turned off to the idea of ever swimming in a lake again. In our observations we had a vast amount of algae which meant plenty of creatures to choose from in feeding our shrimp. My partner and I were able to identify a copepod, mosquito, midge larva, scud, and Daphnia in our water. When viewing them closely through the microscope they were all different sizes and shapes. Most did not get along with each other and a few even looked as if they were trying to eat one another. We took each of these plankton and fed them to our shrimp. Immediately after dumping them into the tank our shrimp began to reach for them . We are not sure how long it took to eat all of the different plankton but the next morning we couldn't find any moving organisms.

Freshwater

I enjoyed the career video and found all the jobs interesting. Restoration workers help to restore plants back into the ecosystem after a natural disaster. I did not realize the possibility of plant life disappearing after a hurricane or tornado in an area. Also a biologist studies the animal in aquatic ecosystems and understanding of their lives. Finally fish veterinarians protect and take care of the fish. They can be disease specialists. This could be a very interesting job with the potential to save a whole species of fish.
The oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle ion a pond varies through out the day. At night the pond has a very low O2 and high CO2. Where as during the day the pond has high O2 and low CO2. This is because plants and other producers use oxygen as a waste product. Oxygen moves from the plants into the air. All living things get energy from cellular respiration. Because of this carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product. Therefore the oxygen produced during photosynthesis is used in cellular respiration. And the carbon dioxide produced in cellular respiration is used in photosynthesis. This creates the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle!

Lakes!

Oligotrophic lakes have low dissolved nutrients. There is also not much algae growth and organisms. They are unproductive lakes. Very low in phosphorous.
Mesotrophic lakes have the highest diversity of plants and organisms. They are mainly found in the North and West.
Eutrophic lakes are very high in phosphorus. Eutrophic lakes have a lot of minerals and nutrients. Abundant plants and algae.
It is important to understand the type of lake you are studying because each lake is different. Eutrophic have very high phosphorus where as Oligotrophic has a low amount. If you understand the type of lake then you will know what to expect from the different organisms in each lake.

Ponds and Rivers

This video was very interesting and I learned several new facts about freshwater ecosystems. If a body of water is more than four yards wide it is considered a lake. Two; more of the worlds creatures depend on ponds and river than the ocean. Also 1/3 of the worlds freshwater is in the Amazon River. Fourthly, China's yellow river is the muddiest river in the world!! Water is also extremely beneficial in helping ease fertilization. Sixthly, the Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River. The Hindus also believed the Ganges river was holy and an important river to bathe oneself in at least once in their lifetime. Also the Aw swan Dam took 30 years for the egyptians to construct. Eighthly the drowned village is a famous myth that is discussed by many water researchers. Ninthly the hindus also believed that the "four rivers of life", would bring enlightenment. Tenth and lastly I learned that the water cycle is often referred to as "The Great Journey". The different beliefs I learned about from this video and how water coincided with faith for many people was a common factor in these different facts. However in contrast the different lakes and dams were often created by man instead of by the earth.

Lentic systems

Lentic systems are different ecosystems of water. However pools and ponds are separated from lakes by the sunlight. Both pools and ponds can be reached by the sun to the bottom of the water. Whereas lake bottoms can not be reached by the sun. There are two regions. thee pelagic open water zone, and the benthic zone, which comprises the bottom and shore regions.

Density and temperature

We used four jars. Two filled with hot water while the other two were filled with cold. The hot water was dyed blue and the cold red. Putting a notecard on top of the jar and flipping onto it's counterpart. After removing the card separating the jars the two that had the cold water on top mixed together to form a black color. Where as the one with hot on top stayed in place showing that hot water is more dense than cold. Warm water rises, and in this case just stays where it is at. This was a very helpful visual in explaining why pools that may be warm when you dip your feet in are suddenly freezing when you jump all the way in.

Aquarium project

I. Purpose: to monitor an aquatic ecosystem over time through observations and data collected.

II. Materials:
1. Paper towels
2. Pitcher
3. Scrubber
4. Containers
5. Cups
6. Tank
7. Filter
8. Sponge
9. Water
10. Strainer
11. Tray
12. Rocks
13. Bubbler
14. Rag
15. Dechlorinator
16. Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia test
17. Aquacheck sticks for tank
18. Nets
19. Toys for aquarium
20. Plants (alive if possible), in aquarium before fish
III. Procedure:
1. Pick up tank and empty rocks into container.
2. Take dry paper towels and clean out tank as best you can then add water. DO NOT use soap while cleaning.
3. After tank is wiped down use the scrubber to remove all left over debris.
4. Place tank back on counter and begin to work on rocks.
5. Taking small handfuls of the rocks out of the container into the sifter and cleaning them with waters then place back into tank:
6. When all rocks have been clean and put back into tank you may begin to use cups and pitchers to fill tank with water.
7. After this is completed turn the filter on; run water through it until running on it's own. If this does not work use bubbler.
8. Now clean up lab station using paper towels, rags and sponges.
9. Before re-filling water make sure to look for dechlorinator
10. Once getting ahold of dechlorinator read directions for gallon per drop
11. Wait five minutes with dechlorinated water before filling tank.
12. Go to pet store and find your wonderful fish.
13. Also look for toys for your tank
14. When  coming back to school make sure and clean off toys thoroughly
15. Place bag in tank and leave for 24 hours to adjust fish temperature
16. If fish no longer seem adjatated open bag and release
17. Make sure you are feeding them the appropriate foods
18. Frequently check water quality and temperature of tank
19. It may be necessary to clean tank every week in order to keep nitrate and nitrite down
20. Most importantly do not let your fish die!!

IV: Data
A. Qualitative (observations):
4-4-13 Observations are a good way to understand how something may live and interact with their environment. For instance the shrimp that my partner and I chose to get for our tank have a very interesting way of interacting with their home. We decorated their home to resemble a Chinese garden. Similar to Mulan. We named the bigger shrimp Mushu and the smaller Cricket. Mushu is a lot less active than Cricket. The smaller shrimp often leaps off the objects he is on, onto others. Which as far as I have learned is fairly unusual for a shrimp to do. They use their feather likes fins to move around in the water when they are swimming. Also I observed that they enjoy hiding or crawling under the objects they are placed on. It is important for me to understand how my shrimp behave in their environment in case I need to make any adjustments or changes.
4-5-13 Although it has only been six days since we first welcomed our shrimp into their new home they have already seemed to start to grow. Cricket seems to be drifting more instead of hopping. Which didn't make sense to begin with since he is emerged in water but hopefully it is just part of his growing up and nothing to do with health. We tested the water today and their water seems to be just over .25, maybe close to .50. Mrs. Ellis however told us not to worry too much about it. Especially since our shrimp are filter feeders and will enjoy eating the algae built in our tank. Mushu seems to sit in one spot for long periods of time. Even during feeding where Cricket will go after his food as soon as it is dropped into the tank Mushu takes his time to retrieve his meal. I have been told that bamboo shrimp have the ability to reach four inches. Right now Mushu seems to be about and inch whereas Cricket may be a little over a half inch. It will be very exiting to watch them grow over the six week period.
4-12-13 We have finished dechlorinating our water and cleaning the tank/rocks. My partner and I were able to buy a arch and house as well as some fake plants for our tank to make our shrimp more comfortable. I learned that shrimp really enjoy hiding so I hope their tank is able to provide them good hiding areas. Monday we will be heading to petco to purchase our new shrimp.
4-15-13 After putting our shrimp into their new home we were able to observe where they originally went to. Mushu chose to climb onto the red arch whereas Cricket decided to head for the house. Ultimately however they both gravitated to the home, climbing onto the roof and plants hanging out where the bubbles hit them. I suppose they enjoy the current? Tomorrow we are learning how to test our water for Ammonia and Nitrite.
4-16-13 Walking into class we have noticed cricket seems to not be growing as much as Mushu is. Our watcher ammonia is 1.0ppm and our Nitrite was 0ppm. Mushu immediately heads towards food when it is dropped in the tank and Cricket does not seem to be quite as eager.
4-17-13 our shrimp are latched onto each other today. Almost holding hands in a way. Ammonia remains at 1.0ppm and Nitrite at 0ppm. Cricket is also in the same spot as yesterday which is becoming disconcerting to Caitlin and I. We also did a lab today using pond water and were able to put a snail, co-pods, mosquitto larva, midge larva, scuds, and daphnia into our tank. Mushu seemed to react immediately but Cricket was not very interested.
4-18-13 both shrimp are now on leaves. They seem to really enjoy remaining close to the bubbles and current it creates in the water. Mushu looks even bigger when he is next to cricket. He is almost fully orange where Cricket still seems to be ghost white. Ammonia remains at 1.0ppm and Nitrite at 0ppm.
4-19-13 We were told that these bamboo shrimp would grow quite quickly and could start feeding them menos very soon after purchase but because of Cricket's lack of growth we will probably be waiting till close to the end of the year. The water remains at 1.0ppm for Ammonia and 0ppm for Nitrite. The shrimp do not move much it will be interesting to see if they ever decide to climb off their house again.
4-22-13 Over the weekend our water Ammonia level escelated from 1.0ppm to 2.0ppm and our Nitrite rose to .25ppm. Total chlorineppm- 0ppm. Free Chloine ppm- 0ppm. Total hardness (CaCO3)- 425ppm. Total Alcalinity- 180ppm. Our teacher informed us that it was imparative we change our water. We took a cup full of original water and cought our shrimp to put in while we cleaned the tank. It was no easy task catching them, they are extremely quick for being so small. Unfortunately we did not think how Mushu and Cricket might react being so close to one another. It appeared Mushu began to attack Cricket and to be completely honest my partner and I were freaking out! We tried to put food in the cup hoping they would eat but Cricket swam around trying to get away from everything. After cleaning their tank we put them back in and Mushu who went immediately back to the house seemed docile but Cricket seemed scared for his life and ran for hiding.
4-23-13 Cricket is still near the back of the tank today. When I went to reach for their food (like every day), he freaked out. Moving around the side of the wall trying to run away. We were already worried about his lack of eating and growing but after yesterday's incident I'm starting to worry he is depressed...can that happen for fish? I'll look it up tonight. We also noticed a big brown dot crawling along the side of the tank. It's our snail. My partner and I were shocked at how much the snail had grown in a little over a week.
4-24-13 Their water level for Ammonia has again risen to 2.0ppm and .25ppm for Nitrite. We chose to go ahead and clean their tank out but instead leave them in this time. We took out as much water as possible without reaching them. This may not have been the normal but we did not want another repeat attack. Both Mushu and Cricket leaped from their house until we restored their tank.
4-25-13 Today Cricket was back on leaf and next to Mushu. It was good to see that they have made up and can be friends again. We are worried that neither of them have been eating because of all the waste of food on the ground but they both still seem to be fine. We are feeding them only one pellet now instead of two.
4-26-13 The water looks cloudy today but when we tested the water Ammonia was 1.0ppm and Nitrite was back at 0ppm. Hopefully the water level does not change of the weekend. We are contimplating getting them real plants and hopefully they will eat the algae produced then. Especially with Cricket's growth stunt and Mushu getting so big it is starting to turn into survival of the fittest a game that Mushu could easily win.
5-6-13 I'm back from my trip today and first noticed Crickets behavior. He seems to be much more lively and enjoying his homes ability to hide inside. He had began to she'd his skin and there is a spot on his left side that hasn't cleared up and is slightly disconcerting. We will be watching it. Our nitrite was .25ppm and our ammonia was .0ppm
5-7-13 today our nitrite was still at .25ppm and our ammonia had risen to .50ppm. We chose to clean the tank as well as sift through some of the rocks to hopefully make it better. The dechlorinated really has become our best friends and we almost can figure out exactly what is needed for our water.
5-8-13 We've began to balance our nitrate and nitrite levels a lot better at .25ppm as well as our ammonia. Hopefully this means we're becoming better fish owners. Unfortunately Mushu has began to act oddly. Keeping a close eye on him to make sure he is ok where as Cricket is getting a lot bigger!
5-9-13 Today we cleaned their house off and tried to clean out all the grossness the shrimp have caused. Cricket and Mushu kind of freaked out at first but I think they will be a lot happier with their tank fresh. After dechlorinating the water a little while back the levels have dramatically gotten better and consistently stayed that way. Still at .25ppm for nitrate and nitrite which is extremely good for my partner and I when we've struggled so much with it.
5-10-13 Mushu isn't moving at all and Caitlin and I are concerned he may be going to shrimp heaven over the weekend. It could just be us over thinking his unhappiness but his apatite doesn't seem to be there at all. Usually the first to grab for food and now no reaction what so ever. If he is still with us after the weekend ms. Ellis said she might be able to help some. I'm not sure how to help a depressed shrimp but I'm willing to try anything!
5-15-13 When first walking into the classroom today I almost had a heart attack. Looking at their tank it seemed Mushu was laying on the bottom of it belly up. After a brief panic attack Caitlin and I both realized that this was skin that he had shed. The mystery of why Mushu has been being so glum is solved. And even better become a good sign that both Mushu and Cricket are in fact happy and growing. We are reaching our last week of the aquarium project and it is bitter sweet to have to decided what to do next with Mushu and Cricket. Flushing them down the toilet is NOT an option.
5-21-13 Our Nitrite and Nitrate are now 0ppm as well as our Ammonia being .25ppm. Finally we've reached the point of being good tank owners and our water has never been clearer. Today a boy in our class named Austin volunteered to give our shrimp a good home. After giving him the tenth degree we determined he would supply them with a good tank with lots of other fish who he assured us wouldn't hurt them. I hope that Mushu and Cricket continue to grow and have a great life full of delicious algae in Austin's tank. I have learned exactly what it takes to be a good fish owner and if I ever decide to get a tank one day I will have this class to thank for knowing what to do.
B. Quantitative Water Quality Data and Graph
   A. Aquacheck Data

GH (general hardness)ppm: 120.0ppm

KH (carbonate hardness) ppm: 80.0ppm

pH Salt: 7.0pH pH Fresh:    7.0pH

NO2(Nitrate ppm): 0.0ppm or NO3

Nitrate ppm: 20.0ppm

   B. Water Quality Data

Day 1 (20th) Temperature: 22.97 degrees Celsius  Dissolved Oxygen: 0.0 mg/L Dissolved Oxygen: 0.0% ISE Voltage: -26.5mV Conductivity (1x Probe): 49uS/cm pH: 7.45 Conductivity 910x Probe): 488uS/cm

Day2 (21st) Temperature: 22.01 degrees Celsius Dissolved Oxygen: 20.0mg/L Dissolved Oxygen: 100.0% ISE Voltage: 4.5mV Conductivity (1x Probe): 54uS/cm pH: 6.92 Conductivity 910x Probe): 541uS/cm

Day3 (22st) Temperature: 22.12 degrees Celsius Dissolved Oxygen: 20.0 mg/L Dissolved Oxygen: 100.0% ISE Voltage: -3.1mV Conductivity (1x Probe): 79uS/cm pH: 7.05 Conductivity 910x Probe): 788uS/cm

Day4 (23rd) Temperature: 22.46 degrees Celsius Dissolved Oxygen: 20.0mg/L Dissolved Oxygen: 100.0% ISE Voltage: -2.0mV Conductivity (1x Probe): 80uS/cm pH: 7.03 Conductivity 910x Probe): 797uS/cm

   C. Nitrogen Cycle Data Chart (Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonia):

Nitrite(20th): 0.0ppm Nitrite(21st): 0.0ppm Nitrite(22nd): 0.0ppm Nitrite(23rd): 0.0ppm

Nitrate(20th): 0.0ppm Nitrate(21st): 0.0ppm Nitrate(22nd): 0.0ppm Nitrate(23rd): 0.0ppm

Ammonia(20th): 0.25ppm Ammonia(21st): 0.25ppm Ammonia(22nd): 0.25ppm Ammonia(23rd): 0.25ppm

Conclusion Question One:
 It is important to test the ammonia and Nitrite of our tanks on a daily basis to make sure the water is at a good enough quality for our fish to remain living. Ammonia is caused by excess protein. Nitrite caused by crowded tank or over feeding. Nitrate can cloud the water of your tank the number one reason for high nitrate is over feeding. For high ammonia, and nitrite doing a 30% water change can be extremely beneficial when trying to reestablish a healthy living environment for your fish. Temperature is important because fish take a much longer time to adjust into their new environments. If you are to take a fish right out of the tank at the pet store into your tank they will not be able to adjust to the climate change and die. It is best to put the bag into the tank water for a few hours then release your fish. pH helps to measure the amount of hydrogen in water. If the pH in the tank reaches a level of three your fish will begin to stop reproducing and at level four your fish will die. Seven is the pH level that is most fit for aquatic creatures. Conductivity is the ability to conduct electricity. 100 to 2,000mS is an expected conductivity for fresh water. It is important to understand your tank water's conductivity in order to protect your fish's water. For instance freshwater has low conductivity because of the dissolved minerals. Dissolved oxygen is from the surrounding air that is infused into the water through tides and currents. Oxygen levels are important for the aquatic animals to be able to breath healthily. If do is at a decrease there may be an over population of aquatic life. Hardness of water depends on the amount of mineral content. The more hardness in water the more difficult the pH level has to changing. CaCO3. Alkalinity is how much solution it takes to neutralize an acid. It is important to understand alkalinity in your water in order to be able to have a buffer zone to keep from sudden pH changes. Finally Chlorine is a common water treatment to keep things clean. Chlorine in a lot of ways acts as a bleach. It kills any and all threats to a normal balance of water. It is very important not to use chlorine on your fish tank or you will inadvertently kill them. However chlorine can be very helpful when trying to restore an water system to the beginning.
Conclusion Question Two:
The nitrogen cycle is extremely important to the aquatic ecosystem. 78% of the earth's atmosphere is nitrogen. However if there is too much nitrogen within a freshwater ecosystem the fish will begin to die. In order for plants and animals to use the nitrogen it must be in a fixed form. Such as nitrate or ammonia. Plants are able to help create this fixed form. Nitrite is the most toxic where as nitrate is the least toxic. Nitrosomonas is a higher level of nitrogen and also very toxic. And nitrospirya is a lower level of nitrogen. In completion of the cycle bacteria in the soil or water carry out the process of denitrification which converts nitrates back into nitrogen gas.
Conclusion Question Three:
Over the course of our fresh water aquarium our water quality has consistently been inconsistent. Some days the water is perfect and then the next it seems as though our shrimp are laying in their death beds. When talking to our teacher it was understood that this could possibly because of their waste. At one point our nitrite was off the chart and turned a dark purple. We quickly removed our shrimp and changed the water. However our ammonia has been a wonder 0.0ppm for most all of the time. Because of the inconsistencies of our water quality we check every day to make sure we do not have another mishap. When our nitrate was off the chart we noticed our shrimp at the top of the tank appearing to "gasp for air", this is exactly what was described to us that would happen an aquatic ecosystem and was a good lesson on how important it is to maintain a strong water quality.
Conclusion Question Four:
The oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle is important to the aquatic ecosystem because of the relationship between plants and animals. All fish take in oxygen and exhale CO2. Whereas plants take in CO2 and use it in photosynthesis creating oxygen. It is considered a balancing act and crucial to keep both plants and animals alive and continuing to reproduce.This is also why Carbon dioxide levels are higher during the day and lower at night when photosynthesis is not occurring. The Oxygen/ Carbon Dioxide cycle directly affects life within the ecosystem. Without it there would be no animal and plant life.
Conclusion Question Five:
The biggest problem my partner and I faced for our aquarium was the water quality. We were having to constantly change our water to the point that it was almost a daily issue. We decided that if the water quality ammonia went over .50ppm or nitrite .25ppm we would change the water. At one point we waited too long and almost killed our shrimp. Our nitrite level had not been checked in two days and completely skyrocketed. The level was off the chart and appeared as a dark purple. Since then we have been extremely diligent and plan to clean our tank on a weekly basis instead of every two weeks. We also learned that the rocks can hold onto the nitrite and need to be washed as soon as possible as well or the water level could go back.
Conclusion Question Six:
Five educational concepts I learned through out this project was the proper care of not only my fish but my fish tank. During this assignment I was faced with the challenge of constantly balancing my ammonia and nitrite levels. I learned first what both nitrite and ammonia were and how they could affect your aquarium. After understanding these concepts I kept a close eye on my water. Also learning how to clean my tank was very important to this project. Unfortunately my partner and I were unaware of cleaning off our toys for the tank before putting them in because film began to be found around our tank and we were told it was because we had missed that step. Also I learned that fish have an issue with overeating. I had never known that it was possible to kill a fish that way and it became just as important as our nitrite and ammonia. My partner and I also now understand how important it is to get their food correct. If your fish are not eating it could be because of the food not just the new environment. After researching what we thought was the best brand that really seemed to increase their eating. Finally educate yourself and be prepared for any possible issue. At one point our nitrite was extremely high and both our shrimp seemed to be gasping for air and acted extremely agitated. But fortunately we had learned in class what this behavior meant and how to handle it quickly.
Conclusion Question Seven:
The most interesting that that happened during this project was when the smaller shrimp Cricket shed his skin. I have never seen any sort of aquatic life do that before. At first my partner thought he had died but lucky he was found and the realization that he had shed was actually fantastic because we hoped it meant he was growing and continuing to be healthy. The worst thing that happened during this project was when we let the nitrite levels rise way too high to an almost deep purple. Fortunately we were able to quickly spring into action. However our shrimp really seemed to react to the water and were being crazy inside their tank and constantly swam to the surface. The weirdest thing that happened was when we had to change their water and clean their rocks about three weeks in. We were first going to separate the two but then decided one cup was fine and because it was clear we had a perfect view. As soon as both shrimp were placed inside the larger one Mushu seemed to attack the smaller; Cricket. He seemed to continually hurl his body at him and try to climb on top and maybe even bite him. We were extremely confused and it freaked us out so much we immediately separated the two. As far as we could tell Cricket didn't eat for the next two days he was still so scared!
Conclusion Question Eight:
My favorite part of this project was watching our shrimp grow. Immediately naming them right off the bat seemed like a bad idea in case they died however our shrimp have lived through the whole nine weeks. When we first purchased them they were the size of half my pinky and now they have both grown a substantial amount. I was extremely worried that I would kill our shrimp somehow but both my partner and I turned out to be much better pet owners than we thought. I've really enjoyed seeing how far those two guys have come. Cricket for the longest time seemed almost depressed and wouldn't move. However he is a lot more lively now after shedding his skin. That was a great relief for both my partner and I because it meant he was growing out of his old skin and becoming bigger. We are not sure what is going to happen to Mushu and Cricket after this class but they will have a good home and continue to grow.
Conclusion Question Nine:
For next years students I would advice you to buy fish that are resistant to change and are healthy/strong. Although our shrimp never met death many other students fish did. Also to pay attention during the lessons on how to dr chlorinate and take care of your tank because it will be important when setting up your tank. Also even after Mrs. Wood stops reminding you to check your water daily do!! It can change from night and day so quickly leaving you confused as to why your fish died. Make sure to be one hundred percent ready before purchasing your fish because they can only stay inside a bag for so long. If I were to change anything about this project it would just be the aftermath. Because our shrimp survived and we have gotten rather attached the idea of flushing them down the toilet is out of the question. Unfortunately though neither of us can take them to college leaving us completely unsure of where they will be going. If we release them they will certainly meet their death. Maybe this project should have a designated place to take all the surviving fish instead of only a few options. I definitely do not want to watch our shrimp die after all the hard work put in. Overall this project was a great deal of of fun and I feel like I learned a lot more than I ever would have own my own for taking care of fish.