4/5 aquarium project

This week me and my two partners, started to clean out a old tank and begin to get it ready for our fish.  The purpose was to set up a habitat that has the nessesary things a fish needs in its day to day life.  This week we mainly focused on the cleanliness of the tank and the water.  Also to monitor an aquatic ecosystem over time through observation and data collection.

 Materials:

• Fish tank                                                 
• Bubbler
• Sifter
• Water pitcher
• Water
• Rock pebbles
• Sponge
• Paper towels
• Plastic cup
• Scrubber
• Bucket
• Fish toys
• Under water plants- alive
• Fishes
• Declornator
• Fish food
• Fish hiding place
• Filter (tube, liter bottle, cotton, bubbler)
• Lights
• Suction tube
• Ammonia test kit
• Nitrite test kit

Procedure:
1.Recieve a new aquarium given
2.Take the pitcher and scoop out all the rock pebbles out and put in bucket
3.Once all the pebbles are out, take sifter and put rocks in them
4.Then wash rocks out under water, while trying to soft out excess dirt
5.Take the wet sponge and scrubber and clean the sides and bottom of tank without using soap
6.Tip over aquarium while taking the plastic cup to pour water in then rinse out
7.Once both rocks and aquarium are clean place rocks back in and even out at bottom of tank
8.Then use pitcher to fill up with clean water and place in tank
9. Once tank is almost filled stop
10. Plug in a blubber then place at bottom of aquarium
11. Even out rock again








Observations

Observations- WEEK 1w/ FISH

On Tuesday our group bought, two orange guppy type fishes, a black gold fish and a orange and white gold fish.  On the first day I noticed the two guppies kind of stayed together and didn't leave each other, while the other two did there own thing.  The white and orange fish was quite fascinated with its reflection and swam by itself in the corner looking at himself.  The black one kind of did his own thing and just swam around.

On Wednesday I could tell all the 3 orange fishes avoided the black fish. Did not see him picking on any of them but they sure did not like him.

On Thursday our group where starting the believe that the water in our tank were burning our fish because their fins started to turn black, even the all orange fish.

On Friday when I came to check my fish it did not look very good,  the tank was kind of muggy and the two orange guppies laid on the bottom of the tank, they were not dead but I'm guessing we should really get a filter.  I believe that is one of the issues but I also think our group should make sure the Ph lvl was okay or maybe put more declornator in the tank.
On 4/22 we came in and our tank was very dirty, the ph level was very high so we cleaned out half the water then we put declornator in the tank. We also need a filter so we made our own by using a half liter bottle putting rocks at the bottom with a tube going through it. At the bottom of the tube we placed to bubbler threw the tube and then cotton at the top. Hopefully in a day or two the tank will be cleaned out.

 

Water Qaulity Testing

4/12- Ph

tested in at a 2.5 so added declornator,
4/14 tested in at .25
4/16 tested at .5
4/19 tested back at a 2
4/22 tested in between a 3 and 4

Week 2 ( April 21-26)
Only being in class April the 26 and 22 I noticed alot, on Monday our aquarium was filthy and the fish seemed like they didn't have alot of energy and I was afraid what would happen in the week to come. So we cleaned out there tank and refilled half of it with clean wate and added more declornator. We Also created our own filter with half a empty liter bottle, cotton and a tube going right down. With the bubbler going right down the middle, after tested the pH at a high level of 4 I realized this better help do something. Coming back on the 26 I was glad to find not just that my fish were alive but they were alive and happy. The filter really did work and even though our tank still wasn't the cleanest, it was much more clear than Monday. The fish seem to have alot more energy and hopefully by next week they will be even more happier


Monday April 29
Came in today after the weekend and noticed our tank was still a little foggy but isn't getting worse nor better. Only one of the orange guppies fins where now completely changed from orange to black while the other one only had a spot on its fin that changed to black. I have no idea why they changed colors but mkenzie suggested the water may be burning them. I also noticed the two guppies rant always together like they were when we first bought them. The two bigger fishes, the black and orange gold fish are liking each other. They seemed to be all getting along and are not so afraid of the black one anymore.

4/30/13
Cotton in filter we built is starting to get dirty and changing to a more brown shade than white. Fish are not as energetic as they were yesterday but still tend to stay close to each other. They all like to hang out in the corn on the bottom right. We are not feeding them today but will tomorrow, we just trying to keep fish tank as clean as possible.

5/1/13
Noticed today that when we fed the fish just about a pinch of fish food, the two guppies didn't even eat. The black one mainly and the orange one ate all of it. I have no idea where the two orange guppies are getting food but thankfully they still alive.

5/2/13
Today I tried feeding the fish with fish pebbles and they didn't even eat it. I'm sure someone from my group fed them yesterday but no one was here today. The bigger orange fish ate a couple pebbles but the other three were the least interested.


5/6/13
Today our tank reached its dirtiest and all the fish weren't swimming around alot just staying near bottom corner. We tested the ammonia and it was at like a 6 or 8 and even the nitrite went up to like a 4. We pumped out half the water and got a tube thy sucked up the gunc in the rocks and then added some more declornator.

5/8/13
Today the tank was alot clearer after pumping out all the dirty water, we are going to test the ammonia tomorrow but hopefully it's better than yesterday's.

5/913
Today we came in and the tank was much more clear. We tested ammonia and was alot better and nitrite isn't to horrible. We put more declornator in and and cyfunned it a little more.

5/10/13
Fish are staying at top, one orange guppy and one goldfish are almost floating at top but still alive. Aren't moving alot or fast but strangely the tank looks alot more clear and clean.

5/13/13
Fish only eat pebbles and not flaky food, and tend to fight alot when they are fed. They never use fish house and like to stay in open areas of tank.

5/14/13
Fish are moving slowly, one inane guppy is just staying in center of tank, we are feeding it and tank is getting cleaner but strangely they are not very energetic.

5/21/13
I've been gone for a week but came back and tank was so clean. The ammonia pH And the nitrite, were perfect, I have no idea why but it improved alot over the last week with no effort. My two partners did not do any extra work but only feed the fish. They seem alot happier and more energetic than they ever had.

5/23/13
Ammonia and nitrite tested in at a 0, weirdly it was our last day with the fish tank.  The fish were happy to be in very clean and clear water.  I actually saw them eat almost all their food we gave them, because they use to would have just stared at it.  I've noticed the real plant we put in was growing to, and roots were growing underneath the rocks.


Ammonia and Nitrite Testing
4/12-Ammonia, 2.5   Nitrite, 0
4/14-Ammonia, .25   Nitrite, 0
4/16-Ammonia, .5     Nitrite, 0
4/19-Ammonia, 2      Nitrite,0
4/22-Ammonia, 3.5   Nitrite, 0
4/26-Ammonia, 2.5   Nitrite,0
5/6-Ammonia, 7        Nitrite, 4
5/21-Ammonia, 1.5   Nitrite,1
5/23-Ammonia, 0      Nitrite, 0

 

Aqua check

May 17

May 23

Conclusion question 
There are many things that need to be present in a tank in order for your fish just to live, one of them is ammonia. Ammonia is a nutrient that's contains nitrogen and hydrogen. Ammonia basically cleans the water and is needed, but can also be toxic if overly used. It is caused by fish waste and excess food, excess ammonia can cause fish death. We have been doing ammonia testing in our aquariums in class and I've noticed it became really high once we had actual fish in the tank. Also when it's really high levels of ammonia the tank is very muggy. Another substance found in fish aquarium is nitrite, which is a less toxic version of ammonia. Nitrate is also like ammonia and nitrite but a lot less toxic and can be used as food source by plants themselves. Having fish did not change out nitrite levels, but just like Ammonia we have been testing it weekly in our aquarium. These 3 substances all take place in the nitrogen cycle, which is a very important cycle to remove toxins out of life in water.
Two major factors that determine the level of toxicity of ammonia in a tank is pH and temperature. High pH levels cause high level of ammonia. Also temperature control is important too because there bodies can adjust to the outside temperature but very slowly. For example, when summer finally comes doesn't always mean you go swimming and the water will be warm to. it takes water more time to warm up, and it gives the fish time to adjust to the temperature change. But it should be between 72-80 Fahrenheit,because at lower temperatures the fish metabolism slows down.
One important quality on water is the water hardness, which is the measurement of the quality of metallic ions in the water. Things such as calcium and magnesium, and it important to maintain the balance between internal body fluids and its environment. The alkalinity of the water is very important to watch to in freshwater aquariums, it indicates the total amount of pH stabilizing compounds In the water. This protects the fish from a sudden change in pH from getting excess acids and bases. A safe level to look out for when look at the tanks total alkalinity is 120.
When I had a pool I always wondered why my mom out chlorine in our pool when it was dirty, but that because it basically kept the pool clean. It destroys the harmful bacteria and other organisms in the water, even though they don't hurt use. Some substances human use are harmful to fish but choline however isnt. There substances are very important to look out for when owning a fresh water aquarium, and if not looked out for will most defiantly lead to fish death.


Conclusion question 2
The nitrogen cycle is a important cycle, in our earths water that keeps underwater life alive. Nitrogen cycle is a way nitrogen is transferred in the ocean by precipitation, runoff or even by the atmosphere itself. Phytoplankton cannot utilize nitrogen by itself so it under goes a process called nitrogen fixation. The nitrogen needs to be utilized because the phytoplankton itself cannot take it only in certain forms in order for them to synthesize the nitrogen. This process happens when an organism die, and the bacteria break it down. In return the organisms let off nitrogen in the soil and clover takes it out to release to the atmosphere. This allows us the breathe and without it all organisms all land, including us would die. Nitrogen is an element vital to all life processes on Earth, and isnt just apart of life under the sea but to life on land too. Nitrogen comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and is embedded in every living tissue. It is a component of amino acids, proteins and nucleic acids, that helps man kind live day to day and with the exception of carbon, nitrogen is the most universal element of life. Put simply: Life could not exists without nitrogen. Aside from organic development, nitrogenous compounds are also required by some organisms for metabolic functions and respiration, including life under the sea.

Conclusion 3
When we first started our tank it was all nice and clean but the pH was at 2 and needed to be a lot lower In order for fish to live in it. So we then cleaned out the rocks and added declorantor, and it helped so much more, brought it down to a .25. But then once we did buy the fish and place them in the aquiruim we found it much harder to keep the ammonia down. We bought goldfish which we learned we very dirty and it seemed like each time we came in the pH just kept going up and up. It kind of helped when we made our own filter out of a liter bottle, cotton, a tube, and with our bubbler in the middle. We tested our pH about a every week and it just kept on going up and up till it got all the way up to a 8! We knew when had to do something because our tank was so dirty compared to everyone's else's and we knew it was not a healthy environment, so the first thing we did was take out half the water, and then use the suction tube all around the rock where all the gunc from the fish were. We filled the tank back up with water and add declornator. We did this procedure three days in a row and the pH improved dramatically, although we still struggle with keeping it low, we just mainly have to spend ALOT of time keeping the water fresh and clean.

Conclusion question 4
The oxygen/ carbon dioxide cycle is very important because the ocean could no live with out it. The relationship the fish have with the plants, where the plants give off oxygen for the fish and the fish in return give off carbon dioxide for the plants, happen everyday to keep life going in any body of water. Even though fish are under water they still need oxygen to live, and plants need carbon dioxide in order to perform photosynthesis. Without this cycle or with any of these factors living, life not just under water but also above would not be living and all the plants would die to. This cycle is apparent In not just the ocean but also in lakes, creeks and ponds. No life would be in these small bodies of water and we also as humans would not receive as much oxygen as we do without these. The plants help us breathe with the oxygen let off. Although most people do not know about this cycle and process but it really does affect is In day to day living.
Conclusion question 5
My group had a very difficult time keeping the levels down and stable so our fish would not die. We have four fish in all and two of them are goldfish, which apparently are very dirty fish. It seemed like every single day we came in since we placed the fish in their tank, the water continued to become more and more
Muggy while the ammonia and nitrite levels began to rise. At the beginning our tank was becoming more and more dirty because we never placed a filter in the tank to actual clean our water, but even when we made our own it still didn't clean the tank out completely. The highest ammonia level we got up to was around a 7 or 8 (which is horrible), the fish were slowing down and we knew that if we didn't do something to clean the water they wouldn't live that much longer. In order to keep our tank out we've found that we have to frequently replace have the water in the filter with clean water, add declornator, and use suction tube to suck out some of the dirty in the rocks. Our tank is still not the clearest or the lowest ammonia lvl but in order to keep it clean we constantly have to keep up with
tank, and put alot of work into cleaning it.

Conclusion question 6
I learned alot on raising a fish And taking care of its environment, including.....
1. How difficult is it to raise a fish. I would have never knew that a fish that only swims around its whole life would be hard to take care of. Cleaning out its tank constantly was a struggle and takes alot of time to do.
2. There's a such thing as ammonia level and nitrite level in a tank. I had no idea it was levels a aquiruim had to be at in order for the fish to live. I now know the ammonia level is affected by how dirty or how much fish waste is in your tank or nitrite level is affected by nitrogen high water.
3. The water we drink has chlorine, and fish cannot live in chlorine rich water. In my group we most defiantly learned that declornator helps alot with lower ammonia level. I learned the unlike fish, humans can drink small amounts of chlorine and even in tap water there is chlorine present.
4. Fish give off carbon dioxide for the plants, while the plants give off oxygen for the fish. I have never heard of the nitrogen cycle, but now I know how important it is and how it helps keep the ocean alive.
5. You can build your own filter. With only a cut in half liter bottle, cotton, bubble and a long tube it is possible to make your own filter that works for your tank, if you don't have a filter already.

Conclusion question 7
The most insteresting thing that happened in this project was that our fish never fought. Having different types of fish I thought there was going to be a bully but actually the all got along well. They usually stayed together out in the open water and didn't have to hide in the little house toy I bought. The strangest thing I found was that our nitrite leveled stayed the same most of the time even when our tank got really muggy. It did go up a little at the end but that was during the time we spent alot of time cleaning out the aquiruim. I know there's probably a logical reason for not going up but unlike our ammonia level out nitrite level never really changed. The worse thing that happened during this project was that water itself. I just did not want to stay clean and for awhile there every single day it became more and more dirty. I was about to throw in the towel, until we started to really work on the tank and then we started to see results.

Conclusion question 8
My favorite part of the project was just having to pick out or own fish. I wish we would have chosen more insteresting freshwater animals like some people did, I still got the chance to walk around the classroom and look at everyone else's. I thought it was cool to watch and compare the turtles because it was always dirty. I also found the shrimp to be very interesting, especially when it shredded its skin at one point. I liked our goldfish and guppies but my favorite part was to look at the other aquiruim animals.

Conclusion question 9
The advice I would give next years class would be so buy a real filter. Not that ours wasn't working because it did but I feel like a real one the was built by professionals would have worked better. Also if I had to did it over again, I think only buying one or two fishes would be much more easier. It would be very easy to keep the tank clean but I would be hard to make observations. If I could do anything differently I would do just those two things, get less fish and a real filter. I would have love to get one very cool animal that was not typical. Just so it wouldn't be boring, but not a turtle because those (I've realized by watching Courtney's aquiruim) are very dirty. I don't regret really anything though, I'm happy how everything turned out because our fish are still living and none of them are floating at the top of the aquiruim.


                                                          LAST DAY WITH FISH