Algae Lab

On Monday me and Courtney Clubb did the algae lab. It was pretty gross and smelled really bad but it was all for science! Anyways, we found many interesting algae organisms. We found a scud which looks like a white shrimp. A Midge larva which is just nasty. Then a water mite, the water was full with them! Then a seed and clam shrimp which looks like a water mite but smaller. A Predaceos Diving Beetle Larva and this kinda looked like an alien. Then we found a Damsel Fly Larva, which also looked like an alien and these things are super fast!! Then for the last organism we found a Paramecium, which is also super fast and really hard to study for too long and even take a picture of. To be honest, I didn't find much that was disgusting, just because I really do love science and studying things. Overall this was a fun lab! OH! and the algae we found was mainly Stigeoclonium, Oscillatoria, and Closterium! Mrs. Ellis checked me and Courtney Clubb's list off and that's when we turned it in. It was really interesting to see up close just what exactly is in the water!

Aquarium Field Trip

Five interesting and educational thing i learned on the field trip was

1) how to time manage
2) the oronocco crocodile is enormous. Like OMG.
3) the giant river otter is actually GIANT
4) parrot fish like to come to the glass of the tank and look at you
5) I can name every salt water fish in that place thanks to this class. #MarineBiologistStatus

My favorite part of the trip was the shark part and spaghetti warehouse! I really liked seeing all the animals!

Amphibians

The difference between frogs and toads are that
Frogs-
Their skin is moist and smooth
They are a symbol of fertility
They can jump up to 36 times our size

Toads-
Their skin is dry and rough
They have poison glands behind each of their eyes
They walk instead of hop
Associated with witch craft

B: indicators of a healthy ecosystem
Toads and frogs are indicators of a healthy ecosystem because it means that there is a body of water some where
Close.
-whenever frogs are sick or disappearing it means there's something wrong with the ecosystem
-frogs alert scientist by the quality of their skin and health if there is pollution in the air or in the water

C: frog decrease
The frog and toad population is decreasing because of habitat loss and fragmentation, chemical pollution, increased ultraviolet radiation, acid precipitation, commercial harvest. Most of the problems can be directed towards human and the environment

Steps to asses a pond

Here are the steps to asses a pond! They're very simple and very cheap. Such a wonderful combination!

1) observe your area, check how the water looks, if there's any foam or oils on the surface or any signs of an algae bloom

2) take a water Sample: look at insects and algae

3) Do a water quality test. Check ammonia, nitrate, pH, and conductivity

4) chemical pond: if you want to do this, it's expensive but it's pretty effective!

Aquarium Project Blog

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

II. Materials: 

• Tank 
• Water
• Rocks
• Turtle Cove
• Aerator 
• Filter 
• Filter Sheets
• Light
• Light Clamp
• Turtle Food
• Pitcher
• Paper Towels
• Scrubber
• Sponge
• Turtle
• River Rocks
• Rock Sifter 
• Rock Container 
• De-Chlorinater
• Bacteria Supplements 
• Cup 

III. Procedure:

-Find a clean tank

-Clean your tank

       -empty any water inside and wash all rocks and scrub at any residue left over from water DO NOT USE SOAP

-Use paper towels to dry 

-put your rocks in a rock sifter and rinse and shake under running water

-Place rocks in the tank 

-Add your water

-Add dechloriator and bacteria supplements to ensure a safe and pure water environment for your fish 

-Add your filters and aerator 

-Test your water

-After approved tests results, add your aquatic pet

-Repeat once a week

Testing for Ammonia and Nitrite:
You will also need to test your water for Ammonia and Nitrite. To test your water for Ammonia, you will need two test tubes, 2 lids, a dropper, both ammonia solutions, and a card that tells you the levels the water is at. To test for Nitrite you will need all the same except also the nitrite solution, and card that shows levels of Nitrite.
To Test your water, you will need to take the dropper and collect a water sample from your tank. Put water in both of the test tubes. Drop 8 drops of each of the ammonia solutions into one test tube. place the lid and shake. Put 5 drops of the Nitrite solution into the second test tube, place the lid on it and shake. When both solutions have settled, compare against the card with the different levels, both should be the lowest possible

IVA: Quantitative Data (Observations)

4/16: We finally bought the turtle and we named him Franklin. We have added a cove for him to hangout on but he doesn't seem to like it very much, in fact he just kinda shuns it. But he is swimming and he seems really happy. We still need to buy turtle food and a light...but we will get that tomorrow because he was already fed by Petsmart today anyways. 

4/17: Today we felt the water and it was freezing and he wouldn't eat. He also seemed really cold because he wasn't mobile at all. So we have to buy the light today. We've also added some pond worms and bugs to the tank from the lab we have just done today.

4/18: Water levels are good, the water is still pretty cold, i think it has something to do with the cold weather outside. But Franklin finally ate today, not much, but he ate. 

(Weekend)

4/21: Walked in, it seems that all of the plants were moved but the water is starting to get a little dirty but the water has, thankfully, warmed up and Franklin is finally eating. The chemicals were not unbalanced and everything seems fine!

4/22: Today we tested the water again and the levels got all weird and we had to change it. But nothing interesting happened.

4/23: Today we didn't check out water quality because we did it yesterday but we watched him nad fed him, he's eating at a normal pace and normal amount and today we added pond plants to the water and duck weed. 

4/24: We fed Franklin, we fed 3 pellets today and he ate them. 

4/25: Franklin has been seeming to completely eat soooo much more! We replaced the filter today and me and Courtney have decided we need to change the water 

4/26: Today is the day we change Franklin's tank cause its dirty but we havnt checked the water quality yet but we will once we change his tank.

4/29: We messed up the tank water. We tried to use a rock sifter to clean the rocks amd we couldn't get it  to work, instead we moved all the dirt and stuff from under the rocks and stirred up the water, making the whole thing brown. But neither of us could come after school to change it so we have to wait till tomorrow.

4/30: We finally changed the tan today and cleaned everything. The water chemicals are normal and the water looks healthy and clear.

5/1: Water is still good, and we fed him today

5/2: We will have to test the water since we havn't done that in a while but it still looks pretty good, we cleaned his filter too.

5/3: The tank is pretty dirty now...we need to changed the water next week.

5/6 Our water appears to be clear and clean. We tested the water and now we seem to have a probelm with our nitrate and nitrite, so we will have to add bacteria supplements to get the color from purple to blue. But our ammonia is perfect

5/7: Our nitrate was a deeeeeeep purple which is really bad, so we had to change the entire water and tank immediatly. We arent sure what the cause is.

5/8: Water appears clear so I tested it today. We added bacteria supplements to try and make the water quality a bit better

5/9: No new observations today

5/10 After adding bacteria supplements our nitrate and nitrite have gone down alot to the point where our water is healthy looking now. We also used the rock sifter and used it correctly to clean our tank.

5/13: We tested out ammonia today and its fine but our nitrite and nitrate are just a huge problem for us. We're wondering if it is because we feed him alot and its his waste thats causing it, or the light, or if there is something chemically wrong with the water besides those two possiblites.

5/14: Mrs. Ellis  explained to us that it is the turtle's waste and the heat from the lamp that is causing our problems. If our ammonia is fine, then there is nothing to worry about since turtles can withstand much more, chemical wise, than fish.

5/15: Cleaned our tank

5/20: Slowly our time with the turtle is ending. I checked the water quality today and the levels were perfect for ammonia and as for nitrate and nitrite, well they're still the same as they have been but i am not worried about it.

IVB: 
4/9: ammonia .75
4/15: ammonia .50
4/16: ammonia .25. nitrite 0.0
4/22: quality test
 nitrite 0, ammonia: 1.0, total chlorine: 0, free chlorine: 0, total hardness grains: 15 250 pg, total alkalinity: 180, pH: 7.8
4/23: ammonia .25, nitrite 0.0
4/24: ammonia: 1.0, nitrate: 0ppm
5/6: nitrate: 5.0, amonia .25
5/8: ammonia: 0, nitrate: 40, nitrite: 5.0
5/13: ammonia: 1.0, nitrite: 5.0, nitrate: 160
5/17: ammonia 0, nitrite 1.0, nitrate 160
5/20: ammonia 0, nitrite 1.0, nitrate 160, temperature: 25 degrees celcius, pH 7.11

Conclusion Questions

1. Discuss each of the following water quality parameters and explain what it is and why it is important.
Amonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
Temperature:
pH:
Conductivity:
Dissolved Oxygen:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Chlorine:
2) What is the nitrogen cycle and how does it apply to the sustainablilty of the aquarium? Include a picture with your explaination.
The nitrogen cycle is how ammonia is transformed into nitrate. Whenever the fish "goes to the batthroom" it turns into ammonia and that can turn into nitrate with the help of the bateria called "Nitrtosomonas". After that, the the nitrite- from there- will turn into nitrate and is absorbed by plants. How this cycle relates to the sustainablity is by the way ammonia and nitrite will make the fish ill if not corrected and it relates to its health and the water quality.
3) How has your water quality changed over time? Be specific and give examples.
At first we had a major problem with keeping our ammonia in check and never had a problem with our nitrite. The levels of our ammonia ranged from anywhere .25-.75 for the first couple of weeks. Finally we got the hang of it, and bought a light for a heat source. But now our problem is the nitrite and nitrate, we are not sure if it is because of the light and it's heating up the water or if we might be over feeding the turtle or if there is actually something legit wrong with our water, chemical wise. We ended up changing the water a couple times throughout our project and he is doing pretty good.
4) Why is the oxygen/ carbon dioxide cycle important to the aquatic ecosystem? Explain how this relates to local ponds and creeks.
The cycle is very important to the aquatic ecosytem. Without oxygen, the fish will die. Now granted they don't breathe much oxygen because they're a fish but oxygen is important for celluar resporation, which they need to survive. Plus, it helps with photosynthesis and stuff. Without plants, there cannot be any carbon dioxide in the water for the fish. This relates to local ponds and creeks becasue they are a prime example of how important the oxygen/carbon diocide cycle is. With creeks, they have dissolved oxygen.

55) What problems did you face when trying to keep the aquarium stable? How did you solve these problems?
d The water would always get dirty really fast and trying to keep the ammonia levels down was a big problem for us. The only solution we had was to change the water once a week and add chemicals that would reduce the levels of ammonia while still keeping the other chemicals in check. Then once that problem was solved, our nitrite was horrible but mrs. Ellis told us it was just because of over feeding and the light heating up the water.
66) What are 5 educational concepts that you learned through this project?
1-How to measure ammonia levels
--How to measure nitrite and nitrate levels
--How to fix problems by yourself and learning how these chemicals interact with each other and will either kill your fish or let your fish live happily
-- You learned responsiblity and how to properly care for something other than yourself and konwing that it was you and your partner who were able to keep this turtle/ aquatic animal alive.
--That turtles are super hard to keep clean and caring for their water is a tedious task, and ive learned that i will NEVER buy a turtle. Ever.
77) What was the most interesting thing that happened during this project? The worst? the Weirdest?
Well the most intersting that happened was that it hissed and tried to bite at me whenever I was reaching in to grab it because me and Courtney had to change it's water, becasue it was gross. The weirdest was the fact that turtles HISS. and the worst thing was that  IT HISSED AT ME AND TRIED TO BITE ME WHEN I GIVE IT FOOD, LOVE, A LAMP, AND THIS COOL TANK AND THIS IS HOW IT REPAYS ME.
88) What was your favorite part of this project? Why?
I I really like science alot, so my favorite part was testing the water and seeing what I did effect it.
99) What advice would you give next year's students about this project? How would you change this project for the better?
 jJust don't get a turtle, it is a lot of work. Like seriously. They're dirty, expensive to keep up, they smell, they hiss and bite, they move stuff around in the tank, and the nitrate and nitrite are hard to keep up with. Plus they live for 15 years. Buy carefully. The project in itself was actually really cool and fun, I'm not sure how to make it any better!

a

 

Watersheds

What is a watershed?:

An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
OR
An area or region drained by a river, river system, or other body of water.

What logic systems make up the watershed you live in: Lewisville lake

Why is it important to monitor the water quality in the water shed?: because that's where we get our drinking water from and if it has a bunch of toxins or pollution, the we'll be like parts of India with nasty unsanitary water that will make us all sick and can kill us, with the bacteria that's contaminating it

What are benefits our community gets from watershed; we get super clean water and its really nice

Algae search lab

This lab was really cool!! We saw a lot of interesting organisms, we added most of the pond water to our turtle tank and our turtle didn't really do much....but then again he's a turtle and he just chills out. As you can see, Franklin (our turtle) really doesn't care, like about anything, especially about pond plankton! But I do!

Demonstration: oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle

Oxygen during the day at the lake is high because the sun is beating down upon the waters and the heat distributes more oxygen as the water evaporates unlike at night when the moon is out and the sun is on the other side of world, the moon does not give off heat or is able to evaporate water and elevate the oxygen levels. Instead the moon elevates the CO2 levels.

Freshwater Careers

The careers I found most interesting in this video was the water managers, the rangers and the fish librarian.
The fish librarian was really cool because that's a cool job! They keep track of the fish and they are important because what if you need to look up a fish? Have no fear because you can just goto the fish librarian and they'll help you out!!
The water manager was cool because they oversee all the water and how it's being purified and stuff.
And the rangers I think are cool because they're on sight whenever and wherever you need them and they always have cool fun facts for you to learn about whenever you and your family are at a wildlife park and their job consist of also protecting the wild animals that roam America like the cougar or the wolf!

(Pictures in order: fish librarian, Park Ranger and then Water Manager)

Oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic water systems

Oligotrphic is very clear water and has almost not plants, animals or nutrients in its waters.

Mesotrophic is in between oligotrophic and eutrophic! It has a medium amount of plants, animals and nutrients! It's not as Merky as eutrophic waters but its not as clear as olitrophic waters

Eutrophic is where the water is completely Merky and it has an abundance of plants, animals and nutrients.

It is important to understand each of these different types of water because they are the life line of freshwater ecology and must-knows for all of it.
(Pictures in order: oli, meso and eutro)

Lentic Systems

Freshwater ecosystems are divided into two catagories; Lentic and Lotic. But we're gonna talk about Lentic systems.

A Lentic system has well defined boundries and includes lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps and bogs.

• A lake is a body of water where light penetrates to the bottom

Observations of Fish

Observations are an important part of our Freshwater Project. They help me and my partner notice how our aquatic animals lives and behaves in its tank. Our freshwater animal is a redslider turtle. What makes a good observation would be watching and studying their behavior with other fish and watch their interaction. You can always tell who is the boss fish and who are the nonboss fish just by the way the fish swim together and one is swimming alone. This is an important scientific inquiery because it further helps you understand your aquatic enviroment for future knowledge.

Density and temperature demonstration

The demonstration helped me understand how the water temperature is affected by density. The cold water is less dense than the hot water making it hard to mix.

The red represents the hot water and the blue the cold. When the red was placed on top the water turned purple but when the cold was on top of the hot they didn't mix

The Water Cycle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsV7kvyxGQU&edufilter=TkZEbkhj6lafXjw2-aQZcw
^^ Water cycle video

What me and Courtney Clubb have learned is how the water cycle worked, but more in depth from what we originally learned in elemantary school. What helped us alot was Ms. Wood's water cycle closed container that had plastic props in the forms of a mountain that had a stream running down into a plastic lake. We put ice cubes in the top tray which was heated and melted by a lamp (represents the sun) and once those ice cubes melted (rain) it woud drip down into the mountain (precipitation) and create a run off into the stream (run off) the water would stay there until it would evaporate and condensate on the walls of the plastic box.

Water Issues in North Texas

One of the water issues I found that is effecting North Texas is the Exide Lead Plant in Frisco's pollution to the lakes. Exide Lead is polluting North Texas water supply and contaminating fish in Elm Fork and East Forks of the Trinity Lakes. This includes Lakes Ray Roberts and Lewisville on the Elm Fork plus Lakes Lavon and Ray Hubbard on the East Fork. This is really bad considering that the fish may be contaminated with lead and if people fish from these lakes and eat their contaminated catch, it causes a huge problem for pregnant women and children and could harm them. There isn't exaclty much we can do, other than to make more regulations on this plant and be more cautious of what we eat from these lakes- fish wise.

Exide Plant

Protestors want the lead out of the lakes