My Dichotomous Key

The importance of the key is that it helps directly tell you what water body or bacteria you're trying to identify. They are very helpful in identifying. And this key is one my partner and I made ourselves about 14 different kinds of algae. 

Algae and invertebrates

The algae here is spirogyra. It's a bacteria and it helps filter the water. Some invertebrates I found were clams, snails, baby fish, and scuds. They helps by eating bacteria and filtering water to keep it clean. 

That's a scud. 

Algae

The algae helps regulate oxygen. And provides another food source for some fish and animals. 

Data chart on 4 bottles (dissolved oxygen)

We leave the bottles in the sunlight all day and in the dark all night. 

Oxygen and CO2 cycle

1. Water + co2 ---> sugar + o2 photosynthesis 

2. Sugar + o2 ---> water + co2 cellular respiration 

O2 levels drop at night because of no sun. 

Animals use o2 at night and make it drop more. 

When the sun comes out photosynthesis begins again. 

The more light, the more o2. 

Diary of my Fishtank

9/17 I have 2 Bala Sharks in my tank. I did have 4, but 2 of then died already. The bigger of the 2 sharks sometimes follows the smaller one. But most of the time the smaller one stays by the decoration, and the bigger one stays within the rocks. Our ammonia is very high, needing a water change.

9/18 the ammonia and nitirite are still high even though we changed it yesterday. The 2 sharks still don't eat much, but they're managing.

9/19  Today we had to do a water change because the ammonia was a 1.0. We've had to clean our tank all week because our ammonia has been so high. And it's almost killed the sharks so we moved them to the other tank and they became okay overnight. 

9/20 We had to do a water change again. Just half a tank though. The sharks seem to be doing well and adapting. And we now have 5 clams and they've been opening their mouths which lead us to think that they can feed (good) in the tank. 

9/26 We had a shark jump out of the tank and die last night. So we have 5 clams and 1 shark left. Our ammonia is again really high, but we didn't have time to change it today. So we'll change it tomorrow. 

9/28 we came into class and we had an empty tank. So we found our last shark on the floor, dead. I guess he jumped out too and died. So now we only have clams left and no fish. I won't get fish until we get our tank clean and livable to fish. 

9/29 today we complelty cleaned our tank too to bottom. So hopefully in the next few days it will be a suitable fish tank.

9/30 today we found out that our tank is finally moving through the nitrogen cycle. The nitrite has gone up, and the ammonia is going down. Our clams have dug down in the gravel so we can't see them. But the big clam is doing good. Our tank seems to be pretty stable. And hopefully I'll get some new different fish soon. 

10/1 the tanks water is still moving through the stages of getting clean. 

10/2 it's still getting there. The clams still dig in the gravel, but open their mouths to feed. 

10/4 the water quality is getting close, so we did a half tank water change to move it faster maybe. 

10/6 were thinking tomorrow or the next day adding fish. I'm not sure if I can buy any, so I'll see if my partner can. But the clams are doing great and so is the tank.

10/8 today out water quality was good today and yesterday. So mrs. Wood let us put in fish finally. We took a grey fish with red too eyes and a small almost goldfish fish. 

10/9 the fish are still alive! We gave our clams to our tank neighbors to have. Our tank is still really clear and is going through the nitrogen cycle. We're finally getting the tank healthy. 

10/10 we have to do a half tank water change. The fish seem to be okay in the water cup. And hopefully the nitrogen will go back down like the ammonia did. 

10/13 the water is getting better, no need for a water change. But we'll keep a close eye one it.

10/15 out tank is finally at 0 on the ammonia and nitrate. I'll check the nitrate tomorrow if I have time. But the 2 new fish are doing great and are eating regularly and seem to live happy together. Not much food has built up on the gravel so that's good. But the filter needs to be cleaned off. 

10/16 our water is still good but our nitrate is a little high. So we added water to the tank. So we'll check it tomorrow to see if we have to make a water change. 

10/17 the nitrate did go down. So we don't have to do a water change. The fish are still happy and eating great. 

10/18 today the fish were super excited to eat today and we're swimming around a lot. The ammonia and nitrite are still at 0. 

Fish Day -Largemouth Bass

Scientific name- Micropterus Salmoides

Reproduction- The Bass like to spawn in the shallow waters of about 1-4ft in depth. The water temperature they thrive in is about 63-58 degrees fahrenheit. 

Habitat- most bass live and thrive in lakes, rivers and creeks. They like warmer waters.

Food- bass usually eat anything that doesn't attempt to eat them. So mostly smaller fish, and bugs.

Predator prey relationship- humans prey on bass, bass prey on smaller fish. 

Interesting facts- 1. The female can lay up to 2000-7000 eggs per pound of her body weight. 2. When the baby fish become 1 inch fry, the dad bass abandons them otherwise he'll eat them. 3. Bass live in Texas, and are in Lake Lewisville and the creeks adjacent to it. 

Nitrogen cycle

The nitrogen cycle works by 

-feeding your fish

-fish poops

-poop turns into ammonia bacteria

-then the plants take in the ammonia and turn it into nitrite

-plants release nitrite bacteria

-nitrite turns into nitrate

-nitrate goes to plants and dissolves

-START ALL OVER! 

Algae finds

Today we looked through clumps of algae to find tiny bacteria and organisms. Me and my partner found a couple different things! We found many Scuds, small and large, many rotifers of many shapes and sizes, and some weird worm looking organism that was super tiny. And also we found a bunch of snails to toss into our tank. Here's a few pictures of the Scuds:

One of our snails on a pebble:

So we added 2 large Scuds, 2 rotifers, 4 snails, and a worm. We didn't notice a difference with our sharks when we added these organisms. But we watched the snails come out and slug around. We also didn't notice our sharks having an interest in anything do nothing got eaten haha. So successful all around! 

pond and river video...??

well we didn't watch a pond and river video on Friday...soooo here's a picture of a pond and a river :)

P O N D


R I V E R

yippie

River model

In our river model we have 4 tubs with different environments in them. on day 1 we started by adding six orange and 20 brown minnows to tub #1 (the one on the bottom right corner). we also added a blue crayfish to tub #3 (the one in the top left corner). But it then quickly moved to tub #4 (bottom left corner). 3 minnows have already died, due to being sucked into the filter. 1 of them were fed to the crayfish. Later that day, 1 ghost shrimp was added to tub #3. And 3 brown minnows have moved to tub #2, and two minnows have found their way all the way to tub #4. There should be 23 minnows, 1 blue crayfish, and 1 ghost shrimp left.

Temperature and Density Demonstration

 In the Temperature and density demonstration, we took 4 mason jars and filled two up with warm water and colored them red, and filled two with cold water and colored it with blue. And in the before picture, we put one of the cold water jars on top of the warm and vise versa. also we have note cards in between to stop the mixing of the 2 waters.

Then in the after picture you can see that the jars that had the cold on top had mixed together when you pulled the cars from in between. And that happened because cold water sinks and warm water rises. so when the cold was sinking, the 2 mixed and created purple water. And in the jars that had the warm on top, obviously didn't mix because warm water rises and cold sinks.

This connects to the environment because like in creeks or lakes most fish like to stay in warm water, so fishermen need to know where there is warmer and shallower water, so they know were to fish. Because if its shallower, there is less room for cold and therefore the fish stay towards the surface, and the fishermen have more luck in catching dinner.

Water Issue

My water issue is 'what is point and non-point pollution'. I chose this because it sounded interesting and a real issue we are facing today, with global warming and such. Yes, I have questions for you, in how to tell what it point and non-point. And what each means. 

I haven't worked on my issue yet, so I have no pictures. Sorry :( so here is a picture of pollution instead.. 

my water property

my water property was Buoyancy. me and my partner did an in class presentation, where we demonstrated how things can float in salt water but sink in distilled and lake water. the connection is to show how boats float better in oceans than lakes. I learned that things float better in oceans because of the salt and minerals.


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