Ammonia/Nitrate Level

October 18—Create a line graph for your ammonia and nitrate data.  Label the x axis “days” and the y axis “parts per million” and number appropriately.  Use a different color line for each test and provide a key.  Interpret your data.  

I didn't keep up with all of my ammonia and nitrate data, the days we tested it, I lost my chart that we originally created because it wasn't ever turned back into me with the journal check.. 
Heres an example of how it should be though I guess. 

Changes Observed

October 17—What changes have you observed in your ecosystem over time?  This includes water quality, plant and algae growth, fish and other organisms.  Be sure to include a picture of your ecosystem.

Over the time of having my fish tank, I have observed a lot of changes. The water quality has gone back and forth on the nitrate, from testing perfectly, to testing very badly, but all of the fish seemed to waver through and all were very healthy. The plants grew very well, had a few leaves that needed to be pruned off, but overall stayed a very bright green color and became longer. The fish grew bigger bellies, feeding well, all worked together, no aggression or territorial problems, worked well as a community together and all ate the same types of food, they grew in size a little bit over the time that I kept them. I didn't really notice any growth of algae anywhere. The AquaCheck was similar the second time, to the very first time we checked it when the tank was set up. Besides that, no other notable changes were really made.

What Have I learned?

October 16—What have you learned from the aquarium project?  List at least five educational things that you learned.  BE SPECIFIC. How would you change this project for next year?
 
I have learned from the aquarium project:
- The importance of keeping track of everyday changes in a tank
- The importance of nitrate and ammonia levels and the roles they play on the fish
- How the nitrogen cycle works in an aquarium and how easily it can be disrupted
- The role each plant, animal and bacteria plays in the nitrogen cycle and the importance of each role being fulfilled.
- The types of plants that are appropriate for aquariums, what type of fish can live together safely
- Adding bacterial supplements in, instead of just a dechlorinator alone
- Tracking progression of plant growth and fish behavior

Next year, I would be more strict about getting a fish on time, some people took halfway through the class to even add a fish to their tank. I would not allow the super small tanks, each tank should have a filter or bubbler of some sort and be able to actually watch and track more than just a small tank allows. I would allow other aquatic animals other than fish, more turtles, frogs, salamanders, toads, newts, crabs, interesting things like that so that people can experience more than just fish, but besides that, It is a very great project and allows people to learn more about raising a fish tank for people who don't really know what goes into it. 

Aquarium Update

October 15— Update me on your bottle/aquarium.  Refer to your observations and BE SPECIFIC.  What were your water quality test results?  What do these results mean?  What changes have you made to your aquarium as a result? 

 

The only thing new with the aquarium is that the nitrate has raised significantly, ammonia still proceeds to be pretty fine. Just adding in a bacterial supplement every other week, or as needed seems to control the nitrate from rising too high. No other changes have been made, no water changes at all, just refills when necessary. This is the last update of my aquarium, it will be taken down as of 10/21/13 and taking all of my fish and frogs home, plants as well. I contribute the nitrate levels to the plants needed to have the dead ends pruned, and possibly the frogs if I do more research into it. I also believe the frogs make the ammonia waver back and forth. Everything else is well. No guppy babies yet, frogs are very full, fat and happy, very active. Fish are still eating very well. Hopefully they will be okay with moving to a new habitat.

Nitrate was at a 40~

Ammonia was at a 0~

Temperature was at a 76 degrees Fahrenheit 

Invasive Species

October 14—What make a plant “invasive?”  Choose one emergent, one submergent and one floating plant that are considered invasive in Texas.  Provide a picture, brief physical description, and explanation of the problems caused by each.  Why aren’t these plants a concern in their native areas?

Characteristics of an "invasive" plant -

• Produce abundant viable seeds. 
• Produce seeds that germinate and leaves that leaf out early in the spring, and they keep their leaves late into the fall, allowing them to photosynthesize earlier and later than native plants. 
• Have few pests or diseases. 
• May produce chemicals that make it difficult for other plants to grow nearby.
• Invade a wide variety of soil types, moisture regimes and light conditions. Invasives are typically generalists and can be difficult to kill.
• Often produce monocultures over large areas so few other species can reproduce and grow.

Reproduce both sexually and asexually, making it easier for them to spread far and wide.

Common Water Hyacinth 

• Aquatic plant that floats on water
• Thick, shiny, bright green, kidney-shaped 
• leaves; 1-5” in width

Water Hyacinth can double its biomass within a month at optimum temperatures. The combination of floating mats and rapid growth of Water Hyacinth can clog waterways, reduce water flow, impede boat traffic, interfere with hydroelectric power generation, and outcompete native plant communities.

Eurasian Watermilfoil 

• Rooted, submersed, aquatic plant
• Grows in 3-10’ of water
• Grayish-green leaves in whorls around stem
• Feathery appearance

In nutrient-rich lakes it can form thick underwater stands of tangled stems and vast mats of vegetation at the water's surface. In shallow areas the plant can interfere with water recreation such as boating, fishing, and swimming. The plant's floating canopy can also crowd out important native water plants.  single segment of stem and leaves can take root and form a new colony. Fragments clinging to boats and trailers can spread the plant from lake to lake. The mechanical clearing of aquatic plants for beaches, docks, and landings creates thousands of new stem fragments. 

In native areas, these invasive species are not a problem because there is natural competition going on, there are either fish, bacteria, or other things that make sure that these populations do not spread and invade the other things living in the ecosystem. But when these invasive species are entered into a non-native area, there is no competition or ability to drive it away and keep it from spreading so wildly like it is designed to do, therefore it becomes an invasive species and becomes out of control is some cases. 

Water Quality Successes and Problems

October 11— What have you learned about water quality in your ecosystem?  Tell me about your problems and successes with water quality.

I have learned the testing the water quality in an aquarium's ecosystem is very important to create balance. A balanced ecosystem is critical to the health and the survival of my fish and it's a very important cycle that needs to be tracked to ensure the best results possible. Cycling can actually take 4 to 6 weeks to complete though. My problems and success with water quality, I have more problems than successes probably. I constantly have high nitrate levels, and the ammonia fluctuates here and there. I never have any problem with temperature though. My fish are very healthy and plump and active but I believe the dead plant material in the bottom and stuff creates a higher nitrate level than desired. I need to syphon out the bottom, prune my plants back and make sure that there is no decay in there and see if that fixes my problem. Or if I wanted to, just continually add bacterial supplement every week to keep a healthy cycle going, which seems to be working pretty fine. Also the filter cartridge should possibly be changed, it is very filthy! 

Aquarium Update

October 10— Update me on your bottle/aquarium.  Refer to your observations and BE SPECIFIC.  What were your water quality test results?  What do these results mean?  What changes have you made to your aquarium as a result? 

My temperature was 76 degrees, my nitrate tested at a 40, and ammonia is at a .50-1.0, I added in more bacterial supplement, added more water into the tank, The tests aren't coming out great but they are still sustainable to my fish. I still haven't decided about taking the plants out or not, they don't seem to be improving still but they don't seem to be worsening. Fish are very active, they have realized the feeding schedule and are very excited in the morning when the lid is opened. No guppy babies at all yet, still waiting. I don't notice any breeding between the sword tails. Frogs seem happy as ever and are getting plump little bellies. I have been feeding them all mostly blood worms, but I switch to regular tropical fish flakes sometimes too. They are eating every day, small amounts through the classroom period. They only have light on for about an hour and a half though instead of 8 hours like they probably should have. Nothing much really to ever report about the tank, just a back and forth battle between trying to balance out the levels. I am very pleased with how well my fish are getting along. Everything is smooth.

Self-Sustaining Ecosystems

October 9—If we say an ecosystem is self-sustaining, what do we mean?  Does this term describe your aquarium?  Explain your answer.  If it is not self-sustaining, what does it need to become independent?


This photo is of a self-sustaining ecosystem that has been kept alive for 40 years without any human intervention at all.


If an ecosystem is self-sustaining, it just means that it can take care of itself - no human intervention is needed to keep it going. An example could be a pond, river, lake, that is not regularly maintained by humans for feeding or cleaning. 

My aquarium cannot be described as self-sustaining because it is not naturally set up, the fish that I have need to be fed regularly and if the tank were to be left alone for a long time without any bacterial supplements or regular water changes and refills, the water level would become too low and the ammonia/nitrate levels would become too high to sustain any life. 

For my aquarium to become self-sustaining, it would need an automatic feeder for the fish, or something that could be a producer of food for the fish and frogs to live off of, there would also need to be an automatic water refill so that the water levels did not drain out or evaporate. 

Nitrogen Cycle

October 8—Explain in detail the nitrogen cycle and how the animals, plants and bacteria in your ecosystem participate in it.  Is it possible to have a functioning ecosystem without one of these components (plants, animals, bacteria?)  Explain.

The Nitrogen Cycle is the biological process of ammonia (NH3) being converted to nitrite (NO2), and then the nitrite is converted to nitrate (NO3).

Most living animals or fish produce waste, creating ammonia in the tank. The ammonia is turned into nitrite as it decomposes and converts to nitrates that are used by the plants to complete photosynthesis and then releases oxygen into the aquarium. It is not possible to have a functioning ecosystem without one of those components, there has to be a bacteria source to keep everything in check. Without that, the ammonia would rise too high and the fish can become sickly because the water would not be truly going through any form of cycle. 

Aquarium vs. Lake Water Quality

October 7— How do you think your ecosystem’s water quality compares to water quality in a lake.  Explain.  How would it compare to water quality in a river?

The water quality of the lake we tested had a temperature of 64 degrees fahrenheit, a level of 0 nitrate, 0.25 of ammonia, dissolved oxygen was an 8, total chlorine was 0, free chlorine was 0, hardness was 425, alkalinity was 120 and pH was a 6.2

My water quality test results as of 9/4/13 are:
Free Chlorine: 0
Total Chlorine: 0
Total Hardness: 7/120
Total Alkalinity: 240
pH: 8.4
Nitrate: 0ppm
Ammonia: .25ppm 
Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius, 76 Degrees Fahrenheit
Dissolved Oxygen: 8

Overall the difference of my ecosystems water quality compared to a lake, there are some very notable differences. The temperature is much warmer inside, the pH is much higher for my tank, as well as the alkalinity. The water hardness was much lower and the ammonia levels and dissolved oxygen were about the same.  

In a river I would expect the dissolved oxygen to be much greater than 8, possibly more in the 10 or 12 range, the temperature would be warmer, probably more closer to a neutral pH level, no chlorine, so almost a mixture of both my ecosystem and a lake ecosystem. 

Aquarium Update

October 4—Update me on your bottle/aquarium.  Refer to your observations and BE SPECIFIC.  What were your water quality test results?  What do these results mean?  What changes have you made to your aquarium as a result? 

As of 9/30/13, The Ammonia test was at a 0 ppm, and the Nitrates were at a 40 ppm. Temperature is at a constant 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Fish are alert and active as always, the Male guppy chases the female a little bit, but for mating, doesn't seem to be in an aggressive way. I added more bacterial supplement in to improve the nitrate levels but it could be from the dying plant material most likely, needs to be removed soon possibly. Fish are eating in small feedings, I feed them little by little over the course of first period, instead of all at once, so they have a chance to eat. Guppies have small stomachs and can't eat a lot all at once. As of 10/4, the water is running somewhat low again, needs to be added more when we return to school. Everything else seems to be going well, nothing really new to add. Very well running tank.

Dichotomous Key

October 3—Explain how to correctly use a dichotomous key.  What is its purpose?  How did you go about creating your own algae dichotomous key in class?  What problems did you encounter, and how did you solve them?

 A dichotomous key is usually a written device constructed from a series of highly organized statements arranged into couplets. A couplet consists of (typically) two descriptions which should represent mutually exclusive choices (often it is a particular combination of characteristics that determines the difference). Both choices are read and compared with the specimen to be identified. Once a decision is made, that selection directs you to another couplet (either the next in order or one further on in the key), and this process is repeated until a conclusion (successful identification) is reached.


The purpose of a dichotomous key is to take an organism and make note of its features and then look at a dichotomous key to identify what species it is based on its features. 

For creating our our dichotomous key in class, we took algaes and grouped them based on smells, colors, shapes, cell numbers, things like that.

The only problem we encountered was when there was a similar algae that had the same quality in both, we had to change it and make the feature more vague instead of so descriptive. 

Water Quality Assessment Steps

October 2—What is the first step you would take when assessing the water quality of a body of water?  In order, tell me what other steps you would take.  What are the reasons for the steps being done in this particular order?  How would organisms living on or around the water factor into your assessment?


Steps of evalutating a water body:
- Evaluate the site by observation, look for any sewer running into the water or dumping going on.
- Capture and Idetify algae and insecets
- Test the pH, ammonia, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrie and nitrate levels.
- Run a panel of chemical tests

The reason for doing these steps in order is to save time and money, definitive tests are very expensive and you don't want to have to call in specialists to consult a problem if it is something very simple like needed to add more bacterial supplement or add in more plants. 

Organisms living around or in the water play a role because certain algaes are indications of clean water or polluted water. Amphibians are also factors that tell you that the water is clean. 

Dissolved Oxygen Pt. 2

October 1—List two sources of dissolved oxygen.  Explain the cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide in an aquatic ecosystem.  How does time of day affect the amount of dissolved oxygen?

Dissolved oxygen comes from contact with the atmosphere and plants.
Plants and other producers use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. They produce oxygen as a waste product. Carbon dioxide moves from the air into the leaves of plants. Oxygen moves from the 
plant into the air through the leaves. 

The amount of dissolved oxygen is dependent on the plants photosynethesis cycle, dissolved oxygen is highest during the day because the sun gives energy to the plants to complete photosynthesis and create dissolved oxygen. At night, photosynthesis is ceased and the level of dissolved oxygen decreases, and the cycle repeats. 

Dissolved Oxygen

September 30—What is meant by the term “dissolved oxygen?”  Explain how to conduct a dissolved oxygen test.  What level is required for most fish?  What is the dissolved oxygen level in your ecosystem?  What do you think the levels would be in a small pond?  A large river?


Dissolved Oxygen is the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium.


Testing Procedure:
- Pour 250 ml of tank water in a testing vial.
- Remove ampule from box
- Place in vial and press down with enough force to break the tip, it will turn a shade of blue
- Swirl chemicals gently, wait for 2 minutes
- Compare to test examples

Water with less than 3 mg/l will not support any fish life
Above 5 mg/l is good

The dissolved oxygen level in my ecosystem is about an 8:

I think for a small pond, a 5 or 6 would be good.

For a large river I would expect maybe an 8 or 10.

AquaCheck Components

September 27—List the five components of the Aquachek test, explain the purpose of each component, list and interpret your test results.


Free Chlorine - Kills microorganisms most effectively. Chloramine is an invisible compound that fish take directly into their bloodstream through their gills. Fish exposed to this compound experience stress, damaged and burned gills, erratic behavior and sometimes even jump out of the aquarium.

pH Level - Determines if the water is basic, neutral or acidic. Maintaining a pH in the range of 6.1 to 8.4 in marine systems offers a natural, antiseptic effect, helping fish resist illness and also keep coral from calcifying at an accelerated speed. If the pH is in constant fluctuation, or is fixed at a position that is too high or low, it can be harmful to the organisms in the aquarium.

Alkalinity - measure of the capacity of water or any solution to neutralize or “buffer” acids.  This measure of acid-neutralizing capacity is important in figuring out how “buffered” the water is against sudden changes in pH. Alkalinity is important to aquatic organisms because it protects them against rapid changes in pH. Alkalinity is especially important in areas where acid rain is a problem.

Typical Alkalinity Ranges

	(mg/L CaCO3)
Rainwater	< 10
Typical surface water	20 - 200
Surface water in regions with alkaline soils	100 - 500
Groundwater	50 - 1000
Seawater	100 - 500

Bromine - the chemical element of atomic number 35, a dark red fuming toxic liquid with a choking, irritating smell. It is a member of the halogen group and occurs chiefly as salts in seawater and brines. Bromine is found naturally in the earth’s crust and in seawater in various chemical forms. Bromine can also be found as an alternative to chlorine in swimming pools. Bromine is very dangerous if contained in water at all. 

Total Chlorine - The sum of free and combined chlorine

Fish Information

September 26—Tell me about your fish.  Use fish books or the Internet to describe him/her/them and list at least 10 facts on requirements and behavior.

Species: Poecilia Reticulata

Common Names: Guppy, Fantails. 

Originated In: Barbados, Trinidad, Central and South America

Water Conditions: 

Ph: 5.5 - 8.5; 

Temp: 68 - 82°F (20 - 28°C) 

Hardness: Prefers Hard Water, but can survive in soft & neutral water. They can also be kept in Brackish (salty) water.

Temperament: Non-aggressive. Very friendly.

Adult Size: 2 to 2½ inches. Males are smaller

Water Region: guppies will generally swim in the middle & upper regions of the aquarium.

Food: Omnivorous. Guppies have small stomachs and can only consume a little bit of food at one feeding. Should be fed in small amounts at least 3 times daily.

• Guppies prefer a well-planted aquarium. Guppies tend to show richer colors on darker substrates (bottom material). Guppies should be kept in groups of no less than 3 (2 female to one male). 

• When mature, females are larger and rounder than males. Females are dull grey and while males are very colourful.

• Female guppies mature in about 3 months, male mature sooner. 

• A female's gestation period last approximately 4 weeks. 

• Females can store sperm, one mating can produce 4 to 8 sets of fry. (superfetation)

Water Quality Topic

September 25—Choose from the following water quality topics: hard water, acid rain, dissolved oxygen, thermal pollution, and algae blooms.  Research and report on the causes and effects.   

Acid Rain:
Acid Rain is caused by a chemical reaction between compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides when released into the air. These substances rise very high into the atmosphere, mixing with water and oxygen and other chemical to form more acidic pollutants. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dissolve very easily in water and can be carried very far by the wind. Resulting in long traveling distances where it becomes part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog. Human activities are the main cause of acid rain. Constantly releasing chemicals into the air through factories and the burning of fossil fuels.  Some rain can be naturally acidic though. Human activities just worsen it. Damage to crops, trees, lakes, rivers, and animals can result from the washing away of neutralizing materials from acid rain.  Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to damage of trees at high elevations and many sensitive forest soils. In addition, acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation's cultural heritage. Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in an acid lake, is no more dangerous than walking or swimming in clean water. However, the pollutants that cause acid rain—sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x)—do damage human health. Many scientific studies have identified a relationship between elevated levels of fine particles and increased illness and premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis.

Aquarium Update

September 24—Update me on your bottle/aquarium.  Refer to your observations and BE SPECIFIC. What were your water quality test results?  What do these results mean?  What changes have you made to your aquarium as a result?

 The bumblebee platy was found dead yesterday and was possibly sick before I purchased her or just go stuck. I may need to syphon the gravel soon because there seems to be a lot of uneaten food or dead plant material on the bottom. Overall the plants look healthy besides the grass in the back, may need to remove it eventually. The fish enjoy eating the tropical flakes, they eat smaller crushed up flakes better and constantly wait for food to be dropped in when the lid is opened. The male guppy seems to show a little bit neurotic of behavior, swimming up and down and all around the tank. The swordtails are the only fish who somewhat mess with the frogs, they just kinda prod at them every now and then, not sure if in a aggressive manner or just curious though. I believe the latter. The frogs have really livened up, they swim to the top a lot and don't hide out as much. Everything is looking pretty well.  Just waiting to see if there needs to be changes made or not. The temperature is at 78 degrees Fahrenheit  the ammonia is at a .50, and the nitrate is at a 5.0, all of these results are an improvement since the last water quality test! 

Pollution Index Chart

September 23—Explain the purpose of the Pollution Index Chart.  What are its benefits and shortcomings?  Is the pollution index chart a definitive test for water quality?  Explain.  What is the effect of organic pollution on the diversity of algae?  Explain.

The purpose of the Pollution Index Chart is to help viewers understand what types of pollution and qualities of air or waters are safe for certain peoples, animals, and when they should be avoided. EPA has assigned a specific color to each AQI category to make it easier for people to understand quickly whether air pollution is reaching unhealthy levels in their communities. The downfall of this chart is that it does not check for every single quality within the water and is not a exact indicator of pollution in the water, it is a overall general examination of the water quality but not truly in detail enough.

The pollution index chart is not a definitive test for water quality cause there can still be many other problems in the water that this test does not check for, that may need a professional to check out with more expensive procedures. 

The presence of large amounts of nutrients in water promotes the excessive growth of algae in the water. A small amount of organic pollution can be tolerable by the certain algae and fish but when there is large amount or an abundance of organic pollution it can cause many algae to disappear or die off.

Algae

September 20—What have you learned about algae this week?  How do the various species of algae help in determining water quality?  Include 3 pictures of different algae species and 2 facts about each one.

I have learned multiple different types of algae this week, the certain smells that they can produce, which algae's can be found and what they indicate about the water quality and their specific looks. 

Clean water will have a low population of algae but a high diversity of types of algae. More polluted water is the opposite, with high populations of algae and a low diversity rate.


Volvox :
- 500 + cells
- reproduce by forming daughter cells
- blooms in fish hatcheries can damage gills of young fish
- fishy odor


Staurastrum: 
- spikes increase surface area and improve the ability to float
- grassy odor
-blooms create odor issue in drinking water


Anabaena:
- pig pen odor
- odor due to death/decay of algae cells
- chain of mardi-gras beads or tiny grapes
 - even a small population can cause a smell
- blue-green algae/cyanobacterium
- can fix it's own nitrogen
- produces toxins
- blooms kill live stock, fish kills, and can cause skin rashes in humans that swim in water with this type of algae. 

Microscopes

September 19—Insert a picture with the parts of the microscope labeled.  Explain how to focus on an item in high power (hint: you don’t start with the high power objective,) how to make a wet mount and how to correctly stain a slide.  Explain how this lab affected your microscope skills. 


Position your slide underneath the lens, center the specimen under the center of the lens, set the lens to low before turning it on. Focus on the specimen using the coarse knob on low power. Keep the specimen centered and switch to high power

owly to avoid damage to the lens, slide or specimen. Hold the side of the slide when you switch to high power to ensure that it stays in place. Use ONLY the fine focus knob slightly in either direction to focus on high power. 

Get a clean flat glass slide to prepare a wet mount, suck up a few drops of the liquid specimen in a dropper, place one drop of the liquid on the center of the slide, carefully pick up a cover slip and grasp the cover slip by its outer edge. Place the cover slip on top of the slide at a 45 degree angle and let it drop, making sure it matches up with the edges of the slide. 

Prepare the wet mount as normally, use an eyedropper to collect a drop of two of the stain. Place a single drop of stain on the very outer edger of the cover slip on top of your slide. Tear off a small piece of a paper towel and set the paper towel against the opposite end of the cover slip as close to the edge as possible. Wait until the stain has been pulled in between the coverslip and the slide. The stain should completely cover the specimen. After that, remove the piece of paper towel and place the slide on the microscope. Clean the slide and cover slip after finishing the examination. 

This lab affected my microscope skills, by refreshing my memory on which knob does what, the microscopes different power levels, how to stain a slide and how to prepare a wet mount. It just basically re-taught me what I had previously learned in biology classes from middle school and freshman year. 

Amphibian Facts

September 18—List five facts from the Amphibians video we watched in class today (or five amphibian facts from the Internet if you were absent.)  Why are amphibians so reliant on water?  Why are they an important consideration when assessing water quality?

- Toads are dry with knobbly skin, they have poison glands behind their eyeballs
- Frogs are moist and smooth feelings
- Both constantly pulsate their necks for air
-Frogs jump, toads walk
- Both have porous skin, which makes them reliant on water because their skin leaks out all of the water quickly through the pores all over their body
- They both have acute hearing to be able to find a mate
- Wide variety of eye colors and pupil shapes
- Only see in black and white
- Frogs reflect UV light of the leaf, hiding from predators in plain sight
- Skin colors can be a warning sign
- Toads can puff self up as a defensive tactic
- Sticky tongues with an extended reach
- Frogs can create their own anti-freeze and survive temperatures under 0 degrees Celsius
- Closing their eyes helps push their food back in their throat
- Toads hibernate and then migrate to the breeding grounds (where they were born) 
- Amplexus is a term for egg fertilizing and laying
- The presence of frogs or toads is a indiciation that we are doing a good job of preserving wetland habitats and that the water quality is safe and unpolluted.

Aquarium Update

September 17— Update me on your bottle/aquarium.  Refer to your observations and BE SPECIFIC.  What were your water quality test results?  What do these results mean? What changes have you made to your aquarium as a result? 

These results were actually from Friday (September 20th), The Ammonia levels were coming out to about a 1.0 and the Ammonia was at a 40-80 level. These are some pretty bad levels, I am not sure but I think the frogs are creating the Ammonia in my tank. I added more water and added extra bacterial supplement to try and help, might have to do a water change or clean out the gravel if the results continue to worsen. The fish do seem to be pretty happy, the frogs are always very active, swimming up and around all of the plants. All of the fish seem to do well with eachother, no signs of aggression or any particular chasing behavior. The tank water is clear, the plants are bright and alive, maybe a few little slight spots of yellowing but nothing too worrisome. The fish are eating every single morning (besides weekends), just eating either a pinch or two of freeze-dried bloodworms or regular tropical fish food. They tend to stay in pairs with eachother, mostly towards the back of the tank but they like to nip at the plants every now and then. The frogs are always together as well, they don't harm the fish in any way, I always check and make sure that everyone is eating and nobody gets left out. The temperature of the tank is staying consistent. Overall, the fish seem to be pretty content. I worry about the levels of the tank, I don't want to lose any of my babies but I will keep observing closely to make sure that I don't lose any of them. 

Watersheds

September 16—Explain the concept of a watershed.  Which watershed do we live in?  Why is it important to monitor the quality of our local water shed?  What are the benefits our community gets from its watershed?


A watershed is defined as the area of land that catches precipitation (ex: rain and snow) and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake, ocean or groundwater. Watersheds can be on a very large scale or a very small scale. Watersheds provide a powerful study and management unit which integrates ecological, geographical, geological, and cultural aspects of the land. 

We are part of the Elm Fork Trinity Watershed.  



Monitoring is necessary to ensure that our waters can continue to support the many different ways we use these resources and to track whether protection and restoration measures are working. The information gained from monitoring helps with prioritizing the issues to be addressed and choosing the geographic areas in which to concentrate, helping to ensure cost-effective water-resource management.  Any pollution of the water can be tracked down immediately as well and a warning can  be sent out to citizens, stopping a problem efficiently instead of not noticing any problems for a long time. 

Counties involving our watershed: 

• Collin
• Cooke
• Dallas
• Denton
• Grayson
• Montague
• Tarrant
• Wise

Benefits of Watersheds:

• Protecting drinking water quality
• Maintaining property values
• Preventing erosion and sedimentation problems
• Sustaining valuable resources, such as timber and crop lands
• Preserving quality wildlife habitat--upland, wetland, and aquatic
• Providing places for recreation and tourism