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

Freshwater Aquatic Organism

September 13—Choose a freshwater aquatic organisms other than a fish and answer the following: common and scientific name, physical and behavioral description, primary freshwater habitat, diet, major threats facing it or its environment and why you chose this organism. 

The diving bell spider (Argyroneta aquatica) is the only known spider in the world that lives entirely underwater. 

Like other arachnids, it must breathe air, but it provides its own supply by forming a bubble, which it holds by hairs on its legs and abdomen. The spiders must occasionally return to the surface to replenish their air supply, although some gas exchange happens across the surface of their bubbles, so they don't have to come up very often.

The body of the water spider is densely covered in short hairs that trap air when the spider is submerged, and enables the it to transport air bubbles down to a ‘diving bell’ it constructs from silk. Although the water spider is velvet-grey out of the water, when it is in the water the air trapped around its body gives it a silvery appearance, which has been likened to quick-silver (mercury).

A largely solitary species, the water spider is mainly active at night. Males tend to be more active then females and actively hunt their prey. 

The diving bell spider is found in northern and central Europe and parts of northern Asia. An inhabitant of ponds, slow-moving streams, ditches, and shallow lakes, the water spider favors areas where there is plenty of aquatic vegetation 

The spiders can inflict a painful bite that is often accompanied by feverish symptoms. This is the rare type of species that the males are more often larger than the females and more aggressive. They are carnivorous and prey on aquatic invertebrates, such as water mites, water boatmen, and phantom midge larvae.

They are not endangered or threatened in any way, they have plentiful amounts of places to spend their lifespan in. 

I chose this organism because commonly people don't think of spiders to be a freshwater organism but this is the only type of arachnid that lives solely underwater and can be found in freshwater areas, they are quite scary looking but also very unique in the way that they can form their own oxygen underwater and that the males are actually larger than the females. I'm actually very glad that they are not found much in the United States because they would frighten people! 


Research Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_bell_spider
http://www.arkive.org/water-spider/argyroneta-aquatica/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/637282/water-spider

Aquarium Update

September 12—How is your bottle/aquarium progressing?  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? 

Since my last update, I have completely started a new tank. The old tank was having about a 1.0 -2.0 ammonia reading that would kill anything I put in it, I figured it was probably because the filtration system was effected due to the sand so I wanted to start all over. My new tank has been set up for a while, when I tested the water the temperature was 75 Fahrenheit, 25 degrees Celsius, a very safe temperature for fish to live in. There is a working light overhead to supply for the plants as well. The ammonia reading was 0 and the Nitrate was about a 10. These results mean that the tank is stable enough to support aquatic life. With the new tank, I added in multiple new plants that had their roots intact and were freshly green to help with the nitrate levels. I then added in all of my new fish after making sure the water samples came out reasonably. I added in 3 African dwarf frogs, and 7 fish. The fish are different types but 2 are guppies, 2 are sword tails, 2 are platys and 1 is some unknown breed. They are all community fish, none of them are schooling because I didn't have enough space to do a huge group of the same type. They are all tropical and stay fairly small with adult age. They are mixed genders as well so I may possibly have babies expected from them in the future. I immediately put them into the water because the temperature of their water and the tank's water were very similar. They immediately all swam around, exploring the new tank. After they settled they seemed to stay towards the back of the tank, towards the top besides the frogs which are bottom swimmers only going up to breathe air. The plants are staying fairly healthy but keeping a close eye on the grass in the back which has a little bit of the right side turning yellow. Water is clear. I am possibly wanting to add in a light bulb to help the plants grow correctly and produce more vibrant fish colors but that may be just an idea. I fed the fish on Friday and hopefully they will all still be alive on Monday when I can check on them again. There was no aggressive behavior in any of them, they seemed to stay either in pairs or as a small group or individually. The frogs appreciate the plants and decorations and stay close by or inside of them. 

Pond Water Search

September 11—Take pictures of at least three organisms you found in the pond water search today.  If absent, write “absent,” and find three pond organisms on the Internet.  Identify and include an interesting fact on each one.  Add these organisms to your bottle or aquarium and tell me what you observed.

The three organisms we found in the pond water search were: a Giant Water Bug, A Scud/Amphipod and a Water Mite.

Facts about the Giant Waterbug:

• The largest true bug in the world
• can be cannibalistic.
• mating can take several hours, especially in the back brooding species.

Facts about the Scud/Amphipod:

• amphipods are often mistaken for tiny shrimp, which they resemble.
• Many amphipods are brightly coloured—red, pink, yellow, green, or blue.
• Most amphipods are active swimmers, being propelled by three pairs of abdominal appendages
• Amphipods have compound eyes, like crabs and insects; however, the eyes of amphipods never occur on stalks.

Facts about the Water Mite:

• often brilliant coloration. Scarlet, orange, red and yellow mites are common, and are extremely visible against a background of green water plants.
• Eggs are laid under water either on the surface of substrates such as stones or vegetation, or inside living plant tissue 

Freshwater Careers

September 10—Choose three freshwater careers from today’s video or the careers document on schoolweb.  Explain what each person does and why their job is necessary for our environment.  Include a picture representing each career.

A wildlife biologists studies the living organisms in an ecosystem. It's important to study living organisms to understand how they function and how we can preserve them.  The importance of this career is that they track hunting patterns as well as animals that are endangered and put up protective barriers if possible to conserve them. This term is used interchangeably with a wildlife ecologist, as they do very similar jobs.

A wildlife ecologist studies animals, especially animal populations, and seeks to identify ways in which those populations can be helped. The main objective of an ecologist working in this setting is to promote healthy animal conservation. Which also means studying the types of habitats they live in. 

An entomologists studies insects. Entomologists may look at insect behavior, morphology, nutrition, and ecology. They can also study the ways in which insects interact with other animals and agricultural sites
The study of entomology can provide interesting clues into the history of life on Earth, and it can also be used to make projections about the future. Entomologists can participate in a wide range of projects, ranging from genetically engineering insects which attack crop pests to looking at the role that insects play in the life cycles of many plants.

Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic and Eutrophic

September 9—Find pictures online of oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes.  Relate these terms to the concept of ecological succession.  How are these terms helpful in the study of freshwater ecology?  Which term describes your aquarium/bottle?  Lewisville Lake?

Ecological succession is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. 

The terms oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic can be used to determine the age of lake. Basins with infertile soils release relatively little nitrogen and phosphorus leading to less productive lakes, classified as oligotrophic. Mesotrophic lakes have a medium amount of PAN, informing scientists that the lake is medium in age. Eutrophic lakes have the highest amount of PAN. Scientists can determine that eutrophic lakes are the oldest of all the lakes.

Degraded ponds and lakes by understanding this knowledge can help with targeting the 'source'of the problem, not just its 'symptoms,' the need for harmful chemicals can lesson, saving money and time.

  In my aquarium, it would be considered mesotrophic while in Lewisville lake would be considered eutrophic. This is due to the fact that Lewisville Lake has very murky brownish water that you can hardly see only a few feet down, with sediment building up much along the lakes and floor. In my tank it is fairly clear and able to see through but does have the thermocline present and established plants that create necessary nutrients.

Freshwater Ecology

September 6—What is meant by the term “Freshwater Ecology?”  Why is it important for us to study it?  What are the differences between a pond and a river?  Give at least three from either the video we saw in class or your own research on the Internet.


Freshwater ecology is a specialized subcategory of the overall study of organisms and the environment. Ecology refers to the study of not just organisms but how they react, and are affected by the natural surrounding environment or ecosystem. By studying the plants and animals in a body of water as well as the components of the water itself, a scientist specializing in freshwater ecology can discover vital information about the health and needs of a freshwater system. Freshwater ecology can give roughly accurate ideas of how populations of plants or animals are surviving in their environment. Although most of the work is based on probabilities and population graphs rather than literal census taking, freshwater ecologists can give a fairly clear picture of which way a species is going, and identify key factors that determine its situation. The work of freshwater ecologists can be used to determine the viability of a new drinking water source, or test a current water source for possible contamination.

A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. Usually they contain shallow water with marsh and aquatic plants and animals.Ponds can result from a wide range of natural processes. Any depression in the ground which collects and retains a sufficient amount of precipitation can be considered a pond, and such depressions can be formed by a variety of geological and ecological events. A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward the ocean, a lake, or another stream. Rivers often leave behind ponds in natural flood plains after spring flooding, and these can be very important to breeding fish. A river begins at a source (or more often several sources) and ends at a mouth, following a path called a course. The water in a river is usually confined to a channel, made up of a stream bed between banks.

Water Issue Presentations

September 5—
What did you learn during the water issue presentations?  Give at least 5 good facts you learned.  Which presentation was the best in your opinion, and what made it so good?  Looking back, what could you have done better on your presentation?


Some of the random facts learned from the water issue presentations are:
- A 12 oz steak takes 645 gallons to produce compared to a salad that takes only 14.079 gallons
- Point pollution comes from a single source, Non-point pollution comes from land run off or precipitation, multiple sources.
- To conserve the lakes and water pollution you can use low phosphorus detergents for laundry
- With global warming some of the fish can die simply from too high or water temperature
- Zebra mussles are an extremely invasive species measuring about 2 inches long, they are more of a nuisance but can allow the littoral zone of lakes to become more fertile as well
- Prescription drugs can be passed into the water through excretion and disposal. 
- Unclean water can feminize fish by estrogen being contained in birth control pills or fertility treatments.
- Marcus High School used about 51,750 gallons of water in a day last year. Has an automated irrigation system, and has 16 water meters on the campus currently.
- Lewisville drinking water comes from the Lewisville Water Works
- Dams have an electric generator with turbines that are moved by the water.
- The Lewisville Lake Dam is deteriorating and considered high risk but cannot be repaired until 2017-18 and will cost 100 million dollars to fix. 

In my opinion, The presentation that spoke about the water use at Marcus was the best because they had a full interview with the principal himself that gave out a lot of facts and stats and they had the most reliable information in the presentation. I enjoyed that they had a video of the principal speaking himself instead of just writing down his answers, they were well prepared as well. 

In our presentation, I think the only thing we could have done better is if my partner had been able to send me the photos of his parents that he interviewed, and if we could have maybe had better information to relate it back to the Highland Village/Flower Mound community but overall I think that our PowerPoint was clean and informative and that it went over well with all of the speaking and reading and class participation 

Aquarium Progress/Water Quality Results

September 4—
How is your bottle/aquarium progressing so far?  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? 

So far I do not have any fish or frogs in my aquarium yet. The water is consistently clear with all of the equipment working properly such as lights and aerator. The newly bought plants are producing dead material on the substrate that I have to continue to clean up. I believe the death is possibly due to the root damage that they experienced when unwrapping them from the pet store. I also believe they are causing a higher ammonia level in the tank currently. I may remove the plants completely if they become any worse with their browning leaves. The grass in the back with the fully intact roots seems to continue being the healthiest overall. The temperature is consistent with the placing of the tank in the room. Hopefully soon I will be adding the frogs into the tank.  

My water quality test results:
9/4/13 
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

These results mean that the tank is currently safe enough to have fish in it, The pH indicates that the tank is not exactly neutral but leaning into more of a base. The temperature is in the safe zone for most tropical fish as well.
I have not made any changes to the aquarium yet but if the plants continue to show signs of death, I will be removing them quickly. 

Ammonia and Nitrate Test

September 3—Explain how to conduct an Ammonia Test and a Nitrate Test.  Where do these substances come from?  What are the effects on aquatic life?

To conduct an Ammonia Test, you first add 5ml of water from your aquarium and add it to a water testing tube. You then place 8 drops of Ammonia test # 1 and #2 into the tube keeping the bottle vertical while dropping. Gently swirly the tube and then wait 5 minutes to read your results, getting results in the yellow is the goal but 25 is acceptable for fish to live in as well. If the ammonia is too high you need to add more bacterial supplement into your tank.

To conduct a Nitrate test, you need 10 drops of Nitrate Test #1 into another 5ml aquarium water sample in a test tube and then swirl it together. Shake the #2 Nitrate test bottle for 30 seconds and then add 10 drops to the water sample, and then swirl for a minute. Wait 5 minutes and then read the result shown. Up to 40 is alright.  If the Nitrate is bad, you need to clean your rocks, add plants, add bacterial supplement and at the most do a 1/2 water change. 

Ammonia is most often comes from animal waste, but it also occurs naturally with trace amounts found in the atmosphere. Uneaten fish food and decaying algae also release ammonia.

Nitrates come from nitrogen where it takes a different form in both plants and animals. Nitrates can come from nitrogen based fertilizers, septic systems and manure storage areas. Often Nitrogen is caused by simply having ammonia in the water as well. 

Ammonia is a tissue irritant, causing real problems for delicate areas such as exposed gill tissue. The gill tissue responds to this irritation by hemorrhaging, with the delicate filaments thickening and clumping together — a condition called hyperplasia. The vast reduction in surface area caused by the clumping reduces a tropical fish’s ability to absorb oxygen from the water. In addition to their undesirable state of affairs, any oxygen that is absorbed is done so suboptimally, as the presence of ammonia reduces the blood’s carrying capacity.

Nitrate poisioning presents itself only in the the latter stages of the poisoning process. General listlessness, lack of feeding reflex, erratic swimming and behaviors, and overall poor health are all signs of nitrate poisoning.

My tank tested with a 25 on the Ammonia and a 0 on the Nitrates