Self-Sustaining Ecosystem

The dictionary definition of "self-sustaining" says that it's something's ability to support itself without help from anything else. Every ecosystem needs some help in the beginning, but some can go a very long time without any help from an outside party. My ecosystem that I live in is self sustaining because it doesn't need any help from humans to help it survive. The sun provides nutriens and heat while the rain provides the water everything needs to grow.

Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle starts off with the fish eating their food. The fish then produce carbon dioxide and ammonia. While the carbon dioxide goes to plants and the atmosphere, the ammonia gose to the nitrosomonas bacteria which turns it into nitrites. The nitrites then go to the nitrobacter bacteria to be turned into nitrates which is then removed from the ecosystem by plants and water changes.

Each of these parts are a very important part of the cycle. Without any of them the cycle would not be complete, especially without the fish because they start the cycle. Without plants and water's contact with the atmosphere there would be a high carbon dioxide concentration in the ecosystem. Without nitrosomonas there would be high ammonia levels with would kill the fish. Without nitrobacter there would be high levels of nitrites which would also kill the fish. And finally, without plants and water changes all of these chemicals would be in high amounts which would be good for nothing.

Tank Update 5/10

I cleaned out my tank yesterday and cleaned out the filter the day before so it wasn't as dirty. The water was still a little cloudy but it wasn't brown. My turtle has been very hungry recently. At least he isn't eating the minnows. There are still two left. They spend a few minutes apart and then they go back together.

Dichotomous Key

To use a dichotomous key, you start with question one, then you see which option applies to what you're looking for. Then you go to the question that that option leads you to until it stops at the answer. When I created my dichotomous key I started with the algae that had the least characteristics then went on so it narrowed down and made it easier to finish. Making the key was actually way easier than I thought it would be. I didn't really have any problems.

Water Quality

The water quality steps are:

1. Evaluate site by observation
2. Capture and identify algae and insects
3. pH, ammonia, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, and nitrate tests
4. Run a panel of chemical tests (definitive tests, most expensive)

The reason for doing these steps in this particular order is by doing it least to most expensive. If you can figure out the problem early on then you can skip the most expensive tests.

Dissolved Oxygen Sources

Two sources of dissolved oxygen are plants in the water and the waters contact with the atmosphere. As shown above, the cycle of CO2 and O2 change from day to night. During the day there is more oxygen in the water because that's when the sun is out and plants are able to go through photosynthesis which releases oxygen. During the night time cellular respiration takes place which produces carbon dioxide.

Dissolved Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen is oxygen that is in the water. To conduct a dissolved oxygen test you need the kit and your tank water. First you get about 25 ml of your tank water in the special cup, then take the glass tube and stick the skinny side in the cup in the ridges on the bottom and break off the tip. The water from the cup will go into the tube and the liquid will change from yellow to blue. Then you take out the tube and swirl it and wait 5 minutes. Then you compare it to the color card in the kit to determine your dissolved oxygen level. All fish can live in 5 mg/l and up but under that is when the fish start to lose oxygen and die. The dissolved oxygen level in my tank was about 1.5 so I added more plants and filled it with more water so the filter would continue to move the water which would create more oxygen. A small pond would definitely have a smaller D.O level than a large river because the river has flowing water and the pond's water isn't moving.

Aquachek

Unfortunately I was no there for the Aquachek so I do not know how to conduct one.

My Turtle

This is my turtle, Squirtle. He is a slider turtle and he lives in my tank in my aquatic science class. 

1. Slider turtles can carry salmonella so I have to wash my hands after I stick my hand in the tank to avoid getting sick. 

2. They need larger tanks so they can swim around 

3. It's nice if they have some minnows in their tank to chase and eat and keep them company.

4. The water in the tank should be at least as deep as the shell is long

5. He needs a basking spot and a basking light so he can spend some time out of the water and get warm

6. He needs to be fed everyday 

7. If you put him in an outdoor pond it must be  escape-proof

8. You have to have a filter if you're keeping the turtle indoors

9. A siphon is needed to change out the water usually every other week

10. They need a hiding spot so they can have a space where they feel safe from predators

Research Experience

Being sick meant I wasn't able to attend the Dallas World Aquarium field trip which made me sad. But I got to stay home and do research. I work faster when I work alone. I also didn't have to use my own pictures from the aquarium because I didn't go. This meant that I could do any animal I wanted to for any of the topics and not worry about if I took a picture of them or if I observed them. I was also able to cover an animal that apparently was unavailable to the people who went to the aquarium which made my research a little different than the others.

Tank Update 4/30

Unfortunately I was sick on this day. But on May 2nd, the water was very dirty. It was a brownish color and Squirtle the Turtle wasn't moving around very much. The fish weren't moving very much either. After I got back to school and cleaned out the tank (no thanks to my partner) they were all swimming around and seemed very happy.

Pollution Index Chart

This chart helps us calculate how polluted our water really is. If done properly it can help you understand where your pollution is coming from and you can help stop it. If you mess up the math or misinterpret what kinds of algae are in the water, you could try and fix the problem but end up making a bigger one instead. The pollution index chart is only to test algae count in the water. You should still perform routine ammonia and nitrate tests.

Algae

Different algae can be harmful to the environment. Different types of algae can give off different signs if it's overabundant. For example, volvox gives off a fishy odor and anabaena gives off a pig pen smell.

Rivularia has a slimy coating around it and it is a filament.

Spirogyra gives off a grassy odor when overabundant and it is also a filament.

Anabaena is classified as cyanobacteria and gives off a pig pen odor when overabundant.

Microscope

To focus on an item using a microscope you always start with the scanning lens. When you focus on that lens you can move up to low power and then high power. This will ensure that you get an accurate view of the object and it will keep you from trying to focus on high power for a long time. 

To make a wet mount slide you first get your slide and add one drop of water using a pipet. Then you place an object on the slide. Next you carefully lower the cover slip onto the slide (try to avoid air bubbles for a more accurate view). Lastly you absorb the excess water with a paper towel and you're ready to view.

To stain a slide you prepare a wet mount slide (as explained above) then you use the pipet to get a few drops of stain. Next you place a single drop of stain on the outer edge of the cover slip. After that you take a paper towel and set it against the opposite side of the cover slip, this will pull the water out and suck the stain under the cover slip. If the stain does not come all the way through, add another drop of stain to the cover slip.

Amphibians

1. The difference between frogs and toads is that frogs are smooth and toads tend to have much bumpier skin.

2. Amphibians were the first four-limbed vertebrates.

3. Their skin is protected by a layer of mucus.

4. Amphibians breath through their skin.

5. More than 75% of all toads and frogs live in the tropical rain forests.

Amphibians live most of their lives in the water. They have to be moist at all times so the quality of the water they live in is incredibly important.

Tank Update 4/23

I added in my turtle and five minnows last Friday. Over the weekend the turtle ate three minnows so there's only two left. Yesterday he ate a lot because he went the weekend without being fed but today he's not eating as much as he did, but at least he's eating. There were three snails in the tank last week but I can't find them anywhere. They might have climbed out of the tank or the turtle ate them.

Watershed

A watershed is a place where all water flows. So technically we're all in a watershed. We live in the Elm Fork of the Trinity River watershed. If the quality of our watershed is bad then our environment will be bad. Plants will have a hard time surviving which will cut down on our oxygen and make our quality of life much worse. 

Watersheds have benefits. Watersheds protect water quality, maintain property values, prevent erosion and sedimentation problems, help sustain valuable resources like timber and crop lands, preserve good quality wildlife habitats, and provide places for tourism and recreation.

Matamata

Scientific Name: Chelus fimbriatus

Description: Very good at keeping still, very well camouflaged because of the color of it's shell and skin. They have a snorkel-like nose so they aren't as obtrusive when breathing.

Habitat: They prefer to stay in shallow water and put their noses up to the surface for air when needed but they are very good swimmers when they have to be.

Diet: They are carnivores and eat live fish

Threatened: There is no threat to the turtle at the moment but who knows what could happen to their environment. They live in the Amazon so they're pretty safe from endangerment.

Why I chose this organism: The matamata looked really cool, like nothing I've seen before so I decided to learn more.

Tank Update 4/18

The tank is doing just fine. The water was good and I added plants to help with the nitrate level. The scud from yesterday has grown a little bit to where he can easily be seen. The water quality came out really well. The nitrate level was 10 and the ammonia level was 0. I'm thinking about adding in the turtle next week.

Pond Water Search

The first organism I found was a scud. They are close relatives to crayfish and shrimp. They like shallow water and are more abundant in areas with no fish. An interesting fact about them is that they are most active at night and swim on their sides. After I put him in my tank I noticed that he likes to swim to the top of the water then slowly float down.

The next organism I found was a snail. Pond snails can cover part of their oxygen needs by tissue breathing which helps them live in the water. Although they live in the water they still have lungs. When I put the snail in my tank he liked to stay on the edge of the tank near the surface of the water.

The final organism I found is , I think, a mosquito larvae. They have an air tube to breath through while they're in the water. I believe this picture is of the other end because it's rounder. It was very tiny so why I put it in my tank I had a hard time finding it again.

Careers

Freshwater biologists study the environment and the living things that live in freshwater ecosystems. They are the reason we know so much about different types of algae and the different plants and animals that live in the different freshwater ecosystems.

Entomologists specifically study the insects that live in certain ecosystems. They are the reason the we know about all the different bugs that live around us and which ones to stay away from.

Botanists study the plants that grow in certain ecosystems. Without them we wouldn't know which plants were bad to be around or eat, which plants attract bugs or which ones are good to have around the house.

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is basically a change in the structure of an ecological community over a period of time. The three pictures above show the changes a lake can go through that make it a part of ecological succession. These different stages of the lakes "life" can vary and they can be restored to a different stage. Different aquatic organisms can live in these different lakes, which makes it a big part of freshwater ecology. My aquarium would most likely fall under the eutrophic lake category because it has a larger gravel to water ratio than the other aquariums. My turtle tank is only halfway filled with water and 1/4 of the water is taken up by gravel.

Freshwater Ecology

Freshwater Ecology is basically the study of freshwater organisms and how they react with each other and their environment. This can help students study population, communities, and interactions using a smaller body of freshwater. Freshwater ecosystems are essential to our society because it's where we get most of our drinking, bathing, and household water from. A pond is a standing body of water where light reaches the bottom. A river is a moving body of water. 

Water Issue Presentations

For the most part, the groups did a good job on their presentations. Here are five things I learned from watching the presentations

1. The bathrooms at Kid's Kastle are sprayed down with chemicals that are washed into the neighboring pond.
2. The Three Gorges Dam moves so much water that it can slow the rotation of the Earth.
3. Global warming is causing more rainfall in many regions.
4. Global warming is causing intensified evaporation in South Africa and the Mediterranean.
5. There is a lot of sludge in the Kid's Kastle pond

I think the people who did the presentation on Kid's Kastle did the best job. They really covered their point and they took the time to go there and video the bathrooms and the bleaching in the grass. They interviewed one of the moms that was watching her kid. They really went for it and did everything they could to make a great presentation. I think what I could have done was made my partner do some of the work. I did the power point and I should have worked with him even if he was going against everything I thought would make a good presentation.

Tank Update 4/10

Our tank is doing alright. We haven't put a turtle in it yet because our water test wasn't the best it could be. Our ammonia was 1.5 and our nitrate was 10. The nitrate wasn't bad but the ammonia was, so we put some bacteria supplement in the water. We also added some AquaClear to make the water clearer and that seemed to help a lot with the turbidity of the water.

Ammonia and Nitrate Tests

Conducting regular ammonia and nitrate tests on your home aquariums is very important, especially before you add fish to the water. If the ammonia or nitrate levels are too high, the fish could be affected in a negative way, such as negative reproduction or death to adult fish.

To conduct an ammonia test you need ammonia bottles #1 and #2, a test tube, pipette, and your tank with water in it. First you rinse the tube out with water from your tank in order to conduct an accurate test. Then you fill it up with 5 ml of tank water. Next, you add 8 drops each of ammonia bottles #1 and #2. (Holding each bottle upside down ensures all the drop sizes to be the same.) Then you swirl the liquid and wait five minutes to determine the color from the card in your ammonia test kit.

Conducting a nitrate test is a little different. You'll need nitrate bottles #1 and #2, a test tube, water from your tank, and a pipette. You need to rinse your test tube and fill it to 5 ml just like you did for the ammonia test. Next you'll add ten drops of nitrate #1 and swirl it together. Next you'll shake nitrate #2 for 30 seconds then add ten drops of that into your tube. Swirl the tube for one minute then wait five minutes to see the color on the card.

Observations

A good observation consists of information that isn't something a two-year-old could figure out. It's something that helps you better understand the working of the tank and the fishes inside it. An inference is something that you can guess from looking at the tank.


I can make several observations from just looking at a picture of this tank in my aquatic science classroom. The orange fishes love to group together and the big black fish just swims around on it's own, as well as the silver fish. The back of the tank is dirty and the water is clear. The rocks and the plastic plant are placed together so the fish can hide and play around them. Judging by the size the dark fish is we can infer that the fish are well fed.

Water Issues Project

My water issues project was on the benefits and consequences of dams. I chose this topic because I knew a little about it but I wanted to know more about what the purpose of dams were and how they impact our environment. I learned that dams can be both a good and a bad thing. Our society needs to understand that although dams can have a positive influence on our lives, we can go overboard. The Three Gorges Dam (pictured above) is the largest dam in the world. Studies show that because it can shift enormous amounts of water, it has the potential to actually slow the rotation of the Earth.

Water Property Demo

I did a demonstration on pH in water. What I did was I set up four clear plastic cups and filled one cup each with plain yogurt, water, apple juice, and vinegar. The point I was making was that you can see if something is acidic according to how much it bubbles when you put a small spoonful of baking soda in the substance. It went really well and I think it was a good way to show how to measure acidity. 

I learned a few different things from watching the demos. I learned that oil sits on top of water because it's less dense. I learned that salt water is a solution. Salt water is more dense than regular water and is more conductive of electricity. And I also learned that a balloon filled with water has a higher specific heat than a balloon filled with air.

Tank Set Up

It's time to actually set up our tank. We washed our gravel and the tank with water and put it in the tank. We then filled it up halfway with water. The next day we put in a few plastic plants and a rock with a hole in it so when we get minnows for our turtle to chase, they have a place to hide so they can "play hide-and-seek". After that we tested the ammonia and nitrate levels in our tank. The nitrate was fine but the ammonia was pretty high so we added some bacteria in the water to bring it down. We also added some Aqua Clear to the water to make it clearer.

Aquarium Plans

For mine and my partner's aquarium we are planning on keeping a turtle. We will catch one in a pond and transfer it to our aquarium in the classroom, along with about five minnows for him to chase around. We already have a few plastic plants and gravel in the aquarium and we are going to find a rock type thing to stick to the side of the aquarium for him to lay on when he doesn't want to be in the water. 

Round Robin

The round robin activity was a great way to introduce the freshwater unit to our class. One topic we had was negatives and positives of living near any body of water. Some of the positives were transportation, swimming, being able to learn about the underwater life, and the sounds of the waves actually calms the mind. Some negatives were storms, water damage to homes, and erosion of the coast.

Ways to conserve our freshwater resources is by turning off the sink when you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, and avoiding baths. These are all simple things that anyone can do no matter your age.

Some uses of freshwater are irrigation, hydroelectric power, drinking, bathing, and recreation. Water is a very versatile resource and it will always be around in some form or fashion.