Visual Obituary of the fish

Conclusion: Interactions of Abiotic Factors

The aboitic factors that were within our three leveled eco column were:

• The dcomosing material within the decomp chamber.
• The rocks within the fish habitat.
• The soil within both the decomp and top soil chambers.

These abiotic factors within the eco column are essential to the flow of nutrients, therefore they would affect the data. Several trends were noticed in the data:

• As the decomp chamber decomposed, the pH of the water also rose. This could be attributed to dead flies that could decompose and fall into the fish chamber.
• Turbidity would be affected by the bits that fall down through the holes in the bottom of the decomp chamber, Turbidity did go from 0 to 41.3 in just 7 days.

Conclusion- comparioson to...

We compared ours to Sarah Metz's. Ours, I think overall did better. At first they had no grass growing because they made mud instead of soil and the grass only grew like 1 or 2 blades after a couple days ours grew much more. And our fish lived longer. I think some of the contributing factors would be the fish itself. Ours was much larger and seemed healthier than theirs when first transferred. also there is tank size and feeding, we definitely feed ours more. As for the grass when they first got the soil they way over watered it so it took the grass a week to grow. although for ours it was the opposite at times we found our soil very dry but it regardless grew more than theirs. as for the decomp. chamber I think ours did better because we had many fruit flies but also a flourishing spider that kept decomposition going by killing flies.

What we would do different if we had the chance to do it again.

If we could redo our eco-collum then we would make each section a little bit taller. Then we would have improved our decomp chamber by putting in some decomposting fruit along with one or two more spiders. Then we would put a cover over our grass chamber so water that evaperates get trapped and drop back down as water. A green house, per say. Then the last thing we would do, would be to increase the holes that the water uses to flow in between each chamber.

What is the most important thing we learned from this experiement

That we can not sustain life in an eco-column. But being serious, we learned that with the right quantitys and qualitys, life is possible to sustain in a self preserving eco-column. Along with a little added food here and there. We also learned how an ecosystem works at a much smaller scale.

problems/ errors, unexpected observations, and modifications

Now while doing this experiment we found that we never had problems or errors with our data and with conducting the tests. Now we did find a very peculiar, clear, substance floating on the entire surface of our aquerium chamber. We did not modify anything throughout our experiment.

Watering Patterns

Data Graph

Conclusion- Interactions

The interactions of the 3 different chambers observed were interesting. The uppermost chamber, the one with grass in it, seemed to exist all it's own as its health didn't seem to be affected at all with any changing conditions in the other 2 chambers. this could be because it is on the top and not much can leak up, besides gases and those didn't do any damage. It seemed only affected when it didn't get watered. The middle chamber, the decomposition chamber seemed to both help and hinder the bottom aquarium chamber because when the chamber would drip into the one below it it gave much needed bacteria that was needed to help decompose waste but later it became waste when there became too much bacteria in the water and it started to pollute the water. the grass helped to absorb gases given off by biotic processes.

Conclusion-biotic factors

The 2 biotic factors in the bottom level, the aquarium, were 2 aquatic plants and a goldfish. As the experiment was conducted it was obvious that the health of the fish and plants were declining. Based on the observations made of the browning and falling of of the plants' leaves and steams, also yellowing water and declining water quality based on Ammonium Nitrate and turbidity testing. This was confirmed when the fish itself died and the plants fully fell apart. Although another theory is that maybe the fish's death was caused by starvation, not getting feed for 4-5 days can do that to a fish. then the increased bacteria level due to the decaying fish could have caused further plant death and worsening water quality. The decomposition chamber however seemed to have flourished. With an immense increase in Fruit flies the small spider we put in the chamber, Mr.Chuckles, seemed to grow bigger, flourishing, and on the last day it looked like it had even layed a sack of eggs on the side of the chamber, although it had to be destroyed when the chamber was cleaned out. On the top level the grass itself did well. It was not super thick and abundant but it got very tall and grew very fast, when watered. At the end though, when we hadn't watered it for several days, the soil became dry and the grass appeared droopy. So overall it seems in order of worst to best the health of the Eco-column's biotic factors saw the aquarium chamber as the worst off, with the grass next, and the decomposition chamber as doing the best.

Quantative Data Table

Summary of First and last Day Readings.

Ont he first we started (5-18-10), when we took our first water quality tests the results were scarily suprising. Our Ammonium Nitrate test was so bad that all we could put for a reading was >2.5. Unfortunatly it has remained so all the wat to the last test and we have zero guesses as to why. Luckily, and shockingly, our pH level faired much better. Staying consistently around 7, the first day read 7.1 and only increased by .8 to 7.90. Again no guess as to why this is. The Dissolved Oxygen level of the first day was 3.5 mg/L with a big drop to .7mg/L on the latest test. Probably due to increased bacteria levels in the water. Our next test was turbidity. with a first reading of 0 we were happy about the overall water quality. But with a second reading of 33.4, that was obvious just by looking at the water, it was no question that the water was no longer sutible for a fish. This was probably due to the decomposing fish and plants in the water. temperature remained relativley the same with a first reading of 21.4 degrees C. and a last reading of 20.6 degrees C. Low Range Nitrate testing stayed low with a begining reading of .176 mg/L and a decreased last reading of 0. with these tests it's not hard to see that no fish would be able to live in the hostile enviroment that we set up, especially if it was on a larger scale.

6/8/2010, sadness on the day of destruction.

Today I have sad news. Tillamock has...(sob)(hiccup)(sob)...DIED! Date of death unknown, as we came in today to find our beloved goldfish dead, floating at the bottom of the tank.The water itself has developed a filmy substance coating the surface of the water. And it smells like a sewer. Plants gone along with the fish. My guess is death by starvation. We did just get out of a 3 day weekend and even I know that no fish can survive that long with no food and decreasing water quality. Good news on the Decomposition front, Mr.Chuckles LIVES! The Decomp. section has been attacked with a swarm of fruit flies but he still fights bravely and it appears that an egg sack has developed on the side of the chamber as a call for reinforcements. I am proud of Mr.Chuckles it appears he has grown with the healthy gorging of fruit flies. The grass is still growing although at a rate slower than before and not enough watering appears to have rendered the grass, in absence of a better word, depressed. It appears the overall health has decreased. But fear not for today the Eco-columns get disassembled. Forever Saddened.

Observations 5-25-2010

There are also several observations that were made on the last day of testing:

• The fish began to turn black, we do not exactly know why the fish is.
• Also the fish has some kind of growth on the fish's nose, just above the mouth.
• The decaying material in the decomposing section is doing well, and falling apart. 
• The spider has been even more productive in its web building, and appears to be doing well.
• The water in the fish area has become a little more murky, but that is to be expected.
• The grass in the top section has grown exponentially, and has even grown down into the decomposing section
• The plant that was in the fish section has been slightly torn apart, as the fish was not fed for a while.

Eco Column Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NJMUWyc86w

Observations 5-18-2010

5-18-2010:
On the first day of two that were made for checking the status of the Eco Columns. Some interesting observations of the first day are:

• The fish did take a while to get used to the small space that it now had to occupy, but that of course is a natural reaction to a scenery change.
• The water remained clear in the fish section of the eco column.
• The grass had not grown just yet.
• The spider has made quite a lot of new webs in the middle section

Survival 5-25-2010

On the morning of My 25th, we all came into the classroom to find that most all of the other fish had died, but ours had survived.

May 25, 2010-Victory

It's been 7 days since we started the project and despite the negative results of some of the water quality tests our fish lives on! one of maybe 5-6 fish. our grass is growing strong and Mr.Chuckles the spider has coated the floor of the decomposition chamber with webbing so he is doing quite the job keeping away the fruit flies. although their does seem to be some grass growing in the decomp chamber... still don't know how that got in their. A sad development though our fish seems to have developed a strange white tumor looking bump on his nose. concerning but he still survives. Another plus, the plants in the aquarium chamber have takin root and seem to be growing anew. IT'S ALIVE!

Procedure

1. Gather materials listed in the materials post
2. Cut the two 2.5 liter bottles into 4 sections.

In the bottom section lay 2 inches of aquarium gravel on the bottom:

1. Place two aquatic plants in the gravel
2. 100 milileters of Aquarium water
3. 2 drops of Aqua Conditioner
4. Fill rest with norman tap water
5. Cut opening to feed the fish.

For the second section:

1. Burn three holds in the section of the the second bottom
2. Place coffee filters in the section with the three holes
3. Place the the decomposing matertials ontop of the coffee filters
4. Place gathered worms and spider in the second section

For the third section:

1. Burn three holes into the cap of the bottle
2. Place several coffee filters into the top
3. Add soil
4. Add Water
5. Place grass seeds under the surface of the oil
6. Water grass seeds

Materials

Materials:

• 2 - 2.5 Liter bottles
• String
• Packing Tape
• Garden Soil
• Grass Seeds
• Coffee Filters
• Decompsong waste
• Aquarium Rocks
• One can of Fish Flakes Fish Feed
• 2 - Aquarium Plants
• 3 - Worms
• 1 - Spider
• 1 - Large Goldfish

Purpose of Project

The purpose of the project is to attempt to build a self sustaining ecosystem that a organism (A fish) can live in.

Introduction

Project Eco Column - Ben R, Alexis B, and Josh B

The purpose of the 3 sectioned Eco Column project is to try and built a self sustaining ecosystem to see if organisms placed in it can survive and sustain themselves. The abiotic factors in in each section is the rocks, they add minerals and also add to the environment's landscape. The biotic factors within the eco column would be in the first section the fish that will be added after the column as well as bacteria that should act as a filter for the fish filth. Our group is attempting to discover if creating an independent ecosystem can surviv on its own. We did not use a hypothesis becuase conditions are the same all the time, but with this experiment the conditions are changing all the time. At the end the decompision lay should be bigger, the grass will hopefully have grown, the fish should be thriving living well.