O K, here is what happens.

You probably have a 10 gallon fish tank (aquarium) set up in your classroom.

How many liters is this?

There is a plastic plate on the inside bottom of the tank. This plate is called an UNDERGRAVEL FILTER.

Attached to this plate is a tube that rises to the top of the tank. It is called a RISER TUBE. At the top of this tube is a strong pump, called a POWERHEAD.

I know these names sound like some ----bands!!!!

But as music serves complex communications in our society, these components serve a vital function in the operation of the closed environment you have created.

Sounds complicated? Ha!

Two inches of gravel is placed on top of the plate.

The tank is filled with water. The water is treated to remove chlorine.

WHY MUST THE CHLORINE BE REMOVED?

FISH TIP

You will notice that I ask questions. You may have to find the answers in class...

Also in the Downloads page is a PDF file called "Eggs To Fry". This document has many answers.

Sometimes there will be a FISH TIP.

The powerhead pumps water through the gravel, under the plate, up the riser tube, and back into the tank to start all over again. The gravel acts as a filter. Over time, the gravel developers a biological mat called MULM which increases the filtering action.

How many gallons per hour does your powerhead pump?

How many liters per hour?

When full, how much does your fish tank weigh?

FISH TIP

A good estimate would be 10 pounds of gravel plus the weight of ten gallons of water.

How much does a gallon of water weigh?

How many kilograms?

There is one more important piece of equipment.

It is called a CHILLER.

A chiller is like a refrigerator. It cools the water in the tank.

Why should the water be cold?

Your fish eggs come from Oak Springs Fish Hatchery. This year, 2006, Super Volunteer Elly will travel from Bend to the Hatchery.

Now is the time to get an Oregon map.

Find Bend.

The hatchery is located just north of a town called Maupin.

Find Maupin.

FISH TIP

Maupin is located north of Bend. Follow Highway 97 up to Madras. Continue to Highway 197; keep going until you find it.

How many miles must ELLY travel from Bend to Maupin back to Bend?

How many Kilometers?

If Elly drove 55 miles per hour, how long would it take to drive from Bend to Maupin?

When Elly arrives at the Hatchery, she will be given 23 packets of rainbow trout eggs. Each packet contains 200 eggs.

How many total eggs will she have?

She will transport these eggs back to Bend.

A team of volunteers will pick up packets and deliver them to 23 schools in Central Oregon.

One of these volunteers will be at your school.

What is your volunteers’ name?

The eggs will be placed in a floating tray in your tank.

Each day you will have some duties.

First, any dead eggs must be removed and noted on a chart.

Second, you must keep track of TEMPERATURE UNITS.

We call these TU’s for short.

What is a TU????

FISH TIP

A TEMPERATURE UNIT is the amount of degrees above freezing (32).

These are recorded on a daily basis, and added to the total.

Biologists can determine when the eggs hatch by how many TU’s have accumulated. Of course there are some other factors, but this method works well.

Eggs are delivered with a current TU total.

How many TU’s did your eggs have?

The next day, you will check the temperature.

If your water is 51 degrees, how many TU’s are recorded for that day?

Also, you will do some water quality tests. These may include PH, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, and AMMONIA. These tests will be supervised by your teacher.

What is PH?

What is Dissolved Oxygen?

What is Ammonia?

What are the results of your tests?

Did you conduct any other tests?

After so many days, the eggs will hatch.

Then these newly born, called alevins will be set free of the floating tray.

Do your water quality tests.

Were there any changes?

Over the next few weeks you will continue to monitor the development of these fish,

continue a mortality count, and conduct the water quality tests. You are to take notes on the development of the fish. You will never feed these fish. They receive nourishment from their yolk sac.

THE RELEASE

There will come a time that the young, now called fry, should be released into the wild. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has designated a release site that is suitable for this action.

Many classes make this a Field TRIP!!!!!!

Safe handling of the fry from your classroom to the release site is critical.

First, you must catch them.

This is not as easy as it seems.

The fry must be placed in a container with water from your fish tank.

They have to be transported safely to the release site.

FISH TIP

I like to use one of those round coolers with a tight fitting lid.

Upon arriving at the release site you will have to determine that the temperature of the water in the container and the release site are the same. If the temperatures are different, then you will have to ACCLIMITIZE the water in the container to match the existing temperature of the release site. This can be done by slowly adding water from the release site to the container until the temperatures match. This way you will avoid shocking the fish.

Take a few fry, with water, and place them in a cup. Slowly release them into their new home.

Continue this process until all your fry are released.

JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS

When did you receive the eggs?

How many TU’s did they have?

What date did the eggs start hatching?

How many TU’s then?

What date did you release the fry?

How many TU’s?

How many eggs died?

How many fry?

Calculate the survival rate.

FISH TIP

Add the mortality of the eggs and fry. Subtract this number from the total amount of eggs. The result is the number of fry that survived. Now divide this new number by the original number.

WOW!!!

What a long trip this has been!

This has been FUN!

Look what this class did!

Do you want a page here, too?
Let me know!!!!!!