Monday, April 13, 2015

4/13/15 Reports & Observations

*This week, the experiment ends and set ups will be dismantled. It's been fresh.

Reports:
Spring Break/Weekend Causalities: 0

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 4)
  • Nitrate: 5 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 200 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 5 ppm
  • pH: 7.0
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 10, 8, 6, 20, 17
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 12.2
  • Ammonia: 1.0 mg/L
Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 5)
  • Nitrate: 15 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 200 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 10 ppm
  • pH: 6.2
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom/Middle
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 10, 10, 9, 15, 14
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 11.6
  • Ammonia: 2.0 mg/L

Observations:
The massive increase in hardness (mineral content) is due to the feeding block minerals that dissolved in the tank to keep the fish nourished over the break. Plants in the Terrestrial Tank (2) were flourishing, unlike the plants in the Galactic Tank (1) that had significantly dried out over the break.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

3/30-4/3 Weekly Updates

Spring Break Preparations:
A 10-day dissolving feeder block was split into two and placed in each tank. Water levels were increased to tank capacity to compensate for a week of evaporation. Lamps will remain on for the week.

Friday, April 3, 2015

4/3/15

Week Casualties: 0


Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 4)
  • Nitrate: 5 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 40 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Middle
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 15, 24, 11, 14.5, 8
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 14.5
  • Ammonia: 0 mg/L
Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 5)
  • Nitrate: 15 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 40 ppm
  • pH: 6.2
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom/Middle
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 8, 6, 14, 7, 5.5
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 8.1
  • Ammonia: 3.0 mg/L

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

General Updates


  • Ammonia test strips received- will begin testing levels once a week
  • Feeding has been increased to small amounts daily

3/31/15 (Absent 3/30)

Weekend Casualties: 0


Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 4)
  • Nitrate: 0 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 20 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Middle
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 17, 18, 11, 10, 9.5
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 13.1
Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 5)
  • Nitrate: 10 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 20 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 12, 10, 5, 11, 13
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 10.2


Friday, March 27, 2015

3/27/15

Week Casualties: 0


Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 4)
  • Nitrate: 5 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 20 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Middle
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm):* 11, 13, 7, 17, 12, 8
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 11.3
Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 5)
  • Nitrate: 15 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 30 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 6, 5, 5, 3, 2, 5
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 4.3

*After exhausting all our L. sativa plants in the energy dynamics lab, we are now measuring growth of N. officinale

Monday, March 23, 2015

3/23/15

Weekend Casualties: 1


Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 4)
  • Nitrate: 5 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 20 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 22, 18, 16, 7, 8
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 14.2
  • Wet Biomass: 1.0 g
  • Dry Biomass: 0.3 g
Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 2)
  • Nitrate: 10 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Total Hardness: 75 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 30 ppm
  • pH: 6.8
  • Vertical Behavior: Bottom
  • Raw Plant Heights (cm): 13, 9, 8.5, 10, 9
  • Average Plant Height (cm): 9.9
  • Wet Biomass: 0.4 g
  • Dry Biomass: 0.1 g