2/23-27 Weekly Updates/Observations

Updates:
We planted 40 Bibb Lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) in each planter on Friday (2/27) as a part of a new energy dynamics lab. Results for that lab will be updated on this blog in addition to our regular data posts.

Observations:
N/A

2/27/15

Week Casualties: 2

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 5)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 5 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 20 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 56, 60, 43, 68, 59
• Average Plant Height (cm): 57.2

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 2)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 3 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 10 ppm

• pH: 6.2

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 60, 90, 62, 58, 72

• Average Plant Height (cm): 68.4

2/23/15

Weekend Casualties: 1

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Fish population - 5)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 5 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 20 ppm

• pH: 6.2

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 47, 43, 45, 40, 53

• Average Plant Height (cm): 45.6

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Fish population - 4)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 5 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 10 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 56, 51, 55, 62, 50

• Average Plant Height (cm): 54.8

2/20/15

Week Casualties: 0
Ratio restored to 1:1

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 10 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 0 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Middle

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 36, 42, 37, 51, 48

• Average Plant Height (cm): 42.8

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 10 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 20 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 60, 45, 44, 50, 47

• Average Plant Height (cm): 49.2

2/18/15

(Long) Weekend Casualties: 1

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 20 ppm

• Nitrite: 10 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 0 ppm

• pH: 6.2

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 47, 42, 37, 46, 39

• Average Plant Height (cm): 42.2

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 5.0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 0 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 55, 41, 44, 47, 43

• Average Plant Height (cm): 46

Allium schoenoprasum and Nasturtium officinale sprouts have become visible .

2/17 Progress Update

1. Initial vs. Present Conditions:

• The initial tank was set up with two tanks with a hydroton planter in each. Each tank had five fish each. The planters were seeded with Glycine max (soybean) sprouts and were left to germinate. 
• Currently, the tank set up remains the same, however, fish ratios have fluctuated greatly between 1:1 and the current 4:5 (to be supplemented in the following week). The G. max plants have shown enthusiastic growth reaching over 30 cm upwards and great extensions into the tanks. Nitrite and nitrate levels have also risen from previous conditions due to the protein differentiation in feeding, growth of the plants, and support of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the hydroton. 

2. Data Tables

3. Data Graphs

4. So far, the G. max plants have been working very well in our system due to their rapid growth in the planters with their roots extended into the water. They keep nitrate levels stable and habitable for the fish, as exhibited by the dangerous increase of levels after the removal of several of the plants (2/9). The data has not been very reflective of the protein levels on dependent variables due to the high mortality rate of the fish that left uneven ratios of waste production in the tanks and caused a disparity in plant growth. However, leading up to the most recent collection (2/13), the fish ratio was 4:5 and closer values for plant growth were observed with an average height of 33.8 cm for both tanks.

5. High nitrate and nitrite levels have become a problem as reflected in the most recent data collection. We have added more plants to take up the nitrates and have incorporated hydroton, rich in nitrogen fixing bacteria, from a previous set up into our planters to fix nitrite faster. We hope that once the newer seeds germinate, they will help take up nitrates from the water. We also plan on finding a new configuration for the light source since our current desk lamp is too short and the plants overgrow the light. We plan on finding a way to suspend a light above the tanks to imitate the sun better and create greater distance between the plants and the light bulb. 

2/9-13 Weekly Updates/Observations

Updates:
Ocimum basilicum, Allium schoenoprasum, and Nasturtium officinale were added to each tank along with the G. max (in the configuration shown below). In conjunction with our current experiment, we will begin observation of any nodule formation on the legume roots.

Observations:
After the removal of certain G. max plants, nitrite levels spiked dangerously high to the 3-4 ppm range. Evidence from this week supports are previous assumption that the greater plant growth in the lower protein tank (1) was a result of unequal fish ratios; with even fish ratios re-established, average plant growth was equal.

Location of new plants.

2/13/15

Week Casualties: 1

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 4.0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 60 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Top

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 37, 26, 31, 40, 35

• Average Plant Height (cm): 33.8

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 10 ppm

• Nitrite: 3.0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 38, 37, 30, 35, 29

• Average Plant Height (cm): 33.8

2/9/15

Weekend Casualties: 2

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 5 ppm

• Nitrite: .5 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 35 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 32, 32, 31, 30, 28, 33, 26, 29, 30, 4

• Average Plant Height (cm): 30.3

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 5 ppm

• Nitrite: 2 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 35 ppm

• pH: 7.2

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Top

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 22, 26, 23, 25, 31, 32, 23, 21, 29

• Average Plant Height (cm): 26

Updates: Ocimum basilicum, Allium schoenoprasum, and Nasturtium officinale were added to each tank along with the G. max to add complexity to our growth system. We will also be observing the G. max for nodule formation. (2/11)

2/2-6 Weekly Updates/Observations

Updates:
With this week's causality from the Terrestrial Tank (2), and the subsequent reduction of the fish ratio to 1:2, we will be adding 4 to 6 new fish on Monday to even out the ratio of fish in each tank. The question of having 5 in each tank or 6 depends on fish health and plant growth on Monday (2/9). Trellises are also being planned to sustain the rapid growth of the G. max and avoid having rigidity compromised by weight. Dracaena braunii (bamboo) is also being considered as an addition to the tanks to provide oxygen.

Observations:
We observed that the current greater growth in the Galactic Tank (1) is not due to protein food content, but to its population, and therefore waste output, being twice as large as the Terrestrial Tank's (2) due to the aforementioned casualties. This will be logged as an error when considering data. The G. max has grown into and around the lamp bulb, so a taller lap will be needed along with plant supports.

G. max growing towards the lamp.

2/6/15

Week Casualties: 1

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 0 ppm

• Nitrite: 0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 50 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 7.2

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 24.5, 14, 19, 26, 26, 24, 24, 20, 21, 10, 19 ,19

• Average Plant Height (cm): 20.5

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 0 ppm

• Nitrite: 0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Top

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 14, 17, 23, 23, 21, 22, 19, 15, 16, 10

• Average Plant Height (cm): 18

2/2/15

Weekend Casualties: 0

Tank 1- Galactic Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 0 ppm

• Nitrite: 0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 7.2

• Vertical Behavior: Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 9, 7, 4, 9, 10, 10, 10, 9, 12, 9

• Average Plant Height (cm): 8.9

Tank 2- Terrestrial Branch (Freshwater)

• Nitrate: 0 ppm

• Nitrite: 0 ppm

• Total Hardness: 75 ppm

• Alkalinity: 30 ppm

• pH: 6.8

• Vertical Behavior: Middle/Bottom

• Raw Plant Heights (cm): 5, 8, 1, 6, 10, 5, 8, 7, 6

• Average Plant Height (cm): 6.2