Aquarium Science High School Class

[GoGreen]

Hello Everyone.  I am a high school teacher in Michigan and our school board just approved a new class for next year called Aquarium Science.  After some background into what I am envisioning, I have a few questions that will help me in planning an developing the class. 

 

It is going to be a 9 week course, where I am going to be teaching the students as much about aquariums as I possibly can in that 9 week setting.  I even wrote a grant (and am hoping to partner with a local fish store) am going to be essentially turning my classroom into a fish-room where the course "final" is going to be planning, preparing, testing and stocking their own 10 gallon tanks (over the course of 4 weeks).  My hope, is that many students will want to buy these from the school and take home with them...providing the funding for the next class worth of tanks and giving them an entry into the hobby.  I already have a 75 gallon planted community tank that I was going to use to help teach the testing and maintenance and I just purchased a 40 gallon breeder that will stay in the class as well (stocking TBD, so if you have any ideas, please share).   

 

Here are my questions for the community:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

There is some obvious stuff (Nitrogen Cycle, water quality, tank ecosystems), but I am sure there are things from the community that I am probably overlooking.  What should I teach the kids?

2. Stocking of their tanks?  If the kids are going to buy their tank, they can stock it however they want (obviously taking into account the needs of their fish).  What should I have the kids do for the tanks that they do not wish to purchase?  My biggest concern is what to do with them after breaking down the tank to start the next group of classes.  I was thinking of potentially using amano shrimp.  They are relatively easy to obtain and relatively cheap (aquahuna for the win) and then when the class is finished, they can go in the planted 75. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?  Is there a better option that I am not considering?

3. Equipment- For those of you that have set up fish rooms, when is it more economical to buy a linear piston pump vs individual pumps.  Each of the 10 gallon tanks are going to have sponge; if I have 15 a class, would I be better served buying 2 or 3 pumps and splitting the air or should I invest in a system.  What about if I end up with more kids?  Where would people draw the line economically? (knowing that I have a public school budget)

 

I am sure there are tons of other questions that I will be asking.  Any suggestions that anyone has will be appreciated as the class just got approved and as such is very early in the planning stage.  

[AndreaW]

Wow! I just want to say this is a great idea! There's SO much to learn and hands-on is an amazing way for the kids to learn it!

I would have them start the tanks sooner as 4 weeks can be a short time to start up a tank and establish the nitrogen cycle enough.

1- I think you will be amazed how much time will be taken up *doing* things. If you feel you will have extra time, you could go into specific fish and researching their individual needs, have them (virtually) stock a larger tank with compatible fish mates based on water/ecosystem/temperament.

• Breeding
• water parameters based on where you live and how to handle soft/hard water when you move to a different area.
• Evolutional Adaptations
• different styles of tanks
• Aquatic Plants

2- I've never kept Amano shrimp so I'm not sure if starting up a tank for them is doable in 9 weeks or not? I'm trying to think of something that could be kept in a 10G and be able to handle a fish-in cycle, or if you could get your cycle going quick enough with plenty of time to add and enjoy them before the 9 weeks is up.

3- Unfortunately, I'm not much help here, but if you do get a grant that should help. Are you allowed to have class fees to cover some of the costs? I know my daughter's high school has additional fees for her art class supplies. If you had a larger class, for those who are not going to be purchasing their set-up, could you pair two students together to work on a shared tank?

That's my initial thoughts and I seriously love the idea of this class. I'm really excited for you and for the kids who will have the opportunity to take this class. Good luck!

[GoGreen]

Thank you for your insight.  I agree there is so much. As a science teacher, my mind is racing with all the ideas...getting to tie in my hobby and hopefully pass that enjoyment on is something I'm really looking forward to. 

On 3/18/2022 at 4:17 PM, AndreaW said:

Wow! I just want to say this is a great idea! There's SO much to learn and hands-on is an amazing way for the kids to learn it!

I would have them start the tanks sooner as 4 weeks can be a short time to start up a tank and establish the nitrogen cycle enough.

1- I think you will be amazed how much time will be taken up *doing* things. If you feel you will have extra time, you could go into specific fish and researching their individual needs, have them (virtually) stock a larger tank with compatible fish mates based on water/ecosystem/temperament.

• Breeding
• water parameters based on where you live and how to handle soft/hard water when you move to a different area.
• Evolutional Adaptations
• different styles of tanks
• Aquatic Plants

2- I've never kept Amano shrimp so I'm not sure if starting up a tank for them is doable in 9 weeks or not? I'm trying to think of something that could be kept in a 10G and be able to handle a fish-in cycle, or if you could get your cycle going quick enough with plenty of time to add and enjoy them before the 9 weeks is up.

3- Unfortunately, I'm not much help here, but if you do get a grant that should help. Are you allowed to have class fees to cover some of the costs? I know my daughter's high school has additional fees for her art class supplies. If you had a larger class, for those who are not going to be purchasing their set-up, could you pair two students together to work on a shared tank?

That's my initial thoughts and I seriously love the idea of this class. I'm really excited for you and for the kids who will have the opportunity to take this class. Good luck!

 

As for the cycle, I was hoping (that is why I coming here, to bounce ideas) that 4 weeks would be enough if I had pre-cycled the sponges.   Between the 2 tanks I have in the classroom and the several I have in my home I'm hoping to be able to help them.  But after your points, I think you've convinced me to start the 2nd week (even with the pre-cycled material).  We'll start with the nitrogen cycle week one so they understand what's going on, and then let them start cycling their tanks and figuring out what they want in them.  

 

[AndreaW]

My daughter suggests having the kids do "Animal Fact Cards" using their research as one (or more) of their assignments. (She's a HS student and currently taking zoology).

[Widgets]

On 3/18/2022 at 2:43 PM, GoGreen said:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

Different types filtration.

Different types of substrate/gravel.

Different water parameters of different biotypes around the globe.

Different types of food.

Ecological impact of the aquarium trade.

Different types of plants.

Lighting.

Co2.

Live bearer vs egg layer.

Proper stocking levels.

The aquarium industry. Maybe even a field trip to the LFS.

On 3/18/2022 at 2:43 PM, GoGreen said:

2. Stocking of their tanks? 

With 10g there are limits to the fish/invertebrates that can be kept. Maybe have a list of "available" stocking items including plants. This could tie into a budgeting exercise, where they have so many fishBucks to spend. The LFS could help with the price list. I assume that you would be working them to get the stock. The classroom tanks could be like a fish store with stock available for purchase too, replenished from the unsold tanks.

On 3/18/2022 at 2:43 PM, GoGreen said:

3. Equipment

If you think this will be a recurring class, I would get the larger linear piston pump. I do note that the students would need to purchase their own pump at the end of the course. Maybe the LFS could provide a package deal for the students, a sort of investment to bring in more customers.

Is this classroom somewhat secure? I would be concerned about students committing mischief, intentional or unintentional. 

[Patrick_G]

@GoGreen, thank you for your service! Science teachers are the best 😄. 
 

I’m not sure where you’re located but this program could be a great way to introduce your students to local fish. If I’m not mistaken the USA have a couple of native live bearers.

[FlyingFishKeeper]

As someone who's still in school, this sounds awesome, and I soo wish my district had something like this! 

On 3/18/2022 at 2:43 PM, GoGreen said:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

I like what the above post had to say, I agree with having some time for general knowledge, then after that maybe have a "choice week" of things that aren't needed to run an aquarium, but still relevant where students can pick a field (like breeding, aquascaping, shipping fish, ecospheres, etc) to make a very small project for. (Like if a student chose shipping fish they would have to insulate a box to get it ready for shipping for example). 

It might also be good to have something like a class survey to see what students want to learn about as well, at least in my opinion.

On 3/18/2022 at 2:43 PM, GoGreen said:

2. Stocking of their tanks?

I haven't kept amano shimp personally, although they sound like a good fit! I might want to add a fairly hardy fish to get some extra movement/colour, so maybe add some sort of guppy or endler if you have the chance? I like the idea of being able to circulate the animals around, especially if something goes south.

[CT_]

On 3/18/2022 at 11:43 AM, GoGreen said:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

I often wonder how highschool teachers do it.  Filling 3 1 hour lectures a week in college is hard enough.  I can't imagine 5 80min classes a week and teaching more than one class.

I think there's opportunity for some ecology.  It might be cool to have a multi-quarter or multi-year even closed jar system. 

 

There's also a lot of opportunity to show how chemistry and math can be applied.  eg, if you have a 40% protein food, and you 20% water change every week, and no plants, how much can you feed every week and still keep nitrate under 50ppm.  That requires chemistry, biochemistry, nitrogen cycle (ecology?), difference equations (not calculus if you break things down by discrete weeks). 

You can talk about ph and buffering. 

Its not my area, but I'm sure there's a lot to say about plants too. 

You could even use "fish for profit" to teach basic business/economic principles.

 

On 3/18/2022 at 11:43 AM, GoGreen said:

. Stocking of their tanks?  If the kids are going to buy their tank, they can stock it however they want (obviously taking into account the needs of their fish).  What should I have the kids do for the tanks that they do not wish to purchase?  My biggest concern is what to do with them after breaking down the tank to start the next group of classes. 

I'd say either live bearers, because they're cheap, robust (if locally bred), and you can always throw them back in a 40 breeder and give/sell the extras to the LFS.  Or medaka (similar to live bearers but you need a little more care with the eggs and babies).  Or zebra danios, only because they're a model organism (like medaka) so there's a lot of rigorous protocols for taking care of them. 

 

Actually, with medaka you have the opportunity to watch eggs develop under a microscope and they lay eggs constantly.  The eggs also develop slow enough and are large enough that you can catch all the stages unlike some fish that hatch in a couple days.  I have a journal post somewhere following the development of some of my eggs if you want to take a look.

 

On 3/18/2022 at 11:43 AM, GoGreen said:

3. Equipment- For those of you that have set up fish rooms, when is it more economical to buy a linear piston pump vs individual pumps.  Each of the 10 gallon tanks are going to have sponge; if I have 15 a class, would I be better served buying 2 or 3 pumps and splitting the air or should I invest in a system.  What about if I end up with more kids?  Where would people draw the line economically? (knowing that I have a public school budget)

Even 4 pumps aquarium pumps is about 60-80$, which is still a lot cheaper than a linear piston pump.   I think you'd end up bleeding off a lot of the excess air from one of the big piston pumps. 

[Brandon p]

@GoGreen we had something like this when I was in high school. We even to a overnight field trip to the Florida keys. We got to collect are own to stock the tank. I don’t remember a ton of it. We learned a little  about keeping a marine aquarium and we did the maintenance. I do remember we had certain types of fish. I don’t remember the but we would have a Community tank. The fish didn’t really matter it was more about some fish have certain jobs. It would be like  otos helping clean algae. Or corys cleaning open extra food, we had some schooling fish and why, and so on. You should Finn’s the local aquarium/fishkeeper club local. Facebook is a good place to start. They could help with equipment, live stock, and knowledge. 

[Anon]

Plant propagation and reproduction is a good one. Show them how you can start cuttings from stem plants, how Amazon Swords shoot out clones, how Lace Leaf sends out a flower and forms a bulb, how Java Fern extends along the rhizome but can also root out of its leaves, etc. You can tie it into photosynthesis and life cycles of different plants (moss is an interesting one). 

I don't know about livestock. When I was a kid we made 2 liter bottle "ecosystems" in our biology class. The school basically just funded the slow death of a bunch of fish. Maybe you can create a situation where less-interested students can return their fish to you at the end of the term. At least spend some time lecturing about the responsibility and deserved respect that comes with owning an animal. Things like bladder/ramshorn snail colonies wouldn't be a bad idea. Hatching out triops might be a neat project. 

[gardenman]

You could also sneak in some aquaculture stuff. Have a tank growing leaf lettuce using the fish waste as fertilizer. Leaf lettuce grows fast enough that in four weeks you can have a "crop." Use a styrofoam raft for it and away you go combining hyrdroponics and aquaculture. And show the use of fish for food production. TIlapia came to the US as a pet fish and once people realized how quickly they grew it became a commercial aquaculture food fish. Black Pacus are now entering the food chain due to their rapid growth and good tasting flesh. They're very commonly grown in aquaculture in South and Central America, but now moving into North America. (Odds are there's an aquaculture facility near wherever you are that could make for an interesting field trip.)

Koi ponds are an interesting subcategory also. Kids learning that some ornamental koi sell for over $1 million ($1.7million is the US record price for a koi as I type this) would get their attention. Koi breeding by the pros is interesting also. They take a ripe female and squeeze the eggs out of her, then milk the male they wish to use for his sperm. The eggs and sperm are then combined in a bowl and swirled to mix them and the eggs set aside to hatch. The koi culling process is pretty ruthless. Maybe one percent of koi fry ever make it to adulthood, getting culled out at one stage or another. Maybe one one-hundredth of those kept to grow up ever reach show quality.

If you add in marine aquariums and reef aquariums you can fill the time pretty easily. 

[Widgets]

On 3/19/2022 at 9:25 AM, gardenman said:

TIlapia came to the US as a pet fish and once people realized how quickly they grew it became a commercial aquaculture food fish.

My recollection was that tilapia were introduced to try to combat invasive aquatic plant like water hyacinths, which didn't work. Then peacock bass were introduced to eat the juvenile tilapia, which didn't work.

Which brings up up another topic of invasive species.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Widgets
More ideas

[Brandon p]

On 3/19/2022 at 10:01 AM, Widgets said:

My recollection was that tilapia were introduced to try to combat invasive aquatic plant like water hyacinths, which didn't work. Then peacock bass were introduced to eat the juvenile tilapia, which didn't work.

Which brings up up another topic of invasive species.

You are 100% correct about the tilapia. They were released in Florida and Texas to eat plants. The aren’t the best at so norms they use are “Triploid” grass carp. The tilapia found in a moose aquarium are a different species. One hour thing about the peacock bass is once the project at work they promoted as a tourist attraction. Which may have been a great idea, I love being able to go fish in the Everglades catch bass that are over 12 pound(I was in Florida sportsman magazine for the largemouth bass I caught there) but you can drive 20 minutes and go catch an 6 pound peacock bass regularly in six of the last eight biggest peacock bass caught on line and Rod We’re caught in Florida the hours for caught in Venezuela. Even though peacock bass are invasive species can’t really move from where they are they were introduced on the West Coast i’ll Florida at some point in the Mid 80’s and I believe in 91 or 92 we had temperatures in the 20s and it killed all the peacock bass there’s a few around still here and there but the range that these exotic species can take is much smaller than say python which we have a plenty of out here or monitor lizards I just saw a monitor lizard across the street from me jumping into one of the 400 miles of canals we have here. I’ve got a python in my backyard there’s monitor lizards there are tons of a Guana‘s there’s a giant lizard called a Tegu look him up. There’s a pu this year but are invasive we have angelfish on the canal not a ton here on the West Coast much more wrong I’ve caught mine sick with one of my favorite fish to catch on my fishing line I’ve gotten bigger Oscars there’s very very slimy so we have tons of fish out here that are aquarium fish but they’re now part of the ecosystem in South Florida and lots of Florida not just on both coast  of south Florida This is the pic thar went in Florida Sportsman.  One is just over 12# and the “small” one is 10# 9oz. By the way there were some many alligators that the guide asked if I used a Gun and he and I both carried .38 because the gators would follow the fish to the boat and one took a big mud fish before we could get it in the boat. This trip was a gift for my son 11 year old and he got on bring a friend. I was afraid the whole time.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Brandon p

[Odd Duck]

What a great idea to start with a lots of great suggestions here.  I would also recommend you have the students start their tanks as soon as possible so they can follow the start up and cycling process.  I would start with new sponge filters but use the “squeezins” from your established sponge filters.  Either use ammonia or blind feed (maybe let them choose so they can do a comparison and see the difference?) and with help from plants and established filter “juice” they should have cycled tanks by the time the plants are established enough to not get uprooted when fish are added.

I would recommend you get a linear air pump for the classroom since they are so quiet.  Maybe you can strike a deal with your LFS to have a stash of small air pumps for the students to buy with their whole set up at the end, but the linear will be quieter for the classroom than a bunch of small pumps.  Also make sure to get the Ziss adjustable air stones so you can make the bubbles smaller (another quick lesson about increased surface area of collective small bubbles giving more lift vs. fewer large bubbles with the same total air volume) but mostly so the tanks will be quieter and you won’t have to talk over all the noise from large bubbles.

Definitely do a list of compatible tank mates appropriate for 10 gallons, maybe with some “exchanges” possible.  So 1 from list A, OR 2 from list B, for centerpiece fish.  Or a group of 6 or more from list C as part of a community or as a species only tank, etc.  This gives an opportunity to discuss shoaling vs schooling species, the visual impact of a species only tank vs community tank.  Also territoriality and breeding groups vs sororities or solos.  The limit on individual fish size inherent in a 10 gallon and the limit on collective size/mass for a 10 gallon.

Have prices for the fish and a limited budget so they have a set limit on how much they can spend.  Include the price of the tank and the small air pump, with UGF or sponge as options so they can choose a baseline starting place and you can discuss the different options available.  Definitely discuss HOB’s, canisters, and sumps and if you can have examples in the classroom, great, but I wouldn’t offer the HOB’s or others, just give them prices and uses/care of the others.

I would also see if you can have a “plant farm” tank so you can offer different plants (at a “price”) so the students also have to choose different plants that are compatible with their fish (or vice versa) and have to “pay” for those, also.  The plant farm lets you talk about different growing methods (submerse, emerse), potting vs bare root, costs involved, shipping, time involved, etc.

It’s going to take a lot of test strips, but this would be a great opportunity to have them run comparisons of test strips vs drop tests and it would be great data to collect as well.  Make sure you show them how wrong the drops can be if they don’t run the tests appropriately, follow the directions precisely, shake the reagent bottles appropriately (nitrate 🙄).  Testing will also likely demonstrate clearly how some tanks just take longer to cycle than others.

Then you can transition into stocking fish gradually, differing ideas on gradual vs drip vs plop and drop addition.  Why certain species can be added right away after cycled, some should be added later as the tank matures enough to give them the biofilm or algae they need, and some added last due to territoriality, etc.

You would even potentially have just barely enough time to do a dry start with a moss slurry (3-4 weeks for the moss to take, then a couple more to cycle after planting).  You might make this a group effort tank so no one is saddled with a tank with “nothing in it” for weeks.  Use a fast growing moss for quickest results for the class.  Students could vote on the type of fish to add (limits on options, obviously) and raffle it off at the end with sales of the raffle ticket going to support the next class.  Tickets could be sold to other students, parents, alumni, etc, even random townsfolk for this tank but clarity that they will actually win the tank and fish would be important.  Some parents or alumni would likely donate it back to the class, which would work great for next class demo/example, but you could end up with too many tanks if not handled somehow.

There are so many possibilities and tangents, that I imagine it could get overwhelming.  Start the first time around with a relatively simple plan covering the basics.  As you go along and get a better feel for how much time it takes to discuss different types of set ups, fish species, fish and plant farming, fish store management, and all the other suggestions from all these helpful, fish crazy people, you will find your way and the program will get better each time.

[CorydorasEthan]

On 3/18/2022 at 1:43 PM, GoGreen said:

Hello Everyone.  I am a high school teacher in Michigan and our school board just approved a new class for next year called Aquarium Science.  After some background into what I am envisioning, I have a few questions that will help me in planning an developing the class. 

 

It is going to be a 9 week course, where I am going to be teaching the students as much about aquariums as I possibly can in that 9 week setting.  I even wrote a grant (and am hoping to partner with a local fish store) am going to be essentially turning my classroom into a fish-room where the course "final" is going to be planning, preparing, testing and stocking their own 10 gallon tanks (over the course of 4 weeks).  My hope, is that many students will want to buy these from the school and take home with them...providing the funding for the next class worth of tanks and giving them an entry into the hobby.  I already have a 75 gallon planted community tank that I was going to use to help teach the testing and maintenance and I just purchased a 40 gallon breeder that will stay in the class as well (stocking TBD, so if you have any ideas, please share).   

 

Here are my questions for the community:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

There is some obvious stuff (Nitrogen Cycle, water quality, tank ecosystems), but I am sure there are things from the community that I am probably overlooking.  What should I teach the kids?

2. Stocking of their tanks?  If the kids are going to buy their tank, they can stock it however they want (obviously taking into account the needs of their fish).  What should I have the kids do for the tanks that they do not wish to purchase?  My biggest concern is what to do with them after breaking down the tank to start the next group of classes.  I was thinking of potentially using amano shrimp.  They are relatively easy to obtain and relatively cheap (aquahuna for the win) and then when the class is finished, they can go in the planted 75. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?  Is there a better option that I am not considering?

3. Equipment- For those of you that have set up fish rooms, when is it more economical to buy a linear piston pump vs individual pumps.  Each of the 10 gallon tanks are going to have sponge; if I have 15 a class, would I be better served buying 2 or 3 pumps and splitting the air or should I invest in a system.  What about if I end up with more kids?  Where would people draw the line economically? (knowing that I have a public school budget)

 

I am sure there are tons of other questions that I will be asking.  Any suggestions that anyone has will be appreciated as the class just got approved and as such is very early in the planning stage.  

I wish this class was offered at my school!

I agree with most of the suggestions maybe some courses on individual fish and what roles they'll fill in the aquarium.

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/18/2022 at 11:43 AM, GoGreen said:

1.  Curriculum Ideas?  This is by far the biggest thing as 80 minutes a day for 9 weeks is a lot of time to fill. 

There is some obvious stuff (Nitrogen Cycle, water quality, tank ecosystems), but I am sure there are things from the community that I am probably overlooking.  What should I teach the kids?

2. Stocking of their tanks?  If the kids are going to buy their tank, they can stock it however they want (obviously taking into account the needs of their fish).  What should I have the kids do for the tanks that they do not wish to purchase?  My biggest concern is what to do with them after breaking down the tank to start the next group of classes.  I was thinking of potentially using amano shrimp.  They are relatively easy to obtain and relatively cheap (aquahuna for the win) and then when the class is finished, they can go in the planted 75. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?  Is there a better option that I am not considering?

3. Equipment- For those of you that have set up fish rooms, when is it more economical to buy a linear piston pump vs individual pumps.  Each of the 10 gallon tanks are going to have sponge; if I have 15 a class, would I be better served buying 2 or 3 pumps and splitting the air or should I invest in a system.  What about if I end up with more kids?  Where would people draw the line economically? (knowing that I have a public school budget)

I would suggest personally having some shrimp that you can breed at your house and bring into school if you wish to use live shrimp. The amanos are ridiculously complex to breed and generally "expensive" compared to something else. Ghost shrimp works a bit well but can be fragile. Red neos seems like the right place to start. Someone might be able to donate some culls to you too 😉  . You can also just do plants only for the first run, add ghost shrimp later on while you test and build the curriculum.

The fine line I think is going to be between every kid in the class having a tank vs. splitting them up into teams. I think teams makes a lot more sense for the kids to learn the science behind the hobby and they can use the scientific method a bit more. Labs, and trying to figure things out is a great way to set up that type of a curriculum. Gang valves and some good pond style air pumps would help power multiple items in the tank as well (I've used the tetra a300 and had a ton of success)

Things I would be interested in learning, or having the kids learn (if mine was in your class)

-How plants can grow submerged, what is the difference between plants that can easily and others that struggle, refraction, nutrients, etc. (Hydroponics, space plants, it's a nice little rabbit hole to go down)

-Photosynthesis and how technology can be used to replicate that process, how we can use technology to create an ecosystem. (Aquarium, terrariums, research projects on species, etc)

-how pets and plants are actually obtained. Breeding, wild caught, etc.

-Filtration, water processing, and how something like water treatment is handled in the hobby compared to something like drinking water.  RODI water processing, how that can be done on small and large scale.

-A brief overview of some local aquarium related fauna and how pets can have an impact on local ecosystems if not handled properly.

-Basic fish and shrimp anatomy. I would imagine one lab would be... "What does an air bubbler do? What happens if it isn't there? (Surface tension and how/why that works.)

-A BIG ONE.... Talking about Mr. Amano and the aesthetics of the hobby. He is such an interesting person. Very fun to learn about!

-"Safe" aquascaping materials, why some are and aren't safe. (Ties back into the water chemistry stuff a bit too)

Edit: I'd probably lean towards a guppy tank, java moss, anubias, and getting a fluval light for ease of your own tank you're using in the class for long term. Guppies and some red neo shrimp seem to be a great fit for everything you're trying to do.  You can also tack on some genetics, coloration, breeding topics as well. Cory's YouTube channel also has a few lectures as well.

You can also add some panda Corys to the tank and you will eventually have more than you know what to do with in that 40G.

Edited March 21, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[GoGreen]

Long Post Warning...

 

First, thank you to everyone.  I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions.  

On 3/18/2022 at 6:58 PM, Widgets said:

Is this classroom somewhat secure? I would be concerned about students committing mischief, intentional or unintentional. 

Definitely a good point.  I  think it will be ok, but I guess I won't know until something goes wrong.  The school and my classroom is always locked (and only necessary people have the key), and outside of school hours we also have a gate that we shut to separate the classrooms from the extra-curricular activities.  Hopefully that ends up being enough.

 

On 3/18/2022 at 8:19 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’m not sure where you’re located but this program could be a great way to introduce your students to local fish. If I’m not mistaken the USA have a couple of native live bearers.

Being in Michigan, there are not tons of interesting local species that would fit in the small aquariums (entirely possible there are and I just don't know about it).  Our state does have a Salmon raising program, but they have so many rules and stipulations that I thought it would pigeon hole my vision for the class.  Plus they require about $2000-$3000 worth of equipment for a single tank (which even with sponsorships would blast through my budget).  

On 3/19/2022 at 9:25 AM, gardenman said:

You could also sneak in some aquaculture stuff. Have a tank growing leaf lettuce using the fish waste as fertilizer. Leaf lettuce grows fast enough that in four weeks you can have a "crop." Use a styrofoam raft for it and away you go combining hyrdroponics and aquaculture. And show the use of fish for food production. TIlapia came to the US as a pet fish and once people realized how quickly they grew it became a commercial aquaculture food fish. Black Pacus are now entering the food chain due to their rapid growth and good tasting flesh. They're very commonly grown in aquaculture in South and Central America, but now moving into North America. (Odds are there's an aquaculture facility near wherever you are that could make for an interesting field trip.)

Koi ponds are an interesting subcategory also. Kids learning that some ornamental koi sell for over $1 million ($1.7million is the US record price for a koi as I type this) would get their attention. Koi breeding by the pros is interesting also. They take a ripe female and squeeze the eggs out of her, then milk the male they wish to use for his sperm. The eggs and sperm are then combined in a bowl and swirled to mix them and the eggs set aside to hatch. The koi culling process is pretty ruthless. Maybe one percent of koi fry ever make it to adulthood, getting culled out at one stage or another. Maybe one one-hundredth of those kept to grow up ever reach show quality.

If you add in marine aquariums and reef aquariums you can fill the time pretty easily. 

Aquaculture/hydroponics was something that I was looking into.  Since the 40 gallon tank is literally just a tank/stand right now, I was considering setting up an overhead sump for the filtration and then using that to grow something.   I have found a few videos on YouTube, but obviously practical knowledge is more useful, so if anyone has any suggestions.  I thought this might give me an additional learning tool plus be cheaper than some other filters (canister, HOB).  The koi idea could be really cool too.  Personally I don't know much about it, so maybe something with individual research projects. 

 

On 3/19/2022 at 2:41 PM, Odd Duck said:

What a great idea to start with a lots of great suggestions here.  I would also recommend you have the students start their tanks as soon as possible so they can follow the start up and cycling process.  I would start with new sponge filters but use the “squeezins” from your established sponge filters.  Either use ammonia or blind feed (maybe let them choose so they can do a comparison and see the difference?) and with help from plants and established filter “juice” they should have cycled tanks by the time the plants are established enough to not get uprooted when fish are added.

I would recommend you get a linear air pump for the classroom since they are so quiet.  Maybe you can strike a deal with your LFS to have a stash of small air pumps for the students to buy with their whole set up at the end, but the linear will be quieter for the classroom than a bunch of small pumps.  Also make sure to get the Ziss adjustable air stones so you can make the bubbles smaller (another quick lesson about increased surface area of collective small bubbles giving more lift vs. fewer large bubbles with the same total air volume) but mostly so the tanks will be quieter and you won’t have to talk over all the noise from large bubbles.

Definitely do a list of compatible tank mates appropriate for 10 gallons, maybe with some “exchanges” possible.  So 1 from list A, OR 2 from list B, for centerpiece fish.  Or a group of 6 or more from list C as part of a community or as a species only tank, etc.  This gives an opportunity to discuss shoaling vs schooling species, the visual impact of a species only tank vs community tank.  Also territoriality and breeding groups vs sororities or solos.  The limit on individual fish size inherent in a 10 gallon and the limit on collective size/mass for a 10 gallon.

I am torn between the idea of giving them a cookie cutter stocking list as you've suggested vs having them choose their own.  Part of me wants to let them research their own and go through the process. A lot of the fun is trying to pick the perfect tank.  Plus there is so much conflicting information out there that they will have to justify their choice beyond "fishyfish.com says its ok in a 10 gallon".  The other side of that though will be obtaining the fish.  Much easier with a predetermined list they are picking from.  Same with the plants.  Fun for them to choose more difficult for me.   

On 3/19/2022 at 2:41 PM, Odd Duck said:

Have prices for the fish and a limited budget so they have a set limit on how much they can spend.  Include the price of the tank and the small air pump, with UGF or sponge as options so they can choose a baseline starting place and you can discuss the different options available.  Definitely discuss HOB’s, canisters, and sumps and if you can have examples in the classroom, great, but I wouldn’t offer the HOB’s or others, just give them prices and uses/care of the others.

I would also see if you can have a “plant farm” tank so you can offer different plants (at a “price”) so the students also have to choose different plants that are compatible with their fish (or vice versa) and have to “pay” for those, also.  The plant farm lets you talk about different growing methods (submerse, emerse), potting vs bare root, costs involved, shipping, time involved, etc.

It’s going to take a lot of test strips, but this would be a great opportunity to have them run comparisons of test strips vs drop tests and it would be great data to collect as well.  Make sure you show them how wrong the drops can be if they don’t run the tests appropriately, follow the directions precisely, shake the reagent bottles appropriately (nitrate 🙄).  Testing will also likely demonstrate clearly how some tanks just take longer to cycle than others.

Testing is what ultimately got the go ahead for the class; so that is going to be a major point.  Test strips will make up the bulk of the testing (and likely documentation) with liquid tests kits as well.  I will personally be curious as to how much variety they might present.  

On 3/19/2022 at 2:41 PM, Odd Duck said:

Then you can transition into stocking fish gradually, differing ideas on gradual vs drip vs plop and drop addition.  Why certain species can be added right away after cycled, some should be added later as the tank matures enough to give them the biofilm or algae they need, and some added last due to territoriality, etc.

You would even potentially have just barely enough time to do a dry start with a moss slurry (3-4 weeks for the moss to take, then a couple more to cycle after planting).  You might make this a group effort tank so no one is saddled with a tank with “nothing in it” for weeks.  Use a fast growing moss for quickest results for the class.  Students could vote on the type of fish to add (limits on options, obviously) and raffle it off at the end with sales of the raffle ticket going to support the next class.  Tickets could be sold to other students, parents, alumni, etc, even random townsfolk for this tank but clarity that they will actually win the tank and fish would be important.  Some parents or alumni would likely donate it back to the class, which would work great for next class demo/example, but you could end up with too many tanks if not handled somehow.

There are so many possibilities and tangents, that I imagine it could get overwhelming.  Start the first time around with a relatively simple plan covering the basics.  As you go along and get a better feel for how much time it takes to discuss different types of set ups, fish species, fish and plant farming, fish store management, and all the other suggestions from all these helpful, fish crazy people, you will find your way and the program will get better each time.

Overwhelming is an understatement! But I would take this vs the alternative of not being sure what to teach.  Lots of good ideas here, thank you.  Could you tell more more about the moss slurry start?  I have never heard of this before.  The more variety that I can provide the students, the better.  Heck, depending on what it is, maybe I can use it for the 40 gallon and make it part of the first class.  

 

 

 

On 3/21/2022 at 3:53 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I would suggest personally having some shrimp that you can breed at your house and bring into school if you wish to use live shrimp. The amanos are ridiculously complex to breed and generally "expensive" compared to something else. Ghost shrimp works a bit well but can be fragile. Red neos seems like the right place to start. Someone might be able to donate some culls to you too 😉  . You can also just do plants only for the first run, add ghost shrimp later on while you test and build the curriculum.

Part of my thought with the Amano's was so I could place them in the 75 gallon community as they are a little bit more robust than the Red Cherries which I think might get picked off by the larger barbs/and rainbows in the tank.  The breeding part of it is intriguing; getting 1 large colony of red's going and the using it to seed everything else could be an economical way of doing it. 

On 3/21/2022 at 3:53 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The fine line I think is going to be between every kid in the class having a tank vs. splitting them up into teams. I think teams makes a lot more sense for the kids to learn the science behind the hobby and they can use the scientific method a bit more. Labs, and trying to figure things out is a great way to set up that type of a curriculum. Gang valves and some good pond style air pumps would help power multiple items in the tank as well (I've used the tetra a300 and had a ton of success)

I think you are right.  That also might help with the kids that might not want to keep the tank as they can be paired up with someone who does.  

On 3/21/2022 at 3:53 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Things I would be interested in learning, or having the kids learn (if mine was in your class)

-How plants can grow submerged, what is the difference between plants that can easily and others that struggle, refraction, nutrients, etc. (Hydroponics, space plants, it's a nice little rabbit hole to go down)

-Photosynthesis and how technology can be used to replicate that process, how we can use technology to create an ecosystem. (Aquarium, terrariums, research projects on species, etc)

-how pets and plants are actually obtained. Breeding, wild caught, etc.

-Filtration, water processing, and how something like water treatment is handled in the hobby compared to something like drinking water.  RODI water processing, how that can be done on small and large scale.

-A brief overview of some local aquarium related fauna and how pets can have an impact on local ecosystems if not handled properly.

-Basic fish and shrimp anatomy. I would imagine one lab would be... "What does an air bubbler do? What happens if it isn't there? (Surface tension and how/why that works.)

-A BIG ONE.... Talking about Mr. Amano and the aesthetics of the hobby. He is such an interesting person. Very fun to learn about!

-"Safe" aquascaping materials, why some are and aren't safe. (Ties back into the water chemistry stuff a bit too)

Awesome list.  Thank you. 

On 3/21/2022 at 3:53 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Edit: I'd probably lean towards a guppy tank, java moss, anubias, and getting a fluval light for ease of your own tank you're using in the class for long term. Guppies and some red neo shrimp seem to be a great fit for everything you're trying to do.  You can also tack on some genetics, coloration, breeding topics as well. Cory's YouTube channel also has a few lectures as well.

You can also add some panda Corys to the tank and you will eventually have more than you know what to do with in that 40G

 

[Katherine]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:40 AM, GoGreen said:

I am torn between the idea of giving them a cookie cutter stocking list as you've suggested vs having them choose their own.  Part of me wants to let them research their own and go through the process. A lot of the fun is trying to pick the perfect tank.  Plus there is so much conflicting information out there that they will have to justify their choice beyond "fishyfish.com says its ok in a 10 gallon".  The other side of that though will be obtaining the fish.  Much easier with a predetermined list they are picking from.  Same with the plants.  Fun for them to choose more difficult for me.   

Could this be 2 different assignments? One where they individually choose stocking with whatever they like, but is only theoretical, and another with groups (assuming you do groups for the actual tanks) where they choose from the list and it actually gets done.

[AndreaW]

On 3/21/2022 at 8:40 AM, GoGreen said:

I am torn between the idea of giving them a cookie cutter stocking list as you've suggested vs having them choose their own.  Part of me wants to let them research their own and go through the process. A lot of the fun is trying to pick the perfect tank.

This is why I think you should set limits to their 10G they build in class and have a project of them virtually stocking a 75G. This would give them a small scale to actually work with, but a lot of room to imagine and research as there are limitless things you can do with a 75G!

[Odd Duck]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:40 AM, GoGreen said:

Could you tell more more about the moss slurry start?  I have never heard of this before.  The more variety that I can provide the students, the better.  Heck, depending on what it is, maybe I can use it for the 40 gallon and make it part of the first class.  

I have posted some info and pics about this in my 100 G angelfish biotope-ish tank and I’ll link you straight where that part starts here.  Mine is coming along slowly since I deliberately used a slow growing moss that I would need minimal maintenance.  For the students, I would use something faster growing but you would still need 3-4 weeks of moss growth before the tank is filled with water.

Basically, I trimmed moss off pieces I already had growing that I purchased growing on small mats.  I blended it into a slurry with water and gelatin (learn from my mistake and add the gelatin last after you’ve blended the moss in water).  The slurry is painted onto the wood, rock, or foam pieces you want covered.

Then everything must be kept damp.  I did that by floating (make sure to get a floating one so it maintains the right depth for best function) an ultrasonic fogger in a deep bowl I kept filled with water and also sprayed the wood pieces at least a couple times a day.  My work schedule just doesn’t allow spraying many times per day, every day, so fogger for the win.  This is in a 100 G tank, and I have lights on each side, so I kept the lights on for the side away from the moss since it dried out the moss/wood too much to have lights on directly over the moss side.

I used RODI water, but classroom distilled would be fine if you have it.  I did not add any fertilizers since I added the gelatin as a binder and food source and it was on well-aged wood, not stone or foam.  A little micronutrients wouldn’t be a bad thing, but moss thrives with minimal nutrients.

The main goals with the moss slurry are producing lots of growing points for the moss.  Just cutting it triggers only a single growing point at each cut end.  Shredding it gives you thousands of growing points to spread over the entire piece.  It also lets a little moss go a long way and cover a lot of territory.  The downsides are the time it takes before growth is seen and before it looks like nice coverage.

I did a mix of the cut and tie technique and cut and glue technique on this piece (see pics).  The moss was already attached when the snails started biting and cutting the threads at around 2 weeks post-start.  And the moss more quickly looks like “something” vs. my barely visible specks.  But my barely visible specks will eventually give me a more natural look (🤞🏻) by hopefully letting the moss specks prosper where they would have with a natural exposure, eventually more thorough coverage, and good, dense growth (I hope).

 

On 3/21/2022 at 9:40 AM, GoGreen said:

I am torn between the idea of giving them a cookie cutter stocking list as you've suggested vs having them choose their own.  Part of me wants to let them research their own and go through the process. A lot of the fun is trying to pick the perfect tank.  Plus there is so much conflicting information out there that they will have to justify their choice beyond "fishyfish.com says its ok in a 10 gallon".  The other side of that though will be obtaining the fish.  Much easier with a predetermined list they are picking from.  Same with the plants.  Fun for them to choose more difficult for me. 

I think if you want to do tanks that they take home, you will have to limit the species they can select or someone (I would have been this student) will pick something like hummingbird tetras (just for instance) that are nearly impossible to find and very expensive for their size (ask me how I know).  I like @AndreaW’s idea of physically stocking the smaller tank from a set list and virtually stocking a larger tank from an “anything you want” list.  The students could do their own virtual tank and/or a cooperative virtual tank to teach them to work together to find fish that are compatible.

Your set lists can be very generous (there are literally hundreds of possibilities, so narrow it down to just dozens of the most common and popular) and they would still have to research compatibility, but they would be selecting from fish that should be readily available and would make at least decent tank mates despite crazy student selections.  This would mean you could have some small gouramis as centerpiece fish, but they might not be compatible with chili rasboras so they might have to choose between none from “List A” if they want some from “List D”.  Half the fun, right?  Learning about stuff they’re already interested in and making their own choices?

 

 

Pics are from Sep 13, then 26 (only 13 days to some decent attachment), and then finally Oct 19.  I also picked mosses that attach well.  That’s important for long term staying power.  Some mosses like to let loose and drift away.  That’s part of how they propagate.  If moss is sold by clumps, it may not attach well.  If sold on mats, it’s a bit more likely to attach but that’s not 100% a reliable way to judge.  I’ve not seen Fissidens sp sold in clumps, it likes to attach.  But some long strand, more substantial “stem” mosses are sold by the strand but like to attach and would work for a slurry.  Plus they can be trimmed and sold for decent money per strand.  Look for Physcomitrium hookeri, Jungermannia truncata, Fontanalis antipyretica (+ a varietal ‘Gigantea’), Distichophyllum maibarae, or Plagiochilaceae ‘Camaroon Moss’.  All lovely and interesting but not so fast growing to be a pest, but should attach well.  Fissidens sp. are probably the slowest growing of the bunch.  Camaroon is gorgeous and significantly faster growing than most on this list, but not too fast.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Odd Duck
Edit photos and add moss list

[Hobbit]

Ohhhhhhh boy! I’m a former high school bio teacher and you’ve just totally nerm sniped me. 🤩 If you want to talk details of lesson/curriculum development I am up for basically unlimited discussion about that!

Will most of your students have had at least one high school bio class already? Or will you be getting some kids pre-bio?

My ideas for curriculum are more geared toward what ties into other high school bio subjects, or what will be useful to them in the rest of their life:

• pH, ions, atoms vs molecules, covalent vs ionic bonds, ionic bonds break in water because of the polarity: basic chemistry if the kids need it.
• The importance of surface area! More surface area of bubbles leads to more dissolved gas. More surface area in a sponge or gravel leads to more places for bacteria to grow. More surface area on a plant means more places to absorb nutrients/gasses and get rid of wastes. More surface area in the gills means the same thing!
• Dissolved gasses. More gas is in solution at a low temperature, less at a high temperature. Versus dissolved solids, which are the opposite. The physics behind why that is.
• Osmosis and diffusion. Especially the mechanics of how a fish exchanges wastes/gasses across the gills. Why freshwater fish can’t live in salt water and vice versa.
• Data collection and interpretation!!! Make them all keep lab notebooks. Have them graph their pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc as they’re cycling their tanks.
• Experimental design. Maybe half the class can add fish food during their cycle and half can add ammonia drops. Different fertilizers and how they affect plant growth, different size sponges and how they affect the cycle… never ending possibilities here.
• The variety of reproductive systems!!! Students leave biology thinking everything reproduces like humans do. FALSE! Livebearers, egg layers, egg scatterers, mouth brooders, and so much more. Often it’s the male fish who does the most parental care. This would be a great opportunity to use those “fish facts” cards that someone else suggested, and even have the class do brief presentations. You could even include different systems in snails, because then you get to talk about hermaphroditic creatures.
• Protists!!! When you teach students about the different kingdoms of life, no one ever knows what protists are. But there are tons of them in aquariums, both single celled and multicellular.
• Microscope use. You will have a never ending supply of interesting things to look at under the microscope. Fish eggs, shrimp molts, filter gunk, algae, thin plant leaves, etc.
• You can briefly cover photosynthesis and respiration and how that affects the water chemistry and gas availability over the course of a day (I assume you’re using live plants).
• Of course, ecological principles. How the different parts of an ecosystem work together for balance. You may have to cover energy loss up the food chain if students start wondering why a mom fish can’t just eat her babies and make more and then eat them and survive forever that way. 😅
• How pollution affects aquatic ecosystems. Algae blooms —> no oxygen for the fish, etc. Why there’s a dead zone where the Mississippi flows into the ocean.

Having 80 minutes 5 days a week is both intimidating and amazing. If you want to talk specifics of lesson planning, I’m here for it. 😁

As for what to do with the tanks: I think pairing the kids up to set up their real tanks could work well to keep you from having too many fish to get rid of. If you have the space and funding though, you might consider making the groups optional. I’m sure some kids will have strong ideas of what they want and will want to just do it on their own. Plus, then you don’t have the excited kids fighting over who gets to take the aquarium home.

I’d check with your LFS about which fish they’d be happy to take from you and sell. Probably livebearers like guppies or platys, or maybe shrimp.

You can also consider auctioning off the aquariums that students don’t want to take home. If your school or PTO already has some kind of silent auction event, it could be fun to just add the aquariums to that.

In terms of setting up the cycle in each tank: I’d recommend maybe not giving them seeded sponges or gravel, at least at first. Give them a few days or a week to see how the tank struggles without it, and then give them something to jump start things so they can see the change.

[Odd Duck]

On 3/21/2022 at 12:03 PM, Hobbit said:

Osmosis and diffusion. Especially the mechanics of how a fish exchanges wastes/gasses across the gills

Oooh, more great ideas!

And I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.  This could lead to comparative anatomy discussions about how different classes of animals handle something as basic, essential, and “simple” as respiration.  Reptiles with their simple bag lungs with folds and wrinkles to increase surface area, mammals with alveoli (more, tinier bags plus the addition of a diaphragm), birds with cross current blood circulation through their lungs plus the air movement through airsacs that provides fresh air through lungs on both inspiration and expiration, and fish with their hyper efficient counter current circulation of blood through their gills to extract the needed O2 from a poorer source.  Which ties right back in to oxygenation levels in water!

Edited March 21, 2022 by Odd Duck

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:03 AM, Hobbit said:

In terms of setting up the cycle in each tank: I’d recommend maybe not giving them seeded sponges or gravel, at least at first. Give them a few days or a week to see how the tank struggles without it, and then give them something to jump start things so they can see the change.

This makes sense to me as well.

I would highly recommend YouTube as a resource for some lessons. As an example for the above, pondguru has a ton of *lectures* on bacteria, filter types, filtration methods, etc. Needless to say there is about 10 years+ of research all over and there is some key items you can pick and choose from.  You can do case studies based on why one tank being shown did or didn't work (as an assignment) and this would give students exposure to many different sources of information, research process, bibliography, etc.

What I thought reading the full post above I was reminded about a topic like pollution, habitat loss, project piaba, collection trips, climate change, but what stuck out to me was one lecture, one day, where the students observe the fish. The behavior of the fish and if it "seems normal" to the students. Why or why not.  Something along the lines of many documentaries I have seen that discuss the value of public aquariums philosophically and the way animals are treated ethically. The cove is a good place to start.

I think the next lesson in this line of thinking is to discuss species that the hobby has saved and why that process is important.  How some species in the future may only be seen because they are kept by hhobbyists

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Piaba

I believe this is someone who has a few species no longer found in the wild. He would also be a good resource when discussing breeding and genetics. Selection for traits and line breeding.

https://youtu.be/PQ5CFQJn1Js

Edited March 22, 2022 by nabokovfan87
added links

[CT_]

 

On 3/21/2022 at 10:03 AM, Hobbit said:

The variety of reproductive systems!!! Students leave biology thinking everything reproduces like humans do. FALSE! Livebearers, egg layers, egg scatterers, mouth brooders, and so much more. Often it’s the male fish who does the most parental care. This would be a great opportunity to use those “fish facts” cards that someone else suggested, and even have the class do brief presentations. You could even include different systems in snails, because then you get to talk about hermaphroditic creatures.

I'd add sex determination.  Its not clearly known for most fish.  rice fish/medaka were one of the first fish where they discovered human like "XX" "XY" style sex determination, until they found out that's not the only factor (!!).  high temps can make more males.  My pet theory is that its stress that does it not temps directly and if times are going to be bad its more advantageous  to spread your genes as a male because its less energy.

[BeeD]

On 3/18/2022 at 4:53 PM, GoGreen said:

As for the cycle, I was hoping (that is why I coming here, to bounce ideas) that 4 weeks would be enough if I had pre-cycled the sponges. 

 

I just wanted to say that's pretty much what I do. I haven't had issues cycling a tank in years. It's still a matter of managing the new bio-load with water changes, but I usually don't even register ammonia in the early days of new setup, let alone a year later. 

Also, with new tanks I usually have water-ready pothos on top of the aquatic plants, only feed during peak photosynthesis, etc.