Science Project Idea

[lizardfishman]

I'm in AP Biology and i need a science project idea. i'll have till mid april to finish the project so i have sometime. i want to do something with fish but cant really come up with an idea. breeding would take too long and if it doesnt turn out right im screwed. so is there anything i can do, like fish behavior study, that wouldnt take too long to complete but isnt too simple. ie, having only one or two things to record as data

thanks

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

* You could run an experiment on various single sources of fish foods and see possible growth differences. Same experiment could be done with water changes.

* If you have until April you could always try to breed pick convicts and regular convicts, predicting what type of fry is produced.

Just some ideas...let us know what you do!!!

 

[Delhezi222]

* You could run an experiment on various single sources of fish foods and see possible growth differences. Same experiment could be done with water changes.

That's a good idea for a project. I tried to do it for mine, but my teacher denied it.

 

[Rivermud]

Water Stratification, Gas transfer. Run an experiment that details the hows and why of surface agitation as well as the chemical make-up of the aquarium. Show how it is possible to maintain fish in an aquarium using science. Detail the gas transfer, biological and mechanical filtration, water temperature, hardness, PH.. etc.. You can start an aquarium with filtration etc and detail how the cycling of the aquarium works. Start another aquarium with no filtration and note the film and buildup of gases that cannot escape due to the natural film that grows on stagnant water. You can make it as detailed or as broad as you like..

 

[lizardfishman]

thanks for the ideas guys. i really like the ideas of fish growth in correlation with food type and water change frequency. that sounds like a solid experiment. now i just need to figure out the fish species im going to use, # of tanks, and variables. im leaning towards two 10gals, same filter, same decor, and adjusting the food types (ie hakari vs tetramin), and then doing a followup experiment with a new set of fish this time with water changes. however, that seems like it would be two different experiments unless i go with 4 tanks which is pretty much out of the question. ill ask my teacher tomorrow.

thanks for the great ideas G8KarmaSF. this is MUCH better than seeing how food coloring dyed water given to plants affects growth via affecting photosynthesis (color spectrum adsorbtion stuff).

 

[Rivermud]

Well, since it's a science experiment, whats your theory and outline if you don't mind.. i dig science period.. spent more years in those classes than i care to remember sometimes.

 

[lizardfishman]

ok this is just a rough x on y statement. ill get it all fixed up and wat not tommorrow when i talk to my teacher. "If the brand of fish food has a significant effect on the growth of a group of fish, then a higher quality brand of food will cause the group of fish to grow faster than a cheap brand of food."

ill post up the revised statement with the variables tomorrow night.

 

[Shortandfat]

Im in Bio as well, you could try breeding fancy guppy's to show the color freequencies of Alleles and different abnormalities or whatever you may choose to look at. Hope this might help.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

thanks for the great ideas G8KarmaSF. this is MUCH better than seeing how food coloring dyed water given to plants affects growth via affecting photosynthesis (color spectrum adsorbtion stuff).

Glad I could help out a student.


* im a 1st grade teacher

 

[Wolf3101]

I'm not sure that a growth rate project would work well in the limited time you have for it to evolve. The results could well turn out to be sketchy at best. For this to develope any real conclusions you'd need several tanks...at least a year...and a control group.

I'd go with behavure and center it on a group of active, easilly obtainable fish.... Cons....jewels.... Work out a way to identify the individual fish and then track the school dynamics of the group.

Name each of the fish and make the reports intresting and you'll have a very intresting wet version of merecat manor... A single 20 gallon tank would work and be easy to establish and move. Personally I'd just go with an air driven sponge filter. This can be established quickly in an existing tank or with bio-spira and then moved as necessary.

You can also compare behavure between one group in a bare 'utility' type tank and another group in a more natural environment to see if there is a differance.