Science Project

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Earthswater

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 9, 2011
223
0
46
Connecticut
Hello MFK's,
I am a sophomore and need to do a 2 year research project (experiment doesn't need to be 2 years long) and i wanted to do it on fish. I want to be humane to the fish, not hurt or stress them. It needs to be a low budget experiment (under $40). I was thinking or doing something like: Does different color lights,(or amounts) affect how active a goldfish is? or something along those lines. I was planning on picking up a ten gallon tank to put two goldfish in to do the experiment (already have filters, ect) (Don't worry, a friend said that he will take the goldfish and put them in his pond once i am finished with the experiment, i know that they cannot live in the tank forever) So does anyone have any ideas? Thoughts? Any comments??? Any help would be great!!!!
 
So your a sophmore in high school? I don't know how much time you expect to invest in this but I would argue a few points on the light experiment prior to your entry into it if that is indeed what you plan on experimenting on. Firstly would be what spectrum lights do you plan on utilizing? Are the fish in question gonna be comets? Why such an animal. I don't really know how many generations removed from the wild a comet is but speaking to fish in general the species in question typically is most active in the light of their desired/natural environment. That being said through breeding and conditioning most fish behavior can be shaped. Say getting ghost knives to be active with tank lights on by only feeding with them on, etc. Just things to consider. When looking for behavior in an animal be aware of all the variables. everything else in the experiment should be you proof. Everything from how the light reflecting off your shirt could stimulate them to the time and way you feed them could influence perceived behavior/activity.

If you scientifically wanted to monitor them paint the sides of the tank black so they can't see you put a webcam over the tanks to view them remotely and feed them with automatic feeders. Remove every variable you can.

As for things that I think make for better experiments I'd try breeding something that rapidly reproduces, something like a kirbensis and see what kind of variance you get in pattern over several generations. That might push the boundaries on your time constraints though but you could figure out a way I think to find valuable knowledge in the patterning and color of offspring. Sad thing is the tank real-estate you'd need to do a breeding project could be vast.
 
Yes, i was just going to get two feeder fish. How about seeing if feeding them different foods effects their growth rate?
 
i would set up two tanks with guppies or something and see how different amounts of light affect their behavior
 
Ok, so here is my new idea. Does different types of food effect the rate of growth on goldfish? I would set up a tank, divide it off with like 2 or 3 fish per sections (probably use a large rubber-maid container, and use a pond filter) then feed them different types of food and measure them over time. Good idea? any thoughts?
 
i did the same thing but with bluegill when i was a freshman in high school, to see whether or not food would make a difference in growth
 
Do guppies and observe how they breed. Sophomore and you have to do a 2 year research paper? I am a Sophomore atm (only 4 days left as a sophomore) but we only had to do a 6 page research paper xD
 
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