The Pet Care Trust - News Releases

Perhaps the most suitable animal for any K-12 classroom, are fish residing in an aquarium. Ornamental aquarium fish provide a range science projects from the early grades with very simple lesson plans to more complex middle and high school lessons, which include math, chemistry, physics and accurate records keeping. In addition, to science projects, aquariums lend themselves to a range of art, literature, behavior and geography lessons. Since the aquarium is a closed system, the health, well being and survival of the inhabitants are dependent upon the care provided to maintain water quality, appropriate nutrition, and correct stocking density with compatible residents. I see the aquarium as a living process much the same as our beautiful water planet, Earth.

Nearly 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, of which 97% is salt water. Only about 3% of this total water is in the form or fresh water, with two-thirds of that volume frozen in polar caps and glaciers. Of the remaining fresh water balance (1% of all the planets water), more than half is found beneath the surface as rivers and aquifers, and an estimated 1/50th of this critical 1%, occurs as rivers and lakes. So the water planet affords a small portion of its critical resource for terrestrial plants and animals, including man. Current estimates indicate that less that half of the world's human population has access to potable water. In addition, U.S. AID reports, "that 31 countries, accounting for 8% of the world's population, currently face chronic water shortages... and by 2025, 48 countries will face similar water shortages affecting more than 2.8 billion people, 35% of the world's population." For most first world countries, these statistics are rarely considered. First world nations can treat water or move water long distances for municipal or agricultural purposes, which results in human "stocking densities" which normally exceed normally arid regions (SW USA, with a classic example to study geo-history lessons with the Anasasi Indians and populations in this millennium). Like the fish in the aquarium, humans are confined by gravity and atmosphere, and our movement is constrained by political, economic and social "glass" walls.

To maximize a classroom aquarium experience, the system should be taken apart, cleaned and stored for the summer session, and the entire process started with a new class at the beginning of each new school year. The ornamental fish should be retained at the teacher's home aquarium, a cooperating hobby group or by competent students with consenting parents, to be used again each year. This annual shut-down and restart, allows each class to participate in the planning process of aquarium set-up, fish selection and nutrition requirements which will include research, decision making, protocols development and budgeting in order to create a living science lesson. Elementary teacher should not shy away from research, protocols, etc., since planning and records keeping can range from simple tasks of daily feeding, water exchange and fish behavior. All of these lessons can be accomplished with guppies, goldfish or catfish, but the teacher must choose the lessons suitable for the grade.

General rules of thumb can always be challenged, but for the most part consider the following regardless of the grade or species of fish: 1. The larger the aquarium/bowl, the easier the maintenance and the happier the fish; 2. Make sure the aquarium is on a sturdy, level and flat surface (irregular surface promotes leaks); 3. Purchase quality equipment suitable for the volume of water in habitat (cheap heaters can fail, inadequate filtration can stress fish, both can kill); 4. Plan stocking density knowing that different fish live at different levels (top. mid & bottom), that some fish are not compatible with other fish and that bigger fish may eat smaller fish; 5. Always condition tap water; 6. Introduce 1/3 of your total planned fish population in stages, at two week intervals during the aquarium start-up period, the first 6-8 weeks; 7. DO NOT OVERFEED, and you do not have to feed over weekends, every 3-4 day holidays; 8. Student created instructions for fall activities for the class, for substituted teachers and for school staff over long holidays. 9. Observe new fish introductions, normal activity and avoid crisis with daily student record keeping; 10. Understand and teach basic quality and simple to complex water testing; 11. Understand and practice water exchange on a routine basis (the smaller the habitat, the more crowded the fish, the more you will need to test and exchange water.); 12. Reread the quality aquarium book your read before #1 (above) and share the book with your students.

Encourage chemistry testing, from simple pH dip sticks (turns red or blue) to more complex tests that require measured aliquots of water and test kits. Calculate water displacement to find the "real" volume of the aquarium when you add gravel, rocks, filtration, etc. Understand evaporation and the need to top-off the aquarium to make up water loss, which results in increase minerals concentration, which needs a water exchange. Select color and shapes variety in the same species (goldfish) or diversity in population to provide art lessons. Provide time to observe fish behavior and map the actions of different species and their relation to their environment and co-habitants. Create backdrops that simulate natural environments (paper or 3-D paper machete) or draw water plants on butcher paper, cut out the empty spaces, wrap the aquarium to create a new temporary and student created observation. Research the origin of ornamental fish and study the rivers, geography and peoples of the region. Provide reproduction and live birth lessons with live bearing fish (guppies, platys, etc.) or observe nest building, spawning and territoriality with egg laying fish. Study the nutritional requirements of different type of fish - carnivores, omnivores and herbivores, and understand how you can stress fish by feeding the wrong diet and how you can easily kill fish by feeding too much, to frequently. Keep captive-reared ornamental fish and do not capture aquatic wild life from local streams or lakes. Create a project to help protect threatened or endangered fish species, wetlands and water quality. Get to know your aquarium dealer, ask for advice and ask about field trips to his store or classroom visits to discuss aquarium management. Use the aquarium to quiet an angry or upset student by asking the student to sit, observe and note the fish activity and interaction. Write stories, do art, engage the other classrooms in the school. Share information and compare aquarium experiences with other classrooms.

The classroom aquarium provides a wide degree of latitude for teachers and classes of any age group. Simple lessons of responsibility with cleaning, feeding, water exchanges provides opportunities for caring and cooperation in this micro-environment. The aquarium can be used to represent a metaphor to discuss the needs in the classroom space and population, the school campus, the home, the community or our planet Earth.