Colorful Chemistry!

The students were eager to help test the water to make sure it keeps our trout safe and healthy. We monitor the water quality two times a week. The students help by counting the drops of each test solution and assisting in determining which color matches the test card indicating the level. The students really enjoy seeing the color of the water change during the testing process.

 

These were the results we found today... ph 7.6, nitrites 0 ppm, ammonia .25 ppm, and nitrates 0 ppm. Looks great so far!  It is natural to have a little rise in ammonia right after all the eggs hatch. As the trout grow, we can expect to see some  more changes. They mostly learn that trout need clean water through this  testing process and that we can help to keep the water clean for them both in our tank and in the streams!

We also talked about how our tank is a closed system unlike the stream so we need to sometimes add some fresh water to help keep the water chemistry able to meet the needs of the trout in the tank.  So we added 2 gallons of spring water. Then we cut the top off  of the gallon jug filling it with tap water. We placed these containers on our window sill to allow the chlorine that is in our water to dissipate into the air before we add the water to the tank. This process takes 2 days.  Next we smelled the difference between water from the tank and water from the tap. Believe it or not you can smell the chlorine in tap water. We also measured the temperature of both containers of water learning to read a thermometer. We also measured the air temperature of the room just to give the students an idea of what the temperature feels like relative to them.

The students are so eager to learn and care for our trout. We think raising trout in school is so cool...below is our best cool dude look to share our excitement for the program!