Saving Nemo
Fish keeping may seem like a fun and easy hobby, but without the proper research and knowledge one will kill the fish rather than keep them. Most people think keeping fish is an easy hobby because all you have to do is buy a tank and the fish to put in the tank, but they are extremely wrong. Fish are very hard to care for, and they are also very temperamental to changes within the tank. Fish require constant care and a watchful eye of the water conditions in the tank. If the water condidtions in the tank are not set up properly, or if there is a spike or sudden change in the water conditions it could cause the fish to become sick or even kill the fish.
Tank set up might seem like a simple process of just filling the tank with water, but if the water is not treated properly it can be toxic to the fish and it will kill them. Tap water is extremely toxic to fish and needs to be treated to remove the chlorine from the tap water. In order to treat the water one must use a water conditioner, that removes chlorine, that can be bought from a local pet store. Treating tap water is only part of the set up process in a new tank. Once your tank is full of treated water you must cycle your tank.
Cycling a new tank is the process in which the nitrogen cycle is established in a new aquarium. It is crucial that a new tank is cycled properly in order to keep the fish in a non-toxic environment. The purpose of cycling a new tank is to establish beneficial bacteria that convert toxic elements into nontoxic elements. In order for the cycle to begin in a new tank there must be ammonia in the tank. Ammonia comes from the food that is fed to the fish, and it also comes from the fish waste. In order to get ammonia in the tank the pe...
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...ank. A new tank should only have one to two hardy fish in the tank in order to start the cycling process and once it is cycled more fish can be added. A fish keeper should make sure they check their fish frequently for signs and symptoms of diseases so they can quickly treat a fish if necessary. Once a fish keeper gets used to checking water conditions and preforming regular water changes fish keeping can be a fun hobby, but it can still be an expensive hobby.
Works Cited
"Beginner: The Nitrification Cycle and New Tank Syndrome(." Beginner: The Nitrification Cycle and New Tank Syndrome(. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Common Symptoms." Chart on Fish Diseases, Symptoms and Their Treatments. FishNet.org, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Seyffarth, Keith. "The First Tank Guide." Information on Setting Up Your New Aquarium. N.p., 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Currently, the United State’s Gulf of Mexico experiences an annual, seasonal “dead zone” as a result of hypoxia. Hypoxia is a low level of dissolved oxygen (<2mg/L) in an area of water. Hypoxia is typically temporary and seasonal, but the low oxygen levels can be devastating to aquatic organisms. Hypoxia occurs in many oceanic waters worldwide, but there is a growing area of concern in our Gulf of Mexico coast. Hypoxia is largely caused by nitrogen fertilizer application for agriculture, with heavy concentrations coming from the Midwestern US. Nitrogen mobilizes as nitrate, and is transported via surface water runoff. The runoff enters tile-drain supported ditches, enters streams and joins the Mississippi river, eventually reaching the gulf. Nitrate mobilization is a problem for human health, and ag. runoff is also often attributed to the contamination of surface and well-water sources in rural areas. High levels of nitrates restrict the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. This can harm humans, and is the major cause of infant methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome”. The safe drinking level standard is 10mg/L.
People can catch fish and skin them and clean them off, fry them and then eat them. Then there is deer, which you have to have a license to hunt. People also have to have fishing licenses or a park ranger or gain warden will fine you $75 and $20 more if you are caught with more fish that you are suppose to have.(Penalties for Fishing without a License,1). There are 3 types of fishing limits and restrictions, and they are catch limits, possession limits, and size restrictions.(Fishing limits and size retrictions,1). Catch limits means that you can only catch a certain amount of fish in one day. When you catch your limit, then you better not keep anymore or you will get fined. Possession limits means to target the fishing mortality rate. Then there is size restrictions of a fish, which is the size the fish has to be before you keep it. A fish has to be exactly 13 inches. If your fish is bigger or smaller than 13 inches then people will get fined.
About half of the fish species live in groups at some point in their life
Turbid water, water with a lot of particles of sediment or organic matter, can make it difficult for organisms to acquire or create energy because it can cloud out the light and, depending on the cause of turbidity, can cause problems with other water properties such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. To avoid turbid water, the best solution is to clean your tank and change water often.
Simply, overfishing depletes fish stocks. The consumer demand for fish has risen dramatically over the past decade or so, so much that fisheries are designing new and innovate ways to catch more fish, and at a faster rate to meet consumer demands. What fisheries do not realize, though, is that their removal of fish from the oceans is too great and far too fast for new fish stocks to be made. So, no mating is occurring, leaving the oceans emptier each day. If this rate continues, all fish in the ocean will be almost non-existent. Already, we are experiencing a major decline in fish population: "In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population. "(par.6).Overfishing brings the main consequence of decrease in the fish population. People rely on fish for survival (in some countries, fish is their only source of food), and they rely on marine life for products (goods like lipstick, petroleum jelly, make-up, etc.)
Overfishing may have some benefits to it, but does it out way the negatives? By fulfilling our demand we can wipe out our whole oceans! Not just the fish, but water mammals too. Sure it can create jobs, but as what cost? It can help bring up our economy, but at the same time it can bring it down with many fish companies closing down due to lack of profit. Fish is a great source of nutrients, but too much can kill you! In other words, fish can be both beneficial and harmful to not only humans, but everyone and everything surrounding fish. There are three things people can do to help with overfishing, the first thing is to be aware of what you are eating. Is the fish on the fear of extinction list? Also asking yourself is the fish you’re about to eat really the fish you intend to eat? Another thing to ask is, was it shipped over seas? If it was it doesn’t benefit anyone, it won’t help the economy or you. Many fish shipped from a long ways creates pollution and may have lost its nutrients value from the long voyage. One last thing to do is if you see a sewer with a sign leading to the ocean, try not to leave trash near it, or better yet don’t litter at all! All the litter left out on streets or near sewers can cause pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers which is very harmful for marine life. You can still enjoy fish, but not at such a high demand as
The natural level of nitrate is usually low with less than 2 ppm. Meanwhile, the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) and local limit is 10 ppm. If the concentration of nitrate in a body of water exceeds 10 ppm, it can cause health problems for humans, such as methemoglobinemia, and a spike in the growth of plant life, such as algae blooms. As for the amount of phosphate, there is an even lower natural concentration with 0.05 ppm and 0.1 ppm for the local limit. Similar to an excess amount of nitrate, a higher presence of phosphate encourages aquatic plant growth but also the growth of plankton. This overproduction of nitrate and phosphate forms a growth of toxic algae blooms that then decrease food supplies and destroy habitats. Since nitrate is required by organisms to function and phosphate is essential to the development of complex cells, the algae that grows from these nutrients blocks out the sunlight for organisms below the surface of the water. Thus, these organisms die off and bacteria decomposes the waste, releasing more phosphate. The decomposition also uses up oxygen in the water, which will severely inhibit the growth of other organisms, like fish. As conditions worsen and the deadly cycle continues, the body of water will age in an
This is known by the many fishing laws and policies that have been created for fishermen to obey in everyday life. Most are considered to be known without seeing the laws because it is basic morals and principals everyone should know. The most important one to the topic at hand is the right to fish comes with certain obligations and responsibilities to help ensure conservation of aquatic and costal resources and those affected (Lam 309, FAO.Code). This basically says when fishing, the fishermen has to take responsibilities for their actions. To conserve the lives of many aquatic animals, all rules must be followed accurately. If not it’s a risk to almost all the populations of aquatic species because it causes a chain reaction. If the food supply is damaged, the species dies, and that same species that dies could have also been a food source to another species that in turns dies as
The data we found supported our original water hypothesis. My group and I believed that adding ammonium nitrate into our eco-column would ultimately damage the ecosystems. The increase in levels of minerals from the aquatic ecosystem also indicates that the entire column was being destroyed. Through this experiment, I have learned that too much nutrients and minerals within an ecosystem can be extremely harmful to the wildlife. Throughout this experiment the water in our eco column began to turn yellow because of a surplus of nitrogen and phosphorous in the eco-column. In some of the eco-columns of the other groups in the classroom, they had eutrophication in the early stages of their eco-column which resulted in the death of many of their
As someone who has owned these wonderful pets for several years, I know that properly taking care of Betta fish can be a challenge. It shouldn't be, but it is sometimes. Unfortunately, this is usually due to owners reading either misinformation or not enough information at all.
• Just like human beings, fish need food, oxygen, and shelter. These three basic needs dictate the location of fish in the ice and just realizing this will make winter fishing a lot easier.
Since fresh pure sea water is not readily accessible, the easiest water source for the majority of hobbyists is the faucet. However, the tap water that comes from the local water treatment plants may be safe for human consumption but is most likely toxic to marine life. Water treatment plants remove most of the harmful chemicals, but the water delivered is anything but pure. Often this tap water contains high levels of phosphates and nitrates that can be harmful to aquarium inhabitants. Also, copper may leach from pipes, and it is deadly to marine invertebrates (Goldstein 8). This leaves very few options for water to the hobbyist. One of the last, and probably the best option for obtaining a pure water source is by using reverse osmosis water.
...ve significantly reduced available fish stocks by failing to limit catches of endangered or threatened species such as the Bluefin tuna. The regeneration of the marine biodiversity is slow, and citizens have done everything but help. Additionally, the slaughter of dolphins and protected animals like the whale shark adds to the downsides of overfishing. Also, in order to sell to consumers the desired fish species, astonishing numbers of by-catch have to be rid of. Sometimes, less than half of the captured fish is brought back to the shore. The problem of overfishing further disrupts intricate ecosystems maintained by the already threatened coral reefs. Their destruction is synonym to a loss of habitat and refuge to numerous different marine animals. Overfishing must be the main concern of modern society because billions of people depend of fish stocks to survive.
A clear contrast for dogs and fish are their habitat. This is probably the most notable contrast when considering having a dog or a fish as a pet. A fish has to live in an underwater habitat. This habitat can be as extreme as a wall to wall tank or as mundane as a small bowl on a desktop . Either way, this habitat causes the owner to incur extra expenses when purchasing a suitable tank, water, and
...eochemical cycles. By increasing the amount of crops that are removed from the soil and the subsequent soil erosion, phosphorus levels in the soil have dropped. The phosphorus lost from the soils travels to aquatic ecosystems which then can cause massive algal blooms. The increased use of nitrogen based fertilizers has also altered that cycle. The fertilizers add high levels of nitrates to the soil, and in natural ecosystems, nitrates will undergo denitrification and be returned as atmospheric nitrogen. This is not the case because the nitrate levels exceed the levels of denitrification that bacteria can handle. Additionally, much of the denitrifying bacteria is found in marshes and wetlands, which are currently being destroyed at incredible rates. In some areas, the excess nitrate has made it into the ground water system and contaminated the drinking water system.