looking for project ideas

[fosterspike]

i have a research project assigned for school, and im looking for suggestions. it basically just needs to solve a problem, and i would like to be able to do something with my fish tank. i also have to spend 140 hours on it to get full credit.

 

i cant really think of something good enough to use if anyone has any suggestions feel free to help me out.

 

thanks

[Jon Lazar]

What class is this for, and how closely does the problem have to fit to the course curriculum?

 

If it's biology/life sciences, I would go with accurately determining the life cycle of the acropora eating flatworm through observation. Knowing how long it takes an egg to hatch, and how long it takes a juvenile to begin reproducing, would enable aquarists to determine the best time to apply a topical dip like Revive to stop an infestation. This would be very useful information for WAMASers, and you might be able to get the club to help with donations of AEFWs, food acroporas, small tanks/tubs, and other equipment. I believe the WAMAS charter supports educational goals.

 

For physics/chemistry, you might measure the amount of "TDS creep" from an RO/DI unit that turns on and off multiple times throughout the day because it's connected directly to a sump, and compare that to the TDS present when a large RO/DI reservior is used. You could also do a study and measure the heat input from different pumps, and/or the cooling effect and water loss from different sizes of fans. This would be helpful in determining the heat schedule when designing a tank...how many fans will that 375g tank I'm planning really need?

 

Determine the best lighting schedule to maximize chaetomorpha growth. You could do different experiments with coral growth, but coral growth is much slower and harder to measure, and it's much easier to keep chaeto growing than coral.

 

For materials science, you could test for the presence of plasticizers found in the different trash cans we typically use to store our water in. These plasticizers are likely toxic to embyonic fish and corals, and could have effects on our tanks. You'd have to have access to university level assay equipment for this.

 

Jon

[davelin315]

One that I've always wanted to do was to set up dual pH meters in a tank drilled with bulkheads in the bottom and have two equal sandbeds side by side separated by a piece of acrylic that share the same water and see what the effects of silica versus calcium based sand are on pH. I have thought a lot about how this would impact the pH and how to best isolate and protect the individual sandbeds.

[fosterspike]

Its for an environmental governors school but not for a certain class, i have AP research class on fridays went im supposed to work on it.

 

id like it to have something to do with protecting reefs or something but i cant go to the beach ever.

Edited October 16, 2009 by fosterspike

[davelin315]

Impact of warmer water/global warming on reefs.

[fosterspike]

the problem with that is im not near enough to observe and i need to solve the problem or submit a solution for it.

[davelin315]

the problem with that is im not near enough to observe and i need to solve the problem or submit a solution for it.

Have 2 or more "identical" systems, only boost the temperature in different ones to see what the effects are on growth and coloration.