Week 2: Water Testing and Plants

Key Objectives

Learn why it is important to test your aquarium water and add plants to your aquarium.

Prior to the lesson:

Have you collected your plants from your assigned store?

Teachers Notes:

This week Tappers covers the seven most important variables to test in your aquarium water to ensure your fish stay happy and healthy (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, KH and GH) using the test strips you have received in your aquarium kit.

Learn about what constitutes good water and bad water for fish, the concepts of acidity and alkalinity and its measurement in terms of pH using your test strips. Tappers also explains the Nitrogen Cycle, in very simple terms, which is at the core of keeping your fish happy and healthy and the role bacteria in your filter play in this to keep your aquarium clear of fish-waste pollution. 

This Week's Tasks

In addition to the tasks shown in this week's film, please download the following PDFs worksheets before your lesson. Each child receives a copy of the weekly task sheet which include the following questions which may be worth highlighting in any discussions you have after they have watched the film. 

1. What job do bacteria do?
   
   
2. Where do the bacteria live?
   
   
3. Why isn't clear water always clean?
   
   
4. Where does pollution come from in the aquarium?

Make sure you use the techniques and information shown in the video to test your aquarium water with your test kit and record it on your classroom wall chart. Are all the parameters you measured within safe and healthy limits?

 

FKF Worksheet - Week 2 - Water Testing and Plants - Nitrogen Cycle Fill in the Gaps

FKF Worksheet- Week 2 - Nitrogen Cycle Cut and Stick

 

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Fishkeeper of the Week

Don't forget to award your Fishkeeper of the Week and present them with their sticker and certificate. Tell us why you selected this student.

Check out our Instagram Feed for other Fishkeepers of the Week and let us know how your class got on this week by emailing us examples of your work and images of your class working on the project to [email protected]

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Other Useful Resources

The Fish Glossary

A comprehensive A-Z for if you are in doubt about any of the fishy terms used in fishkeeping in general or on the website specifically, this useful A-Z reference should help shed some light on their meaning.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about any aspect of fishkeeping you want answering quickly, one of our customers may already have asked it so it's definitely worth a browse.

Freshwater Fish Databank

Here you will find an enormous selection of freshwater fish from tropical, temperate and coldwater regions, species are native to the rivers, lakes and in some cases, aquaria of the world. A great resource for extension activities such as getting your class to draw and fact find about freshwater fish for their project.

Marine Fish Databank

Here you will find lots of fish from the oceans, many of which are suitable for home aquaria. This is where you’ll find Nemo... Again, a great place to find beautiful fish to draw and colour and to find out interesting facts about lots of different marine species around the world.

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You should also be able to find additional ideas and inspiration for extension activities on our Facebook and Instagram channels:

Fishkeeper Fry Facebook

Fishkeeper Fry Instagram

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A Final Note for Week 2

Remember, the class that we feel has engaged the most with the programme by sharing photos of their weekly tasks and activities, 'Fishkeeper of the Week' award submissions, examples of work and creative projects they have undertaken will be in with the chance of being awarded 'Fishkeeper Fry School of the Year' at the end of the programme -with medals for everyone who took part and a fabulous cup for the school.

Here are some ideas of the sort of thing we'd love to see:

• Photos of your class in action setting up the tank as described by Tappers in the film.
• Examples of completed worksheets from this week.
• Any comments or interesting questions that came from the class that shows how they are finding the programme so far.
• Examples of any creative artwork or writing that you have done in addition to the worksheets provided around the theme of your new aquarium or fish.

And if at any point in the programme you have any additional questions or concerns about your aquarium or fish, you can contact your local store team who will be only too happy to help you get the most out of Fishkeeper Fry. Alternatively, if you have any questions about the administration of the programme please contact us at [email protected]

 

Good luck and enjoy your second week!