Example 1: This is a good report, as it was written. It has a few flaws and is about a "B+"
Introduction:
Goldfish are a tried and true pet. They are inexpensive, easy to take care of, and relatively easy to replace. But as many people, including myself, have found, putting goldfish into regular tap water can cause them to go belly up within a few days. Water conditioners can help by adjusting the water to a more favorable environment for the fish. But which water conditioner does one use? There are so many different types, all claiming to do different things making it extremely overwhelming to pick the right one. It is out of this frustration that my partner and I decided to do an experiment to test which water conditioner best helped goldfish adapt to their tank. We picked three different water conditioners (each containing different chemicals); Kordon Amquel Plus, API Stress Coat and Tetra Aquasafe. Among these three different water conditioners I hypothesized that the Tetra Aquasafe would be the most effective in helping the goldfish adapt to the tank and prolong it’s life. I picked Tetra Aquasafe, because along with chemicals that are supposed to remove the bad chemicals in the water, it also contains a slime coat protector that helps repair the slime coat on the fish. From this experiment I hope to learn exactly which water conditioner does the best job of helping the fish adapt, so I can use it for my own goldfish. I also hope to gain a better understanding of what affect things like ammonia, chlorine, pH etc. have on the fish, and if the water conditioners do what they claim to.
Literature Review:
There are several properties in the water of a tank that can be harmful to a goldfish and these include ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, high pH, and the hardness of the water (Matsui, 1981). Ammonia is caused by fish waste and excess food in the tank (GS, 2002). Ammonia can be very harmful to a goldfish, causing irritation to it’s skin or even death. The higher the ammonia levels, the more deadly it is for the fish. Generally, anything over 1ppm is undesirable (GS, 2002). The pH in the tank describes is acidity or alkalinity and is ranked on a scale from 1 to 14, 1 being most acidic and 14 being most basic. The ideal pH range for a goldfish lies in the 6-8 range (GS, 2002). Water hardness measures the metallic ions present in the tank, which can include magnesium and calcium. The more of these ions present, the harder it is for the fish to keep the balance between it’s body fluids and environment (GS, 2002). Therefore the lower these levels are the better. Nitrite is ammonia in a less toxic form, but it is still a toxin and can be harmful to goldfish (GS, 2002). Nitrate is nitrite in a less toxic form and can actually be used as food by live plants (GS, 2002). Some nitrite and nitrate is tolerable to the fish, but again the lower the levels of these are the better. Lastly, alkalinity measures the amount of buffers in the water, and these buffers keep the pH from changing dramatically (GS, 2002). Therefore, the presence of buffers is beneficial to the fish.
Water conditioners claim to keep the above properties at levels which are
safe for the goldfish. For instance, Amquel contains 100% sodium
hydroxymethanesulfonate. This claims to decrease the hardness of the
water, and remove ammonia. The sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate actually
bond with the ammonia, removing it from the water, and preventing it from
harming the fish. Therefore, Amquel does seem to be beneficial to the
fish. Although, Amquel does not have a slime coat protector, which could
have a negative effect on the fish (TT 2006). Tetra Aquasafe claims
to do the same thing, with the exception that it does contain a slime coat
protector. It contains sodium hydroxymethane sulfinate, polyvinyl
pyrollidones, organic hydrocolloids, organic chelating compounds (TT 2006).
Lastly, API Stress Coat also claims to do the same things as the above conditioners,
but it has a slime coat protector of aloe vera (TT 2006).
Materials and Methods:
The materials used included Kordon AmQuel Plus, Tetra Aquasafe, and API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) Stress Coat which are all water conditioners. The Mardel Master Test Kit which tested for pH, hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia was also used. The fish were fed Top Fin Goldfish Flakes. We also used four plastic containers that could hold up to six cups of water, tap water, four goldfish (similar in size and color), a thermometer, and a goldfish net.
The controls in this experiment were the type and size of the goldfish containers, the type and amount of food and light provided, and also the type and temperature of the water being used. The experimental control was a goldfish in a tank with untreated water, to be used in comparison to the experimental goldfish. The dependent variable was the levels of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity and hardness in the water. The independent variable was the type of water conditioner (Amquel, Aquasafe, or API Stress Coat).
While conducting the experiment, the fish were kept under the same conditions, and the same tap water was used. We purchased 4 goldfish that were very similar in shape, size, etc. We tried to purchase goldfish that seemed healthy, which meant the fish that were the most active in the tank, and responded to movement the best. The test kit, water conditioners, fish net, thermometer, fish food, and fish containers were also gathered. We then set up four, six-cup tanks with the same amount of tap water, all at the same temperature. The water was then treated with two drops of each water conditioner. The goldfish were added. We then measured the pH, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, hardness and ammonia levels for all of the tanks, and record the results. The different measurements were compared to the directions on the test kit. The activity level of the fish was monitored and recorded on a scale from one to ten, one being the least active and ten being the most active. The goldfishes swimming ability, the amount of food it ate, and it’s responsiveness to us testing the water (for example if the fish swam away when we took a sample of the water), were all factors that we considered when determining their activity levels. The fish were also fed the same amount of food. After several days we retested the water and recorded the results. Everyday the fish were fed equal amounts of food and their activity levels were recorded as done before. After a week, half of the water was changed out to keep the fish alive. Two cups of the dirty water was taken out and two cups of new water treated with one drop of the corresponding water conditioner was added. The water was then retested and recorded and the temperature was also recorded. The complete experiment was also repeated an additional time.
Results:
The results are on the following pages.
Discussion:
In the first experiment the goldfish whose water was treated with the API Stress Coat lived the longest, and in the second experiment both the API Stress Coat goldfish and the Kordon Amquel fish lived longer than the other two fish. Also, in the first experiment the Kordon Amquel fish died the soonest, and in the second experiment the control fish died the soonest.
In comparing the two experiments, I would say that overall the API Stress Coat did a better job in conditioning the water for the goldfish than the other water conditioners. Several reasons allowed me to arrive at this conclusion. First of all, the activity levels of the API Stress Coat goldfish gradually rose overtime, which could possibly mean that it’s water conditions were kept at safe levels. Also, in the second experiment the ammonia levels for the Kordon Amquel fish rose from .5ppm to 5ppm on in four days, while the ammonia levels for the API Stress Coat fish rose from .5ppm to 5ppm in ten days. This led me to believe that the API Stress Coat was more efficient in controlling the ammonia levels (the lower the ammonia levels, the less deadly it is for the fish). In addition, over the ten day span of the second experiment the Kordon Amquel decreased the pH level from 7.2 to 6.8, and the API Stress Coat decreased the pH level from 8 to 6.8. According to this, it seems as though the API Stress Coat was more successful in controlling the pH levels to be safe for the fish (a 6-8 pH range in considered safe).
My hypothesis that the Tetra Aquasafe water conditioner would be the most effective was incorrect. In fact, of the three water conditioners the Tetra Aquasafe probably performed the most poorly. For instance, in the first experiment the Tetra Aquasafe goldfish died in three days, and in the second experiment the fish died in nine days. Also, in the second experiment the Tetra Aquasafe fish had pH levels that were comparable to the API Stress Coat fish and the Kordon Amquel fish (all were around 6-8), but the initial nitrate and nitrite levels were much higher for the Tetra Aquasafe fish than the others. The higher levels of nitrate and nitrite are probably what caused this fish to die sooner than the others, and one can conclude that the Tetra Aquasafe wasn’t as effective in controlling these nitrite and nitrate levels as the other water conditioners. Additional factors, such as the health of the fish, could have skewed the results. For instance, it is hard to tell if a goldfish is healthy or sick. Also human errors in testing the water properties might have skewed the results as well. An alternative hypothesis to explain the results would be that the API Stress Coat would be the most effective in prolonging the life of the fish, and that the Tetra Aquasafe would be the least effective.
Bibliography:
Advanced Goldfish Care [Internet]. [GS] The Goldfish Sanctuary; c1992-2002 [cited
November 1, 2006]. Available from: http://www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/goldfish.html
Matsui, Yoshiichi. 1981. Goldfish Guide. 2nd ed. Neptune (NJ): T.F.H. Publications. 220 p.
Water Conditioners and Dechlorinators [Internet]. [TT] The Tropical Tank; c2000-2006 [cited November 1, 2006]. Available from: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-cond.htm