Science Fair Ideas

[Gonzo74]

My son has to do a science fair project and has asked me if we can use my tank as the base of the project.

although it sounds like a good idea to get my son interested in my tank, I don’t want it to negatively effect my tank.

has anyone done something similar? If so, any idea that won’t harm my inhabitants?

i thought about using different light schedules in my fuge to show the difference in nutrient consumption but that does not sound too eye catching.

Red Sea Max S400 with community fish and Mix coral reef.

 

[WV Reefer]

My son has to do a science fair project and has asked me if we can use my tank as the base of the project.

although it sounds like a good idea to get my son interested in my tank, I don’t want it to negatively effect my tank.

has anyone done something similar? If so, any idea that won’t harm my inhabitants?

i thought about using different light schedules in my fuge to show the difference in nutrient consumption but that does not sound too eye catching.

Red Sea Max S400 with community fish and Mix coral reef.

why not some sort of jar reef of his own? Highlighting a tiny ecosystem?

 

[Gonzo74]

why not some sort of jar reef of his own? Highlighting a tiny ecosystem?

Not a bad idea but what would the science behind it be? What would be the hypothesis?

 

[SandJ]

Think of this from the prospective of teachers/kids who do not have saltwater tanks...the little things that are common place to us are fascinating to them.

Maybe set him up a small tank and focus of the micro-world of our tanks. Tiny copepods, amphipods, micro brittle stars, heck I have even found a water bear (tardigrade) in my tank! He could take pictures through the microscope to display them also.

He could actually do an entire project on the Tardigrades...they are fascinating creatures.

Or it may seem boring, but a project on live rock. He could have 2 tanks he is setting up to cycle. One with live rock, one with dry rock. He could document the progress of each tank as he adds a set amount of ammonia and see how the cycle progresses in each tank. This would allow him to showcase his skills in using test kits, making measurements, calculating doses of ammonia, maintaining a control (no rock) and the two experiment tanks, explaining what the cycle is (chemistry lesson), and finally showcase the end result of a small tank setup (small 2-5 gallon tanks should be plenty for all of these).

 

[WV Reefer]

Not a bad idea but what would the science behind it be? What would be the hypothesis?

Maybe something tank adjacent like culturing phyto or pods in different conditions as food for the tank.

 

[NatD]

Do you have a little quarantine set up somewhere that you're not going to use for a month or so?

You could still do something on photosynthesis -- really easy to see/measure with some feather caulerpa or something that you may not want to introduce to your own tank. It grows so fast that you could adjust your variable weekly.

Your variable could be light time or addition of nutrients, but depending on the age of the kid, light time would perhaps be simpler.

 

[Gonzo74]

I do have a quarantine set up and it is currently running (cycled).

 

[Chewbacca]

Just my 2€. Maybe 2- 2.5 tanks , small pump for return, air pump and stone , make a box skimmer and syphon tube and baffles. Create a display tank and sump and sump media, throw in a molly or a fish of same value and plant with plastics if just for one time project

 

[fish farmer]

I think two tanks, both with tough corals like mushrooms or palys. Set up the same, overfeed one, measure elevated nutrient levels, watch algae grow out of control.

Basically a study on pollution of a reef.

 

[Gonzo74]

I am leaning towards the correlation between algae, oxygen, and bacteria since that is an actual problem we are seeing around our coasts.

now to figure out how to recreate the environment and test.