Objective:
The student will be able to explain the importance of the Nitrogen Cycle and how control of the ammonia in this cycle is critical to the overall health of the Aquademics™ aquarium. Students also will be able to check their tank's ammonia level. (This lesson is most effective if conducted after the lesson on filtration.)
Materials Needed:
Background Information:
Ammonia is produced by fish as their waste product and from uneaten food. It is very toxic to fish; therefore it should be one of the elements to monitor regularly in the tank. If a tank has proper filtration, has regular water changes, is not overstocked with fish and has fish which are not overfed, then ammonia should not be a problem. The ammonia reading in the healthy tank should be zero. TetraTest® Ammonia Kit can give a simple, accurate determination of ammonia in a freshwater tank. If the ammonia level is too high, the kit also suggests the appropriate remedy.
Activity:
Ask the students if they have ever heard of a substance called ammonia. Let several students respond to this question. They may know that some household cleaning agents contain ammonia. (The teacher could dilute a small amount of cleanser like Mr. Clean into a bowl and let students quickly smell the pungent scent of ammonia.)
Explain to students that, in order for tropical fish to survive successfully in the Aquademics™ aquarium, it is all right - even necessary - to have a very small amount of impurities in an aquarium, but a large amount can be dangerous and even fatal to the fish. In fact, ammonia is the number one killer of tropical fish.
Distribute a copy of Aquademics™ Aquarium Basics Worksheet #2 (the Nitrogen Cycle) to each student. Review the Nitrogen Cycle with the students. Tell students that ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and write these terms and their chemical symbols on the board. The nitrites in ammonia are extremely hazardous to fish if allowed to accumulate in large quantities. Explain that proper filtration and regular water changes will ensure that ammonia and nitrite levels never reach dangerous proportions. It is necessary that students acquire a very elementary knowledge of nitrogen and hydrogen. A healthy aquarium will depend upon proper control of both of these chemical elements. (See the Lesson Plan on the pH cycle.)
Train all students on how to test the tank's ammonia level using the TetraTest® Ammonia Kit according to the instructions found inside the box. Note ammonia status on Aquademics™ Aquarium Basics Worksheet #3.
Result:
Students will have a strong desire to make sure that dangerous ammonia levels never occur in their Aquademics™ tank.
Portions of this page reprinted courtesy of the National Aquarium in Baltimore