5 Things I've Learned From the Aquarium Project

1. Bettas are actually intelligent, interactive animals and are aware of their surroundings. They can be trained   to do tricks such as jumping and swimming through hoops.

2. Though bettas can survive in small spaces (such as store containers) for short periods of time, it is best to keep them in larger tanks to give them plenty of space and keep them happy and healthy. Betta fish can survive, but not thrive, in smaller spaces.

3. Fish can't survive in plain tap water. Tap water contains chlorine, which will kill fish instantly. Water needs to be treated with dechlorinator before it is safe for fish.

4. Water changes are important because they reduce the levels of toxins such as ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

5. It is beneficial to have plants in your aquarium because they remove nitrates and increase levels of dissolved oxygen.

I have learned a lot from this project, and caring for Benson has been an amazing journey that I look forward to continuing. The only thing I would change for next year would be to give just a little more time to spend with our fish. Some days we had more sufficient amounts of time, but sometimes there wasn't enough time to feed our fish, record observations, practice training our fish, play with our fish, test water quality, and change the water within a limited frame of time.