Self-Sustaining Ecosystems

A self-sustaining ecosystem is a system that is able to sustain itself without any external support. Benson's aquarium ecosystem is not self-sustaining because he requires his dear, sweet mommy's support to feed him, clean his tank, make sure his water levels are in check, etc. This is due to the fact that Benson's ecosystem is enclosed within the confines of his tank, so he has to eat, sleep, play, blow bubbles, and do his (waste-excreting) thing within one tiny space. In order for his ecosystem to be self-sustaining, the boundaries of his tank would have to be eliminated, and there would have to be food readily available for him (pellets don't spawn in the wild).

Lakes, rivers, and ponds are self-sustaining.

Aquariums are not.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Fish eat food and excrete wastes in the form of carbon dioxide and ammonia.

Carbon dioxide goes to plants and the atmosphere.

Ammonia, on the other hand, is converted by nitrosomonas bacteria into nitrites.

Nitrites are broken down by nitrobacter into nitrates, which are not as toxic to fish as ammonia and nitrites.

Excessive nitrates can be removed by plants and water changes. 

Water Quality Comparison

Checking water quality is an important part of maintaining your own aquarium. Making sure your water quality is in check, as well as regular water changes, ensures that you are providing a safe habitat for your aquatic friend(s). Every week, I check his water's temperature, as well as the ammonia and nitrate levels, to make sure they aren't out of line. I also check pH, chlorine, water hardness, and alkalinity (slightly less frequently) to provide further insight on the state of Benson's environment. I change his water on a regular basis to make sure my fish baby has a clean and happy home.

This is not my tank, but it should be.

Since I actively examine and clean my water, it likely has a more pristine water quality than most lakes. Lakes are self-sustaining, so they don't have a careful fish mommy/caretaker (i.e. me) to constantly take care of the cleaning and maintaining the "household". 

The same argument can apply to rivers as well; they must maintain themselves (with the exception of water management workers). However, since rivers are rapidly moving, they have more dissolved oxygen than standing water, including Benson's tank.

I'm Jumping for Joy, and So Is Benson!

Ever since I learned about how smart and playful bettas are, one of the things I've been eager to do is teach Benson how to jump. Here's the thing about Benson: he's a pretty cool fish. He always rushes to the front of the tank when he sees me, he loves to play with me (chasing my finger), and he'll even eat pellets of food directly off of my finger. However, the one thing he would not do is jump for his food. I'd put my finger above the water (with a food pellet, of course) to try to tempt him, but all he'd do is stare at me like I was an idiot until I lowered my finger into the water.

That all changed on the fateful afternoon of 5/9. The fish gods must have heard my cries, because Benson FINALLY jumped! He only jumped once that day, but he jumped twice on 5/10, four times on 5/13, and three times today. I don't have any pictures or videos of his amazing feat, but this gives an idea of how I dangle my finger above the water to coax him to jump:

This lunatic cartoon person might need a lesson on overfeeding.

Things have been good in Benson's hood as well. On 5/3, his water had 10 ppm of nitrate and 0 ppm of ammonia. On 5/7, ammonia levels rose to an estimated .13 ppm, but nitrate and ammonia levels are still relatively low.

Overall, everything is just as great with Benson as usual, along with the added excitement of his new trick. My next goal is to dangle his food from a thread and see if I can get him to jump a bit higher for it.

Dichotomous Key

The purpose of a dichotomous key is to identify something through the use of different descriptions. Each number on the dichotomous key two different choices. In order to identify a specimen, start at number 1. Whichever description applies determines which number you will move to next. Move from number to number in accordance to the direction near each description until you reach the identification of the given specimen.

Assessing Water Quality

1. Evaluate the site by observation.
2. Capture and identify algae and insects. Since some types of insects and algae are more tolerant of pollution than others (Euglena thrives in polluted water, whereas Batrachospermum lives in water with low levels of organic pollution), the insects and algae present in the water can provide clues on its quality.
3. Test pH, ammonia, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, and nitrate.
4. Run a panel of definitive chemical tests. These tests are the most expensive, so they should only be used if the water's problem has not been sourced during earlier testing.

Dissolved Oxygen in an Ecosystem

Oxygen dissolves into water from contact with the atmosphere and from plants in the water. At night, there are high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of of oxygen. This is because the plants and algae in the water are removing the oxygen for respiration. During daylight hours, however, oxygen levels are high and carbon dioxide levels are low. Plants produce more oxygen than they consume, so more oxygen is provided for the fish and other organisms in the water.