Last week we got all the TIC projects up and running with fish, but not without some hiccups. The chiller at Madison HS went down Friday morning so when I got there with fish the temp was in the 70s. Thanks to a savvy security guy who figured a fuse was blown he was able to get the chiller running again using a metal paper clip (only do this in an emergency until you can find a replacement fuse). This worked as a temporary fix while we got a replacement fuse (250 volt, 15 amp). So it would be a good idea to keep a few spares on hand just in case.
Kimberly also had a couple good tips. She keeps a couple 5 gal buckets with lids, filled with dechlorinated water on hand and replaces about 20% of the water in the tank each week. This also allows her to replace some tank volume during the week if ammonia concentrations start to rise. She also pointed out that having more than about 10-12 fish in the tank can really create ammonia problems, especially as the fish start to grow and put out more waste. So if you ended up with more fish than that be expecting ammonia problems.
If any of you come up with more tips please share them with everyone and also take a look at the tips on the www.troutintheclassroom.org website. Hope all is going well--Larry
Larry Puckett, PhD
President Land O'Sky Chapter
