Water quality at TNACI - by Larkin B.

Today we went back to TNACI and learned how to test the sturgeon tank water to see if there is any chlorine in it. This type of testing is not normally used when testing in the field, because there is typically not any chlorine in the rivers. Tap water is used in the tanks at TNACI, so the water must be checked and treated. 

 There are 4 tanks we tested, each one is tested to make sure certain chemicals are not building up and creating a toxic environment the fish could not live in. To do this we learned how to test the pH, nitrate, and ammonia levels. 

If the water below pH of 6 or above 8.5 the water in the tank must be changed, because it is a harmful environment for the fish. 

The ammonia in the tank should be as close to zero as possible and this varies with temperature and pH. These parameters were tested using an spectophototometer and ionized water was used as the control. 

On our way out, the TNACI interns explained to us how the invasive mosquito fish is being measured as part of a study of its impacts on the barrens topminnow.