Aquarium Set-Up 20 gallon Penguin Biowheel

Safety First Electrocution is real; use drip loops Wet floors are slippery- always walk with caution Place all your school supplies safely on your desk (not the floor) Glass aquariums are not drop, ding, shatter proof. Use caution Follow all the instructions included in this presentation You should be taking notes right now. If you don’t know- ASK!

Getting Started Aquarium Groups: o You have been assigned a group to work with o Groups may change if I deem necessary o On maintenance days you are expected to remain with your group until the entire class is finished with their maintenance tasks Each member is responsible for a set of tasks Tasks will rotate each maintenance day

Getting Started cont. Aquarium Journal o You will keep an individual log of all maintenance tasks o This will include, but is not limited to: A current species list and inventory Graphs of water chemistry & physical parameters Maintenance day task list as well as the results of the tasks Group members present for maintenance days

Getting Started cont. Maintenance Days o You are responsible for: Making sure all tasks have been completed Maintaining your Aquarium Journal Making sure the area is clean Making sure the room/ and sink areas are clean The overall health and condition of your aquarium Collecting and recording data other members of your group attained.

Getting Started cont. Maintenance Days cont. o A typical maintenance day: Unplug all electrical components Remove and disassemble filter components to be thoroughly cleaned Scrub interior & exterior walls and glass lid free of algae or salt spray Scrub decorations free of algae/ detritus Vacuum substrate while performing partial water change.

Getting Started cont. Maintenance Days cont. o A typical maintenance day: Mix new salt water and fill aquarium Collect physical and chemical water parameters Record overall specimen health and appearance – Include species and number of each Fill out Aquarium Journal and update all information/ graphs

Getting Started cont. Maintenance Days cont. o A typical maintenance day: Clean surrounding area of aquarium of salt creep & trash Clean sink and floors in room Put away all aquarium maintenance supplies/ chemicals Replace Aquatic Science Binder in designated location for assessment

Day 1- Aquarium Set-Up Meet with group members at appropriate aquarium Verify that you have the following in your aquarium: o 20 gallon glass aquarium o Complete filter setup o Two (2) gallon jugs of substrate o Aquarium backdrop o Glass lid

Marineland BIO-Wheel 1.Filter Cover 2.BIO-Wheel Cover 3.Impellar Housing 4.Impellar 5.Intake Tube 6.Mid-Level Intake Strainer 7.Extension Tube 8.Strainer 9.BIO-Wheel 10.BIO-Wheel Bearings 11.Filter Box 12.Filter Cartridge

Day 1- Aquarium Set-Up cont. **Important- For all components of the aquarium be sure that NO SOAP, DETERGENTS, or CLEANERS are used. Remove and scrub all components with water and brushes. Rinse and dry off Rinse all substrate in a bucket until the water runs clean Rinse new filter cartridge until water runs clear Rinse and scrub aquarium decorations

Day 1- Aquarium Set-Up cont. Trim background to fit the glass portion only of the aquarium back & tape securely in place Distribute substrate evenly across aquarium floor (should be 1-2 inches deep) o Place decorations where you prefer Reassemble filter and place on back side of aquarium with siphon closes to the corner of the aquarium Assemble and place glass lid with splash guard on top

Assemble filter as shown

Day 1- Aquarium Set-Up cont. Clean surrounding area and wipe dry all surfaces Complete Aquarium Inventory Checklist Sign and submit to Mr. Adams

Day 2- Adding Saltwater Mix water and ocean salt mix o 5 gallons of water o 400 mL of salt mix o Stir and wait for bubbles to disappear Check salinity/ temperature of each bucket of water o Goal Salinity is 25 ppt (parts per thousand) o If higher salinity add more water to dilute o If lower salinity add more salt mix

Day 2- Adding Saltwater cont. Pour saltwater into bowl or cupped hands to avoid stirring up sediment and displacing decorations Fill aquarium with saltwater until the aquarium is full o A full aquarium does NOT show the water line, but is still below the lip of the plastic rim Fill filter reservoir with water from the aquarium until it flows out the front of the filter into the tank Replace lid & materials then plug in filter

Day 3- Checking Aquarium & Filter Unplug filter Remove blue filter cartridge and rinse in sink. Replace Wipe dry all area and aquarium parts Plug in filter components

Day 3- Your First Specimen Add your hermit crab(s) to your tank! o He will get the nitrogen cycle established before your new specimens reach the tank. o This will make it inhabitable for others. Record all steps taken in your Aquarium Maintenance Journal o This will be your routine maintenance log. o EVERYTHING that you do MUST be recorded! o This accounts for a large sum of your grade the next few 6 weeks.