The ecosystems are maintaining a healthy homeostasis. The freshwater system had a rough patch when the water was changed twice in one day. This was due to a miscommunication with my lab partner. In the future a log will need to be created to ensure this miscommunication does not occur in the classroom. When I have my own classroom I wish to have the freshwater system and share responsibilities with the students to create a respectful and responsible community. Walter the Betta fish did not exhibit as many signs of a happy and healthy fish. During research I learned that male Bettas create bubble nests when in an ideal environment. Sightings of bubbles at the top of the tank indicate healthy Bettas. For two weeks after the water change, Walter did not produce bubbles on the surface of the water. But today there was significant bubbles at the top of the water. Several weeks ago two snails were introduced to the freshwater ecosystem. It was believed that they did not survive since they were not found during several population counts. But today I found two large healthy snails.
To see video of feeding the fish click here https://vine.co/v/euTgJBDMj0z
The saltwater system is finally at a stable point in the ecosystem. At first there were three fish introduced after several weeks of establishing the tank. The two fish died within a several days of being introduced to the system. This may have been due to stress of transportation or the being introduced early in the nitrogen cycle. A green stripe coral was introduced to the system. To support growth of the coral a blue spectrum light was added to the tank. The two lights are on a timer to rotate which light is on. The third fish died after a week and a half and on the same day as two more fish of the same species were introduced. It may be a correlation but the fish had shown symptoms of illness the day before. The two fish recently introduced are healthy. They have a constant appetite and swim around the tank at a healthy pace.
To view a vine of the saltwater ecosystem click here https://vine.co/v/euTHa7t5OgW