| Living Materials
Information
Water
Water is the single most important ingredient in an aquarium.
To ensure the survival of aquatic organisms during the
Ecosystems unit, use only the following types of water in your
aquaria:
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Bottled spring water (not mineral water) |
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Water from a clean natural source, such as a pond, lake, stream, or spring |
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Aged tap water |
To age tap water, fill a container with cold water from the tap and let it stand uncovered for 24 to 48 hours
to allow the chlorine gas to escape.
Always make certain any water you use is at room temperature before you
add it to an aquarium.
A note of caution: Some communities process water in a way that does not let chlorine
escape, which means you can't dechlorinate it by ageing. If this is the
case in your community, you need to add water conditioner (included in the kit) to your tap water. Follow the directions on the bottle and then let the water come to room temperature.
You will need 1 to 1½ liters (1 to 1½ qts) of water for each 2-liter aquarium. All together, that is 33 liters
(about 8
gals) of water for the students' ecocolumns and the 7 class ecocolumns. In addition, you will need to provide water for each holding tank. The amount of water needed for each living material is included with the care and handling instructions.
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