Ecosystem Wonderings

ECOSYSTEM Club members answer students' questions:  Ari, Matanel, Johnathan, Julia, Nathan, Sarah, Josh, Anton, Nico, Morgan, Hannah, Josh, Rachel

Do we have guppies?  Yes.

Why is there a potato in the ecosystem?  It is nutrients/food for the animals (compost).

Are there bugs in the tank that you can’t see?  Yes, plankton.

What is the snail called?  Apple snail.

What is the green stuff on the back of the tank?  Algae

Why are there snails?  They eat the algae.

Is the light burned out?  NO - it is on a timer so the nocturnal animals come out and the daytime animals can sleep.

Are we getting an Iguana?  No.

Are the toads poisonous?  Yes, the firebelly toads are, you can get a rash if you touch it.

When do we feed the fish?  Every couple of days they are fed a small amount of fish food.

Why did the first crayfish die?  We’re not sure.

Are the crab-looking fish, crayfish?  Yes.

Are there going to be frogs?  Maybe.

How many potatoes are there in the tank?  6.

What kinds of fish are there?  Sevrum, placo, swordtails, guppies, tiger barbs, loach.

Are there going to be turtles?  No, because they carry bacteria.

Why is one of the newts fat?  Maybe it ate too much.

Why are there crickets?  They are food for the toads.

Do crayfish bite?  They don’t have teeth.

Do the toads change colour?  The firebelly toads change colour when they are stressed.

Why do the fish eat other fish?  Some of the bigger fish eat the smaller fish as part of the natural food chain.

Why do we need an Ecosystem and does it help us?  We get to see what happens under water.

How big does the apple snail grow?  10 - 15 in diameter.

Are we going to add goldfish?  Maybe.

What do you plan to add in the future?  Perhaps barb fish.

How many snails are there?  About 9 - they multiply.

When are the crickets going to lay eggs?  They already did.

Will there be more animals?  In September.

Why doesn’t the weather loach move?  It does move sometimes very quickly.

Is the toad an amphibian or a reptile? An amphibian.  There are 2 toads no frogs.

What do the toads eat?  The crickets.

Why do the fish play tag?  They are chasing each other.

What are the names of the bugs on land?  Meal worms and red wrigglers.

What are the genders of the newts?  Male has larger reproductive parts.  Pattletail (female fairly flat / male obvious reproductive system.  May have white spots on his tail during breeding season.

How do fish swim?  Tail (fin) has special muscles.

Why are there rocks on the bottom?  Looks like a pond.

Why are there fish and toads and snails?  It is an ecosystem of a pond.

How do fish die?  May get eaten by another fish or animal.  they get old and die as part of their life cycle.  Sometimes they may go into shock and not survive when they are put in a new tank.

Why is there a leaf?  That is part of the ecosystem plant life of a pond.

How many ecosystems has Eugene made?  He has been making ecosystems since 1993.

Why is there grass?  Because crickets eat the grass for their food.

Why is it dark?  It is like night time for the animals to rest.

When does Eugene come back?  He comes once a month to take care of the ecosystem.

How do you make an ecosystem?  Aquarium/composter/swamp.

Do the fish eat the dead crickets?  Yes, they only eat them when they are dead.  The toads and newts eat the crickets alive.

How do the fish feel living under water?  They are always under water.

Why did we make an ecosystem?  To learn about the life cycle of animals.

How does everything survive?  They eat each other and  have eggs.

Do the fish have names?  No.

Why isn’t there a filter?  There is, at the back.

Why do the toads like to be on land?  They live in water and land - they need air to breathe.

Why do we have different fish?  It’s like a pond, there are different types of fish in a pond.

How do you clean it?  Take out a bucket of water, blow air to move the stuff accumulated at the bottom, wipe the glass down and refill the tank.

Do toads change colour?  Yes, when their mood changes.