Question: Can we successfully purify dirty water to create a sustainable habitat for 3 fish?

Hypothesis: We predict that we can successfully purify dirty water to create a sustainable habitat for 3 fish using our knowledge of filtration however we cannot guarantee all our fish may survive.

Materials:

- Three Rosy Red Minnows

- Two 2L bottles

- Two coffee filters

- ¼ of a sponge

- Tape

- Aquatic plants

- Soil with grass rooted in

- Approximately 2½ cups of cleaned rocks

Procedure:

1. Firstly, we took one 2L bottle and cut off the top part from the red line and up (refer to figure 1), that is to be used as section for the terrestrial layer

2. Secondly, the second 2L bottle was taken and the bottom part from the blue line up (refer to figure 2) was cut off and is to be the lid to seal the eco-column. The previous bottle from step one was then placed under the current bottle as shown in figure 3.

3. Thirdly, a sponge was taken and cut into four pieces, one piece which we place into the circular opening of the plastic water bottle on top (figure 4)

4. Then we took rocks from outside and cleaned it, thoroughly removing any contaminates and placed the rocks into the aquatic section of the eco column

5. Next, we filtered the contaminated water using a metal strainer with a coffee filter on top, letting the water run through the coffee filter and strainer before filtering it once more into a plastic bottle cut in half (shown in figure 5) with a coffee filter placed inside to further clean the water.

6. After, the filtered water was placed in the aquatic section, filling the aquatic section until the water had risen to cover the sponge.

7. Once the task of filtering the water was complete, we took soil with grass still rooted in and place it into the terrestrial section.

8. Then we adjusted the soil to better support the grass and set the eco column into a sunny spot for the grass to grow.

Analysis:

Many things may have contributed to the overall failure of the aquatic section and the success of the terrestrial section. The water plant could have been too small to sufficiently support three fish thus letting them perish from malnutrition, the water may not have been filtered adequately and th size of the eco-column itself may have been too constricting for the fish to live comfortably. Harmful bacteria may have killed the fish and in addition, once a fish dies, the body may emit bacteria that could harm the remaining living fishes. Furthermore, the waste from the fish may also contaminate the water. Also, in comparison to last year, the water plant we would have placed inside may not provide enough oxygen for the fish to live. The sponge can prevent any soil from the terrestrial section to fall into the aquatic system and thus, prevent a potential contaminant. As for the terrestrial system, sufficient sunlight and enough nutrients in the soil may have led to the overall success. Because the sponge was permeable, the water from the aquatic section could evaporate through the sponge to moisten the soil in the terrestrial section, thus, letting the grass thrive.

In our hypothesis, we have said that we can successfully filter the water to form a sustainable environment for three fish however that is sadly incorrect. We may have filtered it enough for life but with prolonged exposure, the bacteria may build up and eventually kill the fish. Insufficient supply of oxygen may have also killed the fish along with contaminants that have spawned from dead fish or dirt from the terrestrial section.

Future Research:

In the future, if we shall do this project again, we would have to use a bigger water plant and successfully place it into the aquatic section. The filtration system would have to be more effective to sustain the fish and as for the bottle itself, we would find a bigger bottle to create a bigger environment. That way, when waste is created from the fish, the waste can spread over the space and allowing for less waste for the fish to ingest. In a smaller space, the waste is more compact and the fish will ingest larger amounts of waste.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our eco-column has ultimately failed. The aquatic section had never formed however our terrestrial section was a big success. Many things have led to this ending and should another eco column come forward, we had learned a lot from this, and the preview last year eco column to create an eco column that should improve dramatically.

Ay: Ay. exe has stopped working.*falls over*

Anick:Hang in there!

Fina:whaaaaa

Anick:It means he's out.

Alex:That's some long report there...

Fina:That's what I said~ XD where'd he go?

Anick:*points on the ground*

Fina: Why not dig him up...?

Anick:Dig him up?

Alex:For what exactly?

Fina: Didn't you say he was in the ground?

Anick:*facepalmed*I said he passed out from reading your report.

Fina: hehe, I thought you meant in the ground.

Anick:*facepalmed...again*

Alex:We are having PE right now.

Fina:NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Anick:*flinched*What's wrong with you?!

Fina: I don't like PE.

Alex:Why?

Fina: Because I fail at it~

Ay:*wakes up*Mm...what happun?

Fina: Ask them *points at Anick and Alex*

Anick:*points at the long report* You almost died from the long report.

Ay:Oh...that's what happen.

Fina: Yuppie~

Ay:Hey! It's soccer now! Wanna play with us?

Fina: No. Way. Soccer. Is. The. Worse. Sport. Imaginable.

Ay:*flinched*

Alex:She has turned into a robot!

Fina: Lol, no, I'M HUMAN.

Ay:We know that.

Anick:*sits in a corner doing nothing*

Fina: So...?

Ay:*goes to play soccer, as a defender*

Fina: *Watches on the side*

Random striker:*shoots the ball*

Ay:OwO*sees the ball coming towards him*Oh golly...

Fina: *sweatdrops*

Anick:There goes the ball...

*BAM* The ball stopped at Ay's stomach as he vomits a waterfall of blood with a calm face.

Ay:I'm ok!

Fina: ...

Ay:*vomits again*

Anick:He's fine. ._.

Fina: Rly...

Alex:I think he's not...

Anick:Here comes another ball.

Ay:*gets hit by the ball again, vomits*

Fina: Can't you move your legs?!

Anick:He is like a magnet when he plays soccer-the guy who always get hit by the ball.

Fina: Wow...

Alex:I don't think he can even move right now...

Another ball heads toward Ay.

Fina: Oh for god's sake, MOVE! *Shoves Ay outta way*

Ay:*falls down*Ow!

The ball now heads toward Fina. At this moment, Alex was imagining the things that would've been happen if they didn't screw it up.

Fina: eh... *trys to jump out of the way*

Ay:*pushes Fina out of the way*

Fina: *Kicks Ay out of the way*

Ay:Hey!*shoves Fina out of the way*

Fina: Whaaaa?! *Kicks Ay again*

Ay:Ow! Get outta the way!*pushed her again*

Fina: Do you have any common sense, THE BALL IS COMING *Pulls Ay off to the side*

Ay:I do have common sense, and THAT'S MY BALL!

Fina: Fine... then...

Ay:Good!*the ball hits his side, as he calmly vomits another blood of water before fall down*

Max:Class's over!

Fina: mhmm

Anick/Alex:Weewooweeooweewoo!*carries Ay to the nurse's office*

Fina: Byeee!

Ay:Did we...win...

Anick:You did great out there man.

Alex:Even though you painted the field with blood...

Fina: *Walks off to find a cookie* Im surprised you didn't die

Ay:I'm surprised you can kick people.

Fina: Ya, what'd you think?!

Ay:A shy girl that won't talk to anyone.

Fina: Mhmm

Ay:Anyway, even though its a little bit late. Thank you.*smiles*

Fina: No problem...

Ay:Now...*eyes goes into two giant "X_X "*

Fina: Is he dead...? *Nudges Ay with her foot*

Ay:X_X

Anick:*checking*No heartbeat.

Fina: Oh my god...

Sadistic Alex:*heel drops on Ay*

Fina: ... ._.

Ay:*spits out acid*

Anick:There goes his nutrition.

Fina: Ah, gross *backs away*

Alex:Aw sh-

Anick:To the hospital!

Fina: Bye... Then...

Ay:*mumbles something before waving his hand at her*

Fina: *waves*

At the hospital...

Foxillina:*exits a room with a paper on it*

Alex:We have an emergency! There's a boy losing blood every second out there!

Anick:There is?

Alex:He is our friend you idiot!

Foxillina:*hides behind a corner* *focuses on Anick* ...Senpai...

THE END OF THE CHAPTER