Sponge vs. Under-Gravel Aquarium Filters
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Can a sponge filter keep aquarium water cleaner than an under-gravel filter? Fish produce waste that raises ammonia and changes the water's pH. The right filter can slow that process down.
You set up two tanks with three goldfish each. One tank uses a sponge filter. The other uses an under-gravel filter. Each week for four weeks, you test the pH and ammonia levels.
By the end, you see which filter keeps the water closer to its starting condition.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that sponge aquarium filters are more effective than under-gravel filters.
Method & Materials
You will set up two aquariums with different types of filters, add three goldfish to each aquarium, and feed them the same amount of food each day. You will measure the pH and ammonia content of the water in each aquarium once a week for four weeks.
You will need six goldfish, two fish aquariums, fish food, water, a sponge filtration system, an under-gravel filtration system, and a freshwater test kit.
Results
The results showed that the sponge filtration system effectively maintained a lower pH value and also a lower ammonia content in the water, compared to the aquarium using the under-gravel filtration system.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how different types of aquarium filters can affect the water quality in the tank.
Also Consider
To improve the reliability and accuracy of the results, a larger sample of participants should be used. This science project can also be repeated with different types of filters like the power filter or canister filter.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related videos
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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