Tag: 2009

pH Monitoring

Question

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 6:45 AM, Delpapa, Cindy (FWE) wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have been asked by a volunteer based monitoring group., (monitoring freshwater and estuary waters) for recommendations for a reliable, accurate, easy to use and reasonable upkeep/calibration costs pH meter (or other alternatives for getting accurate pH data). Does anyone have experience, por and con, on any of the following or have suggestions on a good meter/strips. Many thanks for any insight you can offer. Hanna Instruments basic (“Educational”) bench top: HI 207 or “pHEP” (Electronic Paper versions): HI 98107, HI 98128 or the portable one: HI 98121Sper Scientific the inexpensive hand-held models (“Basic” and “Advanced”)

Hach – the IQ120 Mini-Lab

and Whatman – pH test papers – (many different vvarieties)

Cindy Delpapa, River ecologist
MA Div of Ecological Restoration

Responses

From: Stepenuck, Kris [mailto:kfstepenuck@wisc.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 10:23 AM
Cindy

Our group uses Oakton Acorn pH meters and they seem to work well in side by side testing.

Kris Stepenuck

Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:12:57 -0600
From: Chris Riggert
Hi Cindy,
I don’t have personal experience with the pH methods you listed below. But the Missouri Stream Team Program has been using Hach’s Pocket Pal pH Tester (Cat.# 44350-01) for many years, and runs about $60 list price. It does have its drawbacks (no auto shut-off, bulb and wick must remain moist, occasionally bad batch w/ faulty circuitry, small screw tends to get lost quickly, isn’t really waterproof, etc).
However, it is relatively inexpensive, easy to calibrate, and has QAQC’d well over the many years we’ve been using it. When there have been issues, Hach has been very good to work with in getting replacement equipment sent. We instruct our volunteers to perform a two point calibration within 12 hours of their sampling event, and also provide them with the pH 7.0 buffer solution (Cat.# 22835-49) and 10.0 buffer solution (Cat.# 22836-49).
I mentioned it QAQC’d well. Our acceptable limit for us is plus/minus 0.2 pH. While these pens are probably not as accurate/reliable as the more sophisticated meters used by MO DNR staff, they are much cheaper and provide more accurate/reliable results than the pH strips, etc. As with every piece of monitoring equipment, proper care and QAQC of what you are using goes a long way in getting usable results.
All depends on what their objectives are, how much error they can live with…and probably most importantly, how much $$ they have to spend.
Hope this helps!

Chris
Christopher M. Riggert
Stream Team Program
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator
Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
2901 W. Truman Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180
Phone: (573) 522-4115 ext. 3167
Fax: (573) 526-0990
Chris.Riggert@mdc.mo.gov
www.mostreamteam.org

Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:51:32 -0500
From: “Schenk, Ann”
Cindy,
Like Chris, I have no experience with the Hanna brand meters, but ALL electronic pH probes need to be kept moist because they rely on electric differentials between the highly saturated salt solution or gel inside the probe and the outside world. If the probe dries out, the bridge between inside and outside is broken. Think of it as mechanical osmoregulation.
As to recommendations, try calling the tech folks at Ben Meadows. They carry many company’s meters,are a ‘siste’ company to Lab Supplies, and might be able to give you some sort of bulk discount. Contact info is on the Ben Meadows website.
Ann Schenk
Natural Resource Biologist III
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., C-2
Annapolis, MD 21401
phone: 410-260-8609

Tags 2009, listserv, pH

Listserv

Dam Removal Monitoring

Question

Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:07:18 -0400
From: Danielle Donkersloot
Subject: [volmonitor] dam removal question

Does anyone have experience removing dams 9 ft high +? Looking for info on designing a monitoring program. Thanks

Responses

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:21:00 -0500
From: “Skopec, Mary [DNR]”

Luther Aadland would be a great place to start. He works for the Minnesota DNR and has pioneered work in dam removal. The program and his contact info can be found in the link below:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/streamhab/index.html
We’ve just begun working on dam removal/modification in Iowa and have developed some preliminary plans to monitor the stream improvement. I am happy to share our information if anyone is interested.
Mary Skopec, Ph.D.
Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Section
Iowa DNR

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:08:19 -0500
From: Holly Hudson

In Kane County, IL, a water quality and biological monitoring program was designed and conducted for a dam removal project on Brewster Creek. The project webpages provide more information. I believe there was a QAPP for this project, which was partially funded by a 319 grant. If the information you seek cannot be found through the project webpages, let me know and I can look up contact information.
http://www.co.kane.il.us/kcstorm/brewster/index.asp
Best Regards,
–Holly

Holly Hudson
Senior Aquatic Biologist
NE Illinois VLMP Coordinator
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
233 S Wacker Dr Ste 800
Chicago IL 60606
ph: (312) 454-0400; (312) 386-8700 direct
fax: (312) 454-0411; (312) 386-8701 direct
e-mail: hhudson@cmap.illinois.gov

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:24:43 -0400
From: “Rathbun, Joseph (DEQ)”

What issues do you want to measure? The document below is a good start,
and I have many more publications on this topic if you get me some
details.

Joe
http://www.gulfofmaine.org/streambarrierremoval/

Tags 2009, dam, listserv, removal

Listserv

Train the Trainer

Question

Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:06:41 -0500
From: Jo Latimore
Subject: [volmonitor] Training volunteers to train others

Hello!
Here in Michigan we are working on a “Train the Trainer” type program for our statewide volunteer lake monitoring program. Up to this point, we have held a single, centrally located, required training event for the entire state each year. Every year, without exception, there are interested individuals who would like to volunteer, but cannot make it to the training event. Sometimes program staff can meet with them individually to provide training, but that is often not possible.

To keep us from losing those interested individuals, we are planning a new program to train some of our more experienced volunteers to be “Volunteer Mentors” around the state. These trained Mentors would then be available to train new volunteers in their area on an “as needed” basis. We plan to continue the statewide central training event, just using these Mentors to train individuals who can’t make it to the event.

Have other programs attempted/succeeded with such an effort? Any thoughts, comments or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Jo
Jo A. Latimore, Ph.D.
Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 432-1491
latimor1@msu.edu

Responses

Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:15:02 -0700
From: “Horn, Barb”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Training volunteers to train others

Yes—but you have to accept the change in YOUR resource output as well. If you were doing side trainings to train these folks (outside your one training) then this model of might save you time..but if you are not, and it doesn’t seem you are –you are ADDING another training to your time. The trade off is perhaps more folks trained than you could train, but is it will be an increase in training for you. You will still have your annual event. T-T-T is a great model if you support the Trainers..you have to have training for them, that includes how they would train others like you would and ways to test their training if you will. If you choose to train them one at a time, that is not likely efficient. So they will need to come to a training likely anyhow. In the end if you do all you can to have trainings at a variety of times/locations and it means enough to them they will find a way to come, otherwise they may not be worth the investment. Good luck, hope this made sense.
Barb Horn
Water Resource Specialist
Colorado Division of Wildlife
151 E 16th Ave
Durango, CO 81301
Vc: 970.382.6667
Fx: 970.247.4785

Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:29:30 -0500
From: “Schenk, Ann”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Training volunteers to train others

Concur with Barb Horn that the trainers will have to be supported. But you know that.
Suggest you have the prospective trainers actually do the training at your next annual session after having them meet the day before at a special “train the trainers” session. They then get experience actually doing the training, and your get the confidence that they are doing it correctly. They should then have access to your staff for additional questions that may arise, and hard copies of training materials.
Any public acknowledgement, like listing in web sites and publications, will also increase the likelihood of getting a long-term commitment to quality training. These trainers are special people, and should be treated special.
Ann Schenk
Natural Resource Biologist III
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., C-2
Annapolis, MD 21401
phone: 410-260-8609

Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:51:22 -0800
From: Eleanor Ely
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Training volunteers to train others

There is brief information about Alabama Water Watch’s training of trainers in the Winter 2005 issue of The Volunteer Monitor, page 6. (For this and other back issues see www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html).
Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112

Date: Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:11:19 -0600
From: Chris Riggert
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Training volunteers to train others

We tried this in Missouri several years ago…with mixed success. We really liked the idea of having additional trainers to theoretically cut staff time by reducing the number of Program staff needed at each of the regular trainings (we usually hold 25-30 trainings a year, of differing levels, all over the state…and nearly all on weekends).

The TTT training was set up at a central location, and we never had issues with people not showing up. The individuals that attended were other agency staff as well as very dedicated volunteer monitors. Here are some initial suggestions:

1) I would suggest you don’t have an “open training,” but rather target specific individuals with which you have built relationships and have a handle on how they relate to people, what “teaching” skills to they have, etc.

2) I would also highly recommend you think long and hard about how these individuals would be utilized. Draft a summary of expectations, rules/guidelines, etc. ahead of time. Be up front with these individuals on all of this.

3) I am not sure what information you have set for this type of training, but be sure to spend time on the “logistics” of putting on this kind of training. What needs to be done ahead of time, what is done the “day of,” how the workshop should be run, paying attention to the time required for the presentations, and then the inevitable post-workshop aftermath.

As eluded to above we still wanted at least one Program staff there as to answer questions, handle the “day of logistics,” haul the training materials, equipment provided. It also gave us a first hand evaluation of these trained trainers. What we found was other agency staff (Conservation Dept. and Natural Resources) tended to be more dependable when it came time to teach…both on being there, as well as what was said. But there were also issues of them receiving “permission” to do this from their supervisors…sad, but true.

As for the volunteer trainers, most are VERY good at collecting and reporting the data. However, teaching in the classroom was a different ballgame. Additionally, several of these volunteers began to schedule their “own” training sessions. Our policy is that we will only accept data from those that have attended our workshops (for QAQC reasons). So when we began receiving data from individuals that we didn’t have listed as taking a workshop, we made a lot of phone calls telling these individuals that while we appreciated their passion, we could not accept their data for these QAQC reasons. Or, we’d get wind of a training that we had not scheduled and tried to get a staff member there so it would “count.” It got to be such a hassle, and was actually costing us more staff time, we quit doing this. Now, some of this blame can be placed on ourselves. We were probably not as clear with some of this information as we should have been. Combine this with some passionate volunteers and it was a recipe for failure.

Additionally, we were not willing to “give up” control of these lower level of trainings because we felt strongly that this was the foundation on which the other levels of training were based. We did not want to waste time “re-teaching” what should have been learned at the entry level of training. Let me be clear that I don’t believe this was a wasted effort. We did end up with some excellent trained trainers that we still use today (both volunteers and other agency staff). However, it wasn’t worth the amount of effort put forth for the relatively small percentage of successes. The other individuals still have valuable talents that we try to utilize. For example, rather than having them assist the classroom teaching, we invite them to give us a hand during the field portion of our workshops, as well as point them out as potential mentors for new monitors. This has been more successful, but requires some very good “people skills.” The key is not to offend them by not inviting them to teach in the classroom. I am probably not telling you anything you didn’t already know, but these were the hard lessons we learned. We haven’t totally abandoned the idea of this TTT workshop. It is one of the many things cooking on the “back burner.” But it would need to be re-written, we will be much more selective on who we invite to these trainings, etc. I wish you luck, and do not hesitate to give me a shout if you have any additional questions!

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, love only what we understand, and understand only what we are taught.” — Baba Dioum, Ecologist

Tags 2009, listserv

Listserv

Homemade Water Monitoring Equipment

Post author By kstepenu
Post date March 4, 2013
No Comments on Homemade Water Monitoring Equipment

Question 1: Would any of you have knowledge of how to make a homemade Kemmerer type sampler for lowering off of bridges and the like?

Question 2: We are looking to construct integrated water samplers for lakes, or if there are inexpensive commercially available integrated samplers.

Question 3: Do any of you have good or bad experience with basket samplers? Suggestions for design of the samplers, or anything we should watch out for? How have your volunteers reacted to them?

Question 4: Does anyone have good instructions for building a macroinvertebrate aquarium?

Question 1

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 11:02:30 -0400
From: “Jan (Hosier) Sneddon”
Subject: [volmonitor] Fwd: seeking homemade water sampler

Greetings, handy water samplers!

Would any of you have knowledge of how to make a homemade Kemmerer type sampler for lowering off of bridges and the like?

Blueprints would be welcome! 🙂

jan

Responses to Question 1

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 08:32:27 -0700
From: Eleanor Ely
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Fwd: seeking homemade water sampler

See “Low-Cost Van Dorn Water Sampler” on page 23 of the Fall 1994 issue (vol 6 no 2) of The Volunteer Monitor, and also the second sampler described under “Collecting an Integrated Sample” on page 17 of the Fall 2000 issue (vol 12 no 2). (Back issues are available electronically at www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html. Online versions of issues before 2002 have a weird layout because they are not PDFs, but you should still be able to find the information.)

A request: Could anyone replying directly to Jan rather than the whole listserv please copy me on their message?

Thank you.

Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 12:39:06 -0400
From: “Schenk, Ann”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Fwd: seeking homemade water sampler

With regard to skewing the DO measurement by using a bucket/ surface water sample, wouldn’t you aerate the sample as soon as you emptied the sampler into another container for DO measurement? Not knowing your DO measurement method (Clark cell, optical probe, Winkler titration), it is hard to say if the collection method would have an impact greater than the measuring method’s accuracy. You’d have to do a lot of splashing and sloshing to exceed the Clark cell accuracy of most meters (anywhere from 0.2 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L for the better cells). Don’t remember off the top of my head the Winkler accuracy and precision. What I do remember is that the quality of the reagents and lighting to see the color change is important to that method.

If you have to have non-surface DO, then, yes, a collection bottle is needed.
I just hope they rinse the bucket in stream water if they are also collecting nutrient chemistry samples.

Just my 2 cents. 🙂
Ann Schenk
Natural Resource Biologist III
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., C-2
Annapolis, MD 21401
phone: 410-260-8609

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 13:19:12 -0400
From: Jeffrey Schloss
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Fwd: seeking homemade water sampler

With regard to collecting a proper DO sample for titration. If you carefully deploy a bucket that is fitted with a spout and tubing that allows you to fill a BOD bottle (specially designed not to trap air bubbles when closed) from the bottom up- and you count how long it takes to fill the bottle up and allow for 2 to 3 full volumes of water to flush through you should have a reasonably uninfluenced/disturbed sample to work with. Just remember that this sample only represents the surface water conditions if you are dealing with a system that has any temperature, current, or density (do to dissolved solids/salts) stratifications. So it would be fine for a mixed system.

Jeff Schloss
Director, NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program
University of New Hampshire
Center for Freshwater Biology
and UNH Cooperative Extension

Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 00:33:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kimberly Rinard
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Fwd: seeking homemade water sampler

Here is a relatively inexpensive unit available thru Ben Meadows. There are a few others on their website also.
I would think that at $67 for the sampler it would actually be cheaper to buy the sampler until than to try to make one (unless
it does not suit your needs)

http://www.benmeadows.com/store/Water_Testing_and_Sampling/Water_Sampling/Water_Samplers_and_Accessories/2380/224195/?isredirect=true

Good luck
Kim Rinard
Granby,Mass

Question 2

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:37:04 -0700
From: “Williams, Gene”
Subject: [volmonitor] Integrated Water Sampler

We are looking for plans/designs for constructing integrated water samplers for lakes. Or, if there are commercially available integrated samplers that are inexpensive, we would also be interested in that.

Also, if you have used integrated samplers and have opinions on how well the instruments worked, I would appreciate that.

Thanks.

Gene Williams
Snohomish County Public Works
Surface Water Management
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 607
Everett, WA 98201-4046
(425) 388-3464 x4563
gene.williams@co.snohomish.wa.us or
gene.williams@snoco.org

Responses to Question 2

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:24:23 -0500
From: “Thorpe, Anthony Paul”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Integrated Water Sampler

Gene,

We participated in the EPA Lake Survey last year, and they (EPA) gave us these PVC samplers
that worked fairly well. I made a rough sketch, but you’ll need some PVC (I think it might have
been 3 inch…), a connector piece, a rubber stopper and a stopcock valve that can attach to the PVC
pipe you use. EPA gave us a 6 foot sampler, but we cut it in half and added threaded connectors in
the middle for easier transport and for sampling turbid water bodies.

http://www.lmvp.org/Misc/integratedsampler.gif

You lower it into the water with the valve open, cap the top when it’s in the water, then raise it
until the valve us just under the surface. Then close the valve and bring it on board your boat.

Open the valve and the water will trickle rapidly into your sample container. Remove the stopper and
the water falls out very quickly.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I can even take a couple of snapshots if you’d like.

Tony

PS: I also found this while searching Google Images: http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/CLMN/equipment.html
Tony Thorpe

Coordinator, Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program
302 ABNR University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: 1-800-895-2260
Fax: 573-884-5070
www.lmvp.org

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:21:02 -0400
From: Jo Latimore
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Integrated Water Sampler

Gene,

Here in Michigan we developed an integrated sampler that we use for volunteer chlorophyll
monitoring in our statewide Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. It can be built at reasonable
cost and is easy for volunteers to operate effectively. I will send you the plans separately as an
attachment (and would be happy to share with others who are interested – Editor’s note, these are included below).

CLMP_Chlrophyll_Equipment_Instructions (9 KB pdf file)

CLMP_Chlorophyll_Equipment_Assembly (205 KB pdf file)

CLMP Chlorophyll Sampler Image(33 KB pdf file)

Chlorophyll Procedures 2008 (53 KB pdf file)

(Editor’s note: You can also visit the CLMP site for more information: http://www.micorps.net/ and look at this section: lake monitoring/CLMP documents)

Cheers,

Jo A. Latimore, Ph.D.
Lake, Stream, & Watershed Outreach
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
(517) 432-1491
latimor1@msu.edu

Question 3

From: Charles River Watershed Assoc. [mailto:charles@crwa.org]
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 11:33 AM
To: Volunteer water monitoring
Cc: ‘Julie Wood’
Subject: [volmonitor] Experiences with basket samplers?

Hello all,

Charles River Watershed Association has a seventy-person volunteer monthly river water quality monitoring program. We currently use buckets to take samples (mostly off bridges), which are transferred into sample bottles. However, we are in process of switching over to basket samplers so that the water can be collected directly, without the potential for contamination from the bucket.

We have some ideas about the design of these basket samplers, but are still determining exactly what they will look like and be made of – we will be constructing them ourselves. Do any of you have good or bad experience with basket samplers? Suggestions for design of the samplers, or anything we should watch out for? How have your volunteers reacted to them?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Rebecca

Rebecca Scibek Wickham
Outreach Coordinator/Office Manager
Charles River Watershed Association
190 Park Road
Weston, MA 02493
Phone 781-788-0007 x200
Fax 781-788-0057
www.charlesriver.org

Responses to Question 3

From: Danielle Donkersloot [mailto:Danielle.Donkersloot@dep.state.nj.us]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 1:06 PM
To: charles@crwa.org
Cc: jwood@crwa.org; eburres@waterboards.ca.gov
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Experiences with basket samplers?

Hello: In 2006 at the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference
I saw this bucket that the CA SWAMP teams use for monitoring and I was
amazed. They are simple to make, easy to use and they work. I have cc’ed
Erick, Regional Citizen Montioring Coordinator, because he was kind enough
to bring his equipment to the conference and I attached some photos. Hope this helps.

Danielle

Bucket Sampler 2 Bucket Sampler 1

From: Erick Burres [mailto:eburres@waterboards.ca.gov]

Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 4:41 PM
To: charles@crwa.org; Danielle Donkersloot
Cc: jwood@crwa.org
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Experiences with basket samplers?

The Clean Water Team drafted an article on how to make the bucket sampler
but the newsletter was never created. During lunch I put together this
draft SOP (196 KB pdf file). The bucket is out on loan so I had to use some old pictures I
found. If this is helpful please let me know. Perhaps it can be made
better and included on the CWT Website.

Erick Burres
Citizen Monitoring Coordinator
SWRCB-SWAMP-Clean Water Team

eburres@waterboards.ca.gov

Desk (213) 576-6788
Cell (213) 712-6862
Fax (213) 576-6686

Clean Water Team c/o LARWQCB
320 W 4th Street
Suite200
Los Angeles, CA 90013

From: Erick Burres [mailto:eburres@waterboards.ca.gov]
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 10:30 PM
To: charles@crwa.org; Danielle.Donkersloot@dep.state.nj.us
Cc: jwood@crwa.org
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Experiences with basket samplers?

If you would like to view the entire SWAMP Field Methods Course or refer
people to a video, here is the Course’s link,
http://water101.waterboards.ca.gov/swamp/qapp_advisor/FieldMethods/start.htm
l.

We would like to update the CD but is has been of a low priority and there
just aren’t any funds to do so. It hasalso been a struggle to get the Course
online and advertised. Fortunately it was included in the SWAMP QA Advisor.
The Advisor can also help your group prepare QAPPs, its inclusion of the
Course has been kept quite.

Sincerely,

Erick Burres
Citizen Monitoring Coordinator
SWRCB- Clean Water Team

From: Charles River Watershed Assoc. [mailto:charles@crwa.org]
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 3:26 PM
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Experiences with basket samplers?

We’ve created a different type of sampler using a metal basket, based on a MassDEP prototype. I’ve also
attached a photo of the sampler we are currently piloting.

Thanks,
Rebecca Scibek Wickham

Bucket Sampler

Question 4

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:32:24 -0600
From: VBojic@lc.edu
Subject: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

Does anyone have good instructions for building a macroinvertebrate aquarium? If so, please send them my way.

Thanks!

Vera Bojic, RiverWatch Program Coordinator
National Great Rivers Research & Education Center
Lewis and Clark Community College

Responses to Question 4

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:13:50 -0500
From: “Cooke, Ken (EPPC DEP DOW)”
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

One product I have seen in place that creates an aquarium environment for benthic macroinvertebrates are Mike Strohm’s Creeklab.

http://www.teachwater.com/CreekLab.html

He has some educational materials that go with the product as well.

Thanks

Ken Cooke

KY Water Watch

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:53:04 -0500
From: Mayio.Alice@epamail.epa.gov
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

There are some simple instructions from the IL Natural History Survey for setting up a classroom-type macroinvertebrate aquarium (including adding a submersible undergravel filter to simulate streamflow) at
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/outreach/downloads/Macroinvertebrate%20Aquarium.pdf

but I don’t think it says anything about keeping the water cold once you introduce the macros, so I wonder how long they’d last. Assuming they weren’t eating each other anyway.

Alice Mayio
USEPA (4503T)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 566-1184

Street Address for visitors/deliveries:
EPA West, Room 7424B
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:38:19 -0500
From: David Kirschtel
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

I’ve been playing around for the past few years with an circular table-top stream (technical term: re-entrant flume) using an angled airlift tube to drive the current.

Basic design is a large clear acrylic ice bucket (straight-sided). The airlift tube is a section of flexible pvc tubing (to fit the curve of the outside wall), angle should be about 45deg., stick it onto the side of the tank with small suction cups.

In the center of the tank silicone a 2L soda bottle – top cut off and small holes in the bottom and top to allow water to flow through. This is to channelize the flow and keep the velocity up also, velocity would drop to zero at the center anyway.

In the warm weather you can place a 1L soda bottle filled with water and frozen in the center as “refrigeration” to keep the temp down.

Add slimy rocks in the bottom of the tank. Illuminate with desktop halogen lamp. You’re good to go.

Been able to keep a few mayflies to hatch. Also, in both tanks that I’ve set up, I’ve wound up with healthy populations of freshwater hydra.

I think that I’ve got some photos at home that I can post tomorrow, as well as some video of inverts (mostly mayflies) , if anyone is interested.

-David
======================================================================== ========
David Kirschtel, Ph.D.
National Ecological Observatory Network – National Project Office
1444 I St, NW, #200 – Washington, DC 20005
email: kirschte@msu.edu – tel: 202.628.1500×240

Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:55:33 -0500
From: David Kirschtel
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

Just tried to send a set of images to the list but the message was rejected by the listserv because it contained attachments. For the time being I’ll have to send them directly to individuals, until I can find some web space.

Send me an email message and I’ll send a set of images to you, zipped. I have image sets of both the tank and some closeups of some of some of the insect larvae. Also have a short QT movie of two
planaria attacking a first instar mayfly (1.6MB)

So far Karen Anderson and Chris Andersen have requested images — I’ll send those out right after this message.

– David

======================================================================== ========
David Kirschtel, Ph.D.
National Ecological Observatory Network – National Project Office
1444 I St, NW, #200 – Washington, DC 20005
email: kirschte@msu.edu – tel: 202.628.1500×240

Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:50:55 -0600
From: Kris Stepenuck
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] stream aquarium

There’s one I am aware of called Carry Creek. Here’s a web link to it: http://www.carrycreek.com/

Cheers,

Kris Stepenuck

Tags 2008, 2009, aquarium, listserv, sampler