Trout Release 2010

The first student produced movie is finished! Click on the animoto movie to see footage of releasing our trout into Carroll Cree and mature trout we observed on our tour of the Albert Powell Fish Hatchery.

Fish Hatchery Tour

Here's a video showing rainbow trout at the Powell Fish Hatchery. This is the facility that gave us a tour when we released our trout!

Water Snake!

Students observed a water snake that had caught a fish. Mr. Dinkel sent us a picture. Dr. Fine's colleague identified the snake. Here's some of what he wrote:

"Great picture! It’s a Northern Water Snake (Common Water Snake). The scientific name is Nerodia sipedon. It appears to be a young adult since the pattern is still distinct. As they get older, they get more and more medium to dark brown until you can barely see the pattern. Like Garter Snakes, they are ovoviviparous (eggs retained internally, bear live young). I remember catching a large Northern Water Snake one spring day when I was in high school. I brought it home and fed it frogs and fish. It remained nasty and had to be handled with gloves. One summer day, I was stunned to see 48 baby snakes wriggling around in the cage. I released them back into the wild."

Success! Trout Release 2010

Our release day this year was WONDERFUL!!! We met our PVFF volunteers at Carroll Creek on Thursday morning, May 6. We released the trout and watched them swim in groups in a crystal clear stream! Afterward, we captured stream macroinvertebrates and then visited the Powell Fish Hatchery. Ms. Rivers, the state fisheries biologist, gave us a tour of the facility. Students captured it all on flip video and are working on the movie...to be released soon! One of the many highlights...a water snake! See the next post for images.

Phil Greenlee visits MoMS

On April 16, the president of the Federation of Fly Fishers (Phil Greenlee) and our PVFF volunteers (Mr. Brognard and Mr. Dinkel) visited MoMS. Haven, Asa, Hayley, Gwen, Emily, Tasha and Mrs. Scott shared how much TIC means to us! Go to the "Links to Other Great Things" on the right and click to see the one minute video!

Looking Good!

Mr. Dinkel was in today to check on our filter, and said everything looks good. Water chemistry is pretty stable. We haven't lost a fish in weeks! A new group of students will begin water testing next week. Mr. Loose sent this picture in of a mature female rainbow trout...beautiful!

Huge!

The trout are doing really well. We've only lost one in the last month. Water chemistry is, for the most part, stable. We are experiencing a nitrite spike, though. Students are researching to find out what we should do. So far, the water quality test team has determined that it may be due to over feeding. So, we're feeding them slightly less of the size 2 food.

Water Chemistry Update

Since school has been canceled for the week, I stopped in to check water chemistry and do a water change. pH was a bit high at 8, as was ammonia at .25, so I did a 6 gallon water change. The fish seem to be doing fine. Mrs. Holt, our building service worker, has been feeding the fish during her daily building checks. THANK YOU MRS. HOLT!

Released into the tank!

Anticipating the tremendous snowstorm that would hit our region, we released the trout into the tank on Friday, Feb. 5. Students captured the event on flip video.

Population Thriving!

Our trout are swimming, have absorbed their yolk sacks and are eating size "0" food twice a day. Students are changing 3 gallons of water daily, and water chemistry is stable. Students are excited to see the fish swimming and feeding. So far, so good!

A few swimming to the top!

When students were doing water quality tests today, they noticed a few alevin swimming to the top. So, we seized the moment and put a pinch of size zero food in. Sure enough, four fish swam to the top and started to feed!

1 week

Our eggs started to hatch on Thursday! We have pulled 11 white, cloudy eggs from the plastic hatching basket, and none from the mesh basket. The students are wondering why... This is a picture of the alevin at 1 day. Most have hatched.

The Eggs Are HERE!

What an exciting day! Today, a little before noon, Mr. Dinkel arrived with the eggs. They were slowly tempered, then poured into the hatching baskets. Our job now is to continue to test water quality and wait for them to hatch. Check out this video of the eggs in the two hatching baskets!