Water Quality Parameters Lesson

Water Quality Parameters Lesson

By Diana Bowman

Multiple Choice

When oxygen molecules mix with water molecules it forms a

• concoction

• solution

• mixture

• atmosphere

Multiple Select

What are the two main ways oxygen gets into the water? (select two choices)

• friction between the water and rocks

• photosynthetic living things

• the atmosphere coming into contact with water

• the dissolving of carbon dioxide

Multiple Choice

The saltier the water....

• the less dissolved oxygen

• the more dissolved oxygen

• the more living things can survive

• larger animals can become larger

Multiple Choice

Warm water holds ______ oxygen than cold water.

• less

• more

Multiple Select

What is eutrophication? (choose two answers)

• When too many nutrients like fertilizers cause algae and other plants to over grow their area

• When a body of water gets polluted by trash

• When a body of water has a big build up of dead and decaying plants causing oxygen to decrease

• When people add heavy metals to the water in pollution causing plants to proliferate then die

Multiple Choice

What times of the year do we find massive dead zones in our oceans?

• Winter

• Late spring to early Autumn

• Summer to Winter

• Spring and summer

Multiple Select

Which of the following provide the dissolved oxygen supply necessary to help all aquatic organisms survive? (choose more than one)

• cyanobacteria

• algae

• sea grasses and kelp

• sea cucumbers

Multiple Choice

What happens in a watershed that can cause an algae bloom in the ocean. In other words...what causes eutrophication?

• rainstorms can wash nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus based fertilizers into the water causing algae to grow

• landfills on a watershed can leak methane and carbon dioxide causing flooding in the ocean

• excessive algae can cover the streams leading to the ocean causing eutrophication in lakes

• flash flooding can cause heavy metals to wash away from factories causing fish kills

Multiple Choice

When eutrophication is taking place in an area what happens to the natural plants on the bottom of the ocean?

• The algae bloom on the surface causes the plants on the bottom to get taller

• The algae bloom on the surface causes the fish to go blind because the water is darker

• The algae bloom on the surface blocks the sunlight from reaching the plants on the bottom causing them to die and decay

Multiple Choice

What is the primary source of eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Fertilizer from all the farms in the mississippi watershed

• toxic waste spills

• Gulf of Mexico Oil spills

• Over fishing in the area

Multiple Choice

Colder water....

• holds less oxygen

• holds more oxygen

Multiple Choice

Moving water....

• Holds less oxygen

• Holds more oxygen

Multiple Choice

Adding plants......

• Can add oxygen to the water

• Does not add oxygen to the water

Multiple Select

Based upon all the information you just learned from all three videos and the idea of dissolved oxygen and eutrophication....why is it not a good idea to over feed a fish tank? (There may be more than one answer)

• The extra food will act like fertilizer and cause algae to bloom which will cause it then to die which will then take oxygen out of the tank

• the extra food will sit on the bottom and begin rotting which causes oxygen to be used by bacteria trying to decompose the rotting food

• The fish will get too big for their tank and begin needing too much oxygen which will cause them to suffocate in the smaller tank

• Extra food will act like a sponge causing all the oxygen to chemically bind with it and that causes the fish to suffocate

Multiple Select

What are ways you can remove nitrates from an aquarium?

(more than one answer possible)

• Switch out some of the water with fresh water

• increase the amount of fish in the tank

• add plants to the tank either above or below the water level

• Add more air pumps

Multiple Choice

How do nitrates get in the tank to begin with? choose the answer that has the steps in the nitrogen cycle in order from beginning to end

• food and waste release ammonia then bacteria turn ammonia into nitrites then other bacteria turn nitrites into nitrates

• food and waste release nitrates and then bacteria turn it in to ammonia and then back into nitrates

• food and waste release nitrites which then turn into nitrates because of ammonia

• food and waste have nitrates in them automatically and that can build up in the tank

Open Ended

Based on what you are learning about water quality in aquariums, what do you think should be done to make your chosen tank the healthiest it can be? Use the space below to explain all your parameters and which ones need corrected and how to correct them.