Introduction

I. Introduction:


The 3-tiered Eco-column is designed to simulate an environment where creatures live. It is a controlled system which we have created in order to attempt to keep a fish, D'Rhal, alive. We have basically 3 layers on our column, not counting the uppermost tier which is used only to regulate the amount of water that is allowed in. In the 2nd tier we have a terrestrial layer which contains a layer of soil and hopefully soon, a good amount of grass growth. The 3rd tier will be used as a decomposition layer. In it we have some soil, dead leaves and grass clippings. The only living creature is, hopefully, a worm who will help speed up the decomposition process. Finally, in our lowest tier we have D'Rhal, the fish. In his little aquatic environment we've included pebbles at the bottom which have hopefully accumulated enough bacteria to help clean D'Rhal's water to ensure his survival. There is also an aquatic plant with D'Rhal to provide him with oxygen and to take away the carbon dioxide that D'Rhal breathes out. And, of course, there is the fish. Thus is our aquarium layer and the completed eco-column.


What we're trying to get out of doing this project is to learn how the natural filtering system works in an actual ecosystem. We didn't use a hypothesis for this project because it's not exactly an expirament, but a study of life. At the end of our project we expect our grass to be grown very tall, probably filling the entire tier it's on. I don't expect the decomp layer to be greatly changed. If anything, it'll start to look more like soil. And we're hoping not to have a dead fish but's a possibility, in some somewhat cloudy water.