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SALMON IN THE CLASSROOM

SETUP AND TROUBLESHOOTING

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SITC TIMELINE

  • MID SEPTEMBER TO MID OCTOBER - SPAWNING FIELD TRIPS TO CLE ELUM
  • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER – TANK SETUPS, REPAIR AS NEEDED, AND MEDIA DELIVERY
    • (Schedule EARLY if you need/want help)
  • FIRST WEEK AFTER WINTER BREAK – EGG DELIVERY
    • (Eggs come with food & permit) (If your tank isn’t ready, you won’t receive fish until it is. They will be “babysat” in another tank and you may miss hatch)
  • SECOND WEEK AFTER WINTER BREAK – TANK REPAIR
  • SALMON DISSECTION PRESENTATIONS (Jan-March)
  • STORMWATER/WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME PRESENTATIONS (ongoing)
  • SALMON RELEASE FIELD TRIPS (Spring break on)

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The 4 C’s of Salmon

Salmon need the following “C’s” to be successful:

  • Clean - Clean water, salmon can’t escape pollutants in the water column
  • Cold - 50 degree water, there are areas of the Yakima that reach 87!!! The upper thermal limit (they die at this temp) for salmon is 70. This means they have to “hopscotch” through these hot areas and search for deep cool pools as refugia.
  • Consistent flow - if eggs are laid and flows are decreased, eggs are left “high and dry”
  • Clear - water clarity to see predators, limit turbidity that affects their ability to take up oxygen through their gills

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EGGS

Remove bad eggs ASAP to limit spread of bacteria within the closed system

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ALEVIN

Alevin yolk sacs are very heavy, and make it hard for them to swim. Do not be surprised if they spend much of their time on the bottom of the tank. Look for the gill covers to be moving to indicate viability. Also remove anyone with white, sandy-looking bacteria in the yolk sac.

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FEEDING & FILTER CLEANING

  • BEGIN FEEDING AFTER YOLK SAC IS FULLY ABSORBED, AND ABOUT HALF THE FISH ARE SWIMMING TO TOP OF THE TANK
  • FEED A SMALL PINCH OF FOOD ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TANK 3-4 TIMES PER DAY
  • INCREASE FOOD AS FISH BECOME AGGRESSIVE, LOOK THIN
  • DECREASE FOOD IF YOU SEE ANY ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK
  • RINSE FILTER MEDIA WHEN YOU SEE FOOD ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, ANY SICKNESS, OR AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH AFTER START OF FEEDING

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FRY

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LET EM GO!

  • SALMON CAN BE RELEASED ONCE THEY ARE FEEDING WELL, USUALLY AROUND SPRING BREAK
  • RELEASE IN THE LOCATION LISTED ON YOUR PERMIT (WITH OR WITHOUT STUDENTS – UP TO YOU)
  • If your release site is more than 30 minutes away, please ask for an aerator, and freeze a milk jug the week before to keep the fish cool. More important later in the year, but if the daily temp is more than 70, they need to be cooled for transport.
  • NOTIFY TIFFANY (EMAIL IS FINE – YBEEPDIRECTOR@GMAIL.COM) ASAP –
    • DATE OF RELEASE
    • LOCATION OF RELEASE
    • NUMBER OF FISH RELEASED

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SITC COMPONENTS

  • 55 gallon aquarium w/ 2 glass lids
  • Filter
  • Chiller
  • Air pump
  • Tubing w/ airstones
  • Power strip
  • Buckets (3 @ 5 gallon)
  • Net
  • Prime conditioner
  • COMMUNICATION!

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Extra components

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AERATOR (AIR PUMP)

  • SOAK AIRSTONES 20 MINUTES BEFORE ATTACHING TO AIR PUMP (set in tank first, while prepping)
  • KEEP TUBING OVER TANK WHILE UNATTACHED
  • PLACE AIR PUMP AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE WATER
  • KEEP AIRSTONES AWAY FROM INTAKE BASKET

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FILTER BASKETS

  • BLACK FOAM IN BOTTOM BASKET
  • BAG OF CARBON ROCKS IN CENTER BASKET, TOPPED WITH OLD WHITE FOAM
  • NEW WHITE FOAM IN TOP BASKET, WITH ANY EXTRA OLD WHITE FOAM
  • MAKE SURE BASKETS SEAT CLEANLY TOGETHER

Bottom basket

Center basket

Top basket

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FILTER

Make sure downspout is aligned with the hole in the flat plastic and the blue tube.

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MIND THE GAP!!

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TUBING

Intake basket to IN filter port

OUT filter port to IN chiller port

OUT chiller port to spray bar

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  • Valves color match ports on filter – IN basket has blue valve to blue IN port
  • Black OUT port to black valve to IN chiller port

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CHILLER

  • OUT port to spray bar
  • Expensive & Important (48-52ºF)
  • Room to breathe
  • Canned Air to blow dust out of vents every 2 weeks
  • Point back of chiller AWAY from tank

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PRIMING THE PUMP

  • Check all connections – tight, valves are OPEN (inline with tubing)
  • Place filter as low as possible
  • Pump button rapidly until water flows down to filter
  • When tubing to chiller fills with water, plug in filter
  • Wait for all tubing and chiller to have water, no air bubbles
  • Rock filter back & forth to remove bubbles, wait again
  • Replace filter on table, wait for bubbles
  • When air is gone, plug in chiller, wait 3 minutes, chiller should turn on
  • Attach airlines to aerator & plug in, making sure they are NOT near the IN basket
  • Should see temp drop after a few hours, can take 24 hours to reach 50ºF
  • CHECK FOR LEAKS!
  • VIDEO LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tlxoqEOg6YGa6NaBU5DvEwygydnTKEda/view?usp=sharing

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WATER CHANGES – ONCE A MONTH OR WHEN WATER IS CLOUDY

  • MAKE SURE THERE IS A HAND WIDTH FROM THE TOP AVAILABLE TO ADD WATER
  • THREE BUCKETS, FIVE GALLON SIZE, FILLED DURING THE DAY (Hardware ok, never for use with cleaning products, pickle buckets ok, mayonnaise NOT ok, Label SALMON ONLY).
  • LET SIT OVERNIGHT TO ALLOW CHLORINE TO EVAPORATE
  • USE 1/3 CAPFUL PRIME WATER CONDITIONER IN EACH BUCKET FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
  • SET OUTSIDE TO COOL FOR 1-3 HRS (SO YOU’RE NOT ADDING 70 DEGREE WATER TO 50 DEGREE TANK
  • DUMP IN FIRST BUCKET, THEN REMOVE WATER INTO NOW EMPTY BUCKET TO ALLOW FILLING FROM OTHER BUCKET, REPEAT
  • NO CLEANERS!! Please share with facilities staff - CLEANING PRODUCTS ARE DEADLY TO FISH

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OK, I LET THEM GO, NOW WHAT?

  • EMPTY THE TANK, FILTER, CHILLER, AND TUBING OF ALL WATER (AS BEST YOU CAN, BRING OLD TOWELS FROM HOME FOR THE LAST BITS)
  • SET FILTER, BASKETS, MEDIA, AND TUBING IN SUNLIGHT (WINDOW AREA) FOR 24-48 HOURS TO DRY AND KILL ANY BAD BACTERIA
  • REPLACE BASKETS AND MEDIA WITHIN FILTER TO STORE
  • PLACE TUBING INSIDE TANK TO STORE
  • STORE CHILLER UPRIGHT (AS IT WOULD NORMALLY FUNCTION TO PREVENT COOLANT LEAKAGE)

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COMMUNICATION!!!

  • MAKE FRIENDS WITH FACILITIES STAFF - THEY CAN SAVE YOUR SALMON!!
  • WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS……
    • CALL ME – 509-731-8794
    • TEXT ME – 509-731-8794
    • EMAIL ME – YBEEPDIRECTOR@GMAIL.COM
  • QUESTIONS?

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CURRICULUM

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Grant opportunities

Petco/Petsmart (you HAVE to buy 10 gallon tank 1st year, but is easily renewable every year, and gives you $50/yr for Incidentals) - https://www.petsintheclassroom.org/

Petco & Petsmart BOTH price match to their websites. ALWAYS check the website price, almost always on sale.

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Resources Cont.

“Running the Gauntlet” PBS - https://www.pbs.org/video/nature-salmon-running-the-gauntlet-1/

“Shadow of the Salmon” (cultural) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdnTWpPMZ3k

Fat Bear Week - https://www.katmaiconservancy.org/fat-bear-week-2020/

Survive the Sound -https://www.survivethesound.org/home

“Your Inner Fish” - https://www.pbs.org/video/your-inner-fish-program-your-inner-fish-2/

Amazing Journey booklet by BPA - https://www.bpa.gov/PublicInvolvement/CommunityEducation/CurriculumActivities/CurriculumDocuments/Amazing%20Journey%20of%20the%20Columbia%20River%20-%20WEB%20BOOKLET.pdf

FWEE curriculum page - https://fwee.org/education/northwest-sources-of-electricity/

Since Time Immemorial (Tribal Curriculum) - https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/resources-subject-area/time-immemorial-tribal-sovereignty-washington-state

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