Fish Growth vs Tank Size
School Name
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Grade Level
9th Grade
Presentation Topic
Zoology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
The Effect of Tank Size on the Adult Size of a Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
The purpose of this research is to investigate the final size of a guppy with respect to the size of its environment. The independent variable was the tank size, and adult size of the guppies were the dependent variables. Pregnant guppies were purchased, and then gave birth to twenty-nine guppy fry. Newly hatched guppy fry were placed into three different sized sections of a thirty gallon tank. The smallest section was five gallons, medium was ten gallons, and large section was fifteen gallons. The fish are a good measure of response to the independent variable because their exact age is known, and their lives have been controlled since the day they were born. This project will help the science community understand the effect of limited growing space versus open growing space on guppy’s final size. The null hypothesis is the size of the tank will have no effect on the final size of the guppy. The hypothesis is the fish in the large tank will achieve a larger size than the fish in the smaller tank. Previous studies have various results: some people believe the tank size affects growth, while others think fish growth is based entirely on genetics, diet, and water quality. In conclusion, we found that there was no statistically significant difference between the large and the small tank at week 10. The null hypothesis failed to be rejected and this shows there was no statistically significant effect of tank size on the final size of a guppy.
Recommended Citation
Manos, Melina K. and Moran, Olivia N., "Fish Growth vs Tank Size" (2015). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 178.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2015/all/178
Start Date
4-11-2015 9:45 AM
End Date
4-11-2015 10:00 AM
Fish Growth vs Tank Size
The Effect of Tank Size on the Adult Size of a Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
The purpose of this research is to investigate the final size of a guppy with respect to the size of its environment. The independent variable was the tank size, and adult size of the guppies were the dependent variables. Pregnant guppies were purchased, and then gave birth to twenty-nine guppy fry. Newly hatched guppy fry were placed into three different sized sections of a thirty gallon tank. The smallest section was five gallons, medium was ten gallons, and large section was fifteen gallons. The fish are a good measure of response to the independent variable because their exact age is known, and their lives have been controlled since the day they were born. This project will help the science community understand the effect of limited growing space versus open growing space on guppy’s final size. The null hypothesis is the size of the tank will have no effect on the final size of the guppy. The hypothesis is the fish in the large tank will achieve a larger size than the fish in the smaller tank. Previous studies have various results: some people believe the tank size affects growth, while others think fish growth is based entirely on genetics, diet, and water quality. In conclusion, we found that there was no statistically significant difference between the large and the small tank at week 10. The null hypothesis failed to be rejected and this shows there was no statistically significant effect of tank size on the final size of a guppy.
