The Fintail Goldfish

• For my experiment I used a total of three small, gold Fintail Goldfish. They are a typical goldfish.  Using more than one test subject is just as important as repetition in repeated trials; it shows accuracy and the data collected makes your hypothesis more plausible. Using three test subjects compared to one enabled me to calculate  three different sets of data on three test subjects allowing the data I collected to form a plausible, truthful, and acurate average. Using more than one test subject can also be used as a basis for comparison.  

The Importance of Repeated Trials

• My experiment took a total of 7 days, 6 of them consisting of trials. The first 3 days I placed the fish in bowls with standard room temperatures and I recorded their respiration rates. The next three days I lowered the temperature of the water in the bowl to see how their respiration rates have decreased. In total I spent three days with each kind of temperature. 
• Repetition is crucial when testing a hypothesis. If I were to only have calculated the respiration rate once, then my calculations would not have been very accurate. However, if I were to test them multiple times I can get a more constant result and figure out an average. Repetition helps prove the worth of the data collected. 

Experimental Hypothesis: 

• If the temperature of the water decreases past room temperature, then the respiration rate will decrease.

Null Hypothesis: 

• If the temperature of the water decreases past room temperature, then the respiration rate will not decrease. 

Independent Variable: 

• The independent variable is the temperature of the water. This is the manipulated variable because  originally the temperature will be at standard room temperature and eventually will decrease. 

Dependent Variable: 

• The dependent variable will be the respiration rate of the fish. This acts as the responding variable because when the temperature changes the respiration rate should change as well. If all goes as planned, the respiration rate should lower as the temperature decreases. 

Control:

• The importance of the control is to use as a basis of comparison. In my experiment, the control group will be when the fish are in standard room temperature water. This serves as the normal environment. This control group will eventually be compared to the data collected when the water temperature is lowered. 

Constants:

• The constants in my experiment were the amount of water in the bowls, the size of the bowls, the areas the bowls were in, amount of food they were given, and amount of ice cubes that were put in the bowl. Constants are just other variables. In a controlled experiement, the variable that is different is the variable that is being tested in the hypothesis. If more than one variable were to be different, then the experiment would not have been as accurate. Constants also are used as comparing factors. 

Purpose:

• Water temperature fluctuates throughout the year. At times, the temperature is warmer and at other times it is colder. After a heavy snowfall during the winter months, the snow begins to melt as the air temperature increases. Soon enough, all the melted and freezing water will travel into the lakes, streams, and rivers as run-off. Because this run-off is so cold, it decreases the water temperature. The big question that lingers is can the wildlife that live in the water accommodate to the change in their environments temperature? How does their behavior change from that at normal temperature? My experiment will thus study the affect water temperature has on fish respiration rate.