Trout in the Classroom (TIC)

On April 5th, CDOW Senior Fish Pathologist, Pete Walker, visited with our Windsor High School TIC Student Fish Team. He chatted briefly with two seniors who plan to attend college this fall for major studies related to careers in the Division of Wildlife or U.S. Forestry Service, and two other underclassmen who will form the core of our Student team next year.

Student Team dissecting for pathology samples. The main purpose of Pete’s visit was to sample 16 of our least healthy looking fish, dissecting them and collecting tissue samples. Three samples are taken from the kidney and one from the spleen, to be analyzed for various diseases. The Student Team helped Pete with the dissection and preparation for some to be shipped to a Montana laboratory and the rest to the CDOW Aquatic Pathology Laboratory in Brush, Colorado. It typically requires at least 30-days for these analysis to be completed, after which we hope for a ‘clean bill of health’ so we can then arrange with our local CDOW Aquatic staff to coordinate a release of our fish.

Following this sampling our TIC tank still has about 40 very healthy fish, many easily 4-inches long and with a robust girth.

RMF is currently also investigating a second TIC opportunity at another NoCO school location that has approached us. More information will follow as this new opportunity develops.

February 2011: Last week the TIC student team began removing the smallest fingerlings to reduce the tank population from 400 fish to about 200, which is the recommended population for our 50 gallon tank. The largest fingerlings are now at almost 2½ inches, and many of the smallest were barely a full inch long, which illustrates that the population was too large for them all to get enough food. Reducing the number of fish also reduces chances that bacterial gill disease will develop which could infect the entire population. BGD occurs from over crowding that causes build up of metabolites (ammonia) creating poor water quality.

Relocation of the tank and remaining fish is expected to be scheduled in late February or early March after the major facilities move into the new Agriculture Department building has been completed.

Fish tank with over 400 fish.

January 2011: In the last report we explained that we received a double egg order, and consciously decided to hatch them all...fully aware that our 418 hatched fish would be twice the number designated for our 50 gallon tank. So when the fish hatched we also doubled to daily the number of water changes, water chemistry tests and tank cleanings.

Fortunately, teacher Nathan Clark has aquaculture experience and when fish began to die one-at-a-time he suspected and confirmed with testing that dissolved oxygen was out of balance. He had the TIC Project student team install an additional, larger air pump system, and the fish stopped dying...now 408 remain. On December 14th several chapter board members visited the TIC tank and team, and all was stable and looked good.

This week we communicated with the CDOW's aquatic pathology department requesting guidance about when we should halve our fish population, and how and when it should be accomplished.

The Windsor HS TIC team

November 2010: Rocky Mountain Flycasters TIC project is hosted in the Agriculture Program at Windsor High School and has started off quite successfully. Teachers Nathan Clark and Melinda Spaur have assigned a designated TIC Team comprised of Freshmen, Juniors and Seniors to manage the fish as an accredited Future Farmers of America project, and all four class levels of students have visibility and involvement with the project.

Teachers and student check eggs upon arrival

Beginning on September 1st the fish tank was installed, filled, and enclosed with styrofoam to create total darkness in readiness for the eggs to be delivered. Our 50 gallon tank is rated to optimally raise 200 fish. The eggs arrived by FedEx on September 23rd and we were surprised to receive 420! The designated TIC Student Project Team counted and transferred 419 of the eggs (the eye of one was dead) from the shipping container into the hatching basket.

Sac fry (alevins) in hatching basket

On October 4th all but one of the eggs hatched, netting 418 “sac fry” (aka alevins) that immediately swam to the bottom and buried themselves in the gravel to feed on the nutrient sac attached to their abdomen while hiding in the dark substrate. When their sacs became depleted, between October 26th to 28th, they emerged now as “swim-up fry” less than one-inch long, and all swam to the water surface to be fed. The fish will develop vertical parr lines on their sides as they grow, and are referred to as “fry/parr” during this stage. As they grow and attain the one-inch to three-inch length they will be referred to as “fingerlings.” Students are impressed with how all of the fish advanced through these development stages virtually simultaneously.

The Fish tank

The high occupancy fish community in our tank necessitates that the student team be especially conscientious. An important rule of thumb throughout the life with us of these tiny fish is to not over-feed them, because it may more likely increase death rate. The fish are being fed three times daily, and 5 gallons of water is also changed each day...about double the normal requirement. Additionally, the students take water samples daily to monitor water quality, which from time to time needs to be treated with prescribed reagents.

October 2010

Rocky Mountain Flycasters has been approved to implement Trout in the Classroom (TIC). This exciting new program resides at Windsor High School starting September, 2010. A 50-gallon tank with 200 rainbow trout eggs is to be installed, with eggs hatched and nurtured through growth and tested for pathogens before final release into area waters. Students will learn about trout biology, habitat and the need for adequate supply of clean oxygenated cold water to successfully maintain these fish. Cost for the initial installation and one-year program is approximately $2500; ongoing annual costs are about $1500.00.

See the gallery of Trout in the Classroom.