TIC Weekly - Week 10

TIC Weekly will feature PFBC’s Trout In the Office (TIO) updates as they raise Rainbow Trout from eyed eggs to fingerlings.

Hello PA TIC participants and partners!

In this week's newsletter, Jordan Allison, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and Nevin Welte, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, take you on a virtual field trip exploring freshwater mussels in Pennsylvania. Through this virtual field trip you will learn about some of PA's Mussels, you will learn about a special Mussel relocation project, and you will see how PFBC conducts a Mussel survey! In this playlist you will learn about types of PA Mussels, parts of Mussels, Mussel reproduction, aging, and identification. You will also learn how PFBC conducts a post project Mussel survey, see all the equipment they use for the survey, and how they process the data.

Observations

Some of our Trout are getting really big! Look closely at the above photo. It looks like one of the larger fish has made a meal out of one of the smaller fish in the aquarium! This particular fish is noticeably larger than the rest. We will continue to monitor its growth in the coming weeks. It is not uncommon to experience Trout predating upon each other in your aquarium.

PFBC’s Trout In the Office Eggs arrived on September 25, 2020!

Water Quality Parameters

Temp - 55 F pH - 8.2 Ammonia - 0.25 ppm

Nitrites - 0 ppm Nitrates - 40-80 ppm DO - 10.9 ppm


The media within our Fluval 407 provides enough extra surface area for our beneficial bacteria to grow. This is what helps us convert the ammonia within the system quickly to nitrate. In the environment, wetlands help to serve the watershed as a natural filter. The nitrogen cycle has the opportunity to occur while that water is stored within the wetland. Aquatic plants also remove nitrate directly from the water as well!


Life Stage Facts

Trout are opportunistic feeders! Even though you have taught them to eat the food provided, they will still prey upon each other if given the opportunity! It is a classic lesson concerning survival of the fittest!

PFBC Resources For This Week's Theme

Videos

PA Mussels and PFBC Mussel Survey - Virtual Field Trip

Check out the following articles that are related to this weeks theme!

Visit PFBC's Activities and Education Portal to learn more about watersheds. – Aquatic Habitat, Watersheds and Pollution.

Printable Publications

The following publications are PA League of Angling Youth (PLAY) newsletters pertaining to this week's theme. They include facts, activities, and more.

Freshwater Mussels

SMART Anglers Notebook on Mussels