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Saddleback College, 2007 Fall Semester
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Instructor: Julie Anderson
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MST 100: Aquarium Systems * 3 units
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SM 234, Phone 582-4657
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Friday: 1:00 - 5:00 PM, SM 202 and SM Aquarium
Lab Facility
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Email: Janderson@saddleback.edu
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Ticket # 20360
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Web Site: www.saddleback.edu/faculty/janderson
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TENTATIVE
Lecture & Lab Schedule
MST 100: Aquarium Systems |
Course Description: This a rigorous course which covers the chemical, physical, and biological environment as it pertains to marine aquarium ecosystems, water quality, filtering systems, lighting, husbandry of organisms, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and multiple tanks. Students are required to setup, maintain and conduct investigation using on-site Aquarium Lab Facility. Field trips to public, private and research facilities may be scheduled during the semester.
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This course uses Blackboard to promote
student learning outcome. Enter by clicking the icon to the left.
* You must be registered in the class and be uploaded before you can log in and access class materials. |
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Lecture Topics and Exam Schedule
(PowerPoints are available on our BlackBoard) |
Lab Activity
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Introduction, History and the Aquarium Ecosystem
(pg 2-6)
Lab Safety, Procedures & Conduct; pg 115-17
Movie: "Watery World - History-Present
day Aquariums"
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Lab 1: Aquarium Devices - Abiotic components
of the aquarium ecosystem (pg 71, please review pg 7, 114)
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Complete and Review Lab 1
The Aquarium Environment: Chemical and Physical (pg 10-13)
Please review the SeaWater Manual on related topics! |
Lab 2: Aquarium Chemistry - Chemical and
physical measurements for the marine aquarium (pg 78)
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Complete and Review Lab 2
The Aquarium Environment: Biological
The Nitrogen Cycle (pg 14-20), Lab 4: The Nitrogen Cycle (pg 89) Take Home Quiz #1 |
Homework: Lab 3: Analysis of the Marine
Aquarium Ecosystem - (pg 84)
Begin Worksheet 1: Identification of common organisms and their niche |
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Reef
vs Traditional and Lab 5: The Set Up: The Traditional & Reef
Tank (Pg 93) Planning, organizing, supplies & equipment
Aquarium Project: Discussion of Your Responsibility in Record keeping |
The Aquarium Project 1st Week: Tank
assignments and supplies (pg 98-103) - supply and equipment data; water
quality and accurate record keeping
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Continue
with Aquarium Project Set Up and review of previous lab work
Record all activity regarding project for next 11 weeks on pg 102. Take HomeQuiz #2 |
*PPT: Acclimation
Aquarium Project- 2nd week; Activity: Capture, transfer and acclimation; add "janitors for the reef" |
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The Water: Quality, Aeration and Circulation
Worksheet 2: Aeration & Circulation (pg 27) |
Aquarium Project-3rd week
Lab Activity: Capture, transfer and acclimation; add fish Aquaria maintenance, wk 3 |
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Water
pumps and flow rates (pg 21-26)
Worksheet 3: Pumps; (pg 29) Filtration: Theory and Types, Substrate and Media (pg 31-35) |
Review for Exam
Aquarium Project- 4th week Lab Activity: Creating a Nice Live Rock! Cutting & Mounting "soft" and "hard" coral frags (pgs 127) |
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Mid-Term Examination - Labs 1,2,3,4
and 5 are due, along with worksheets #1,2 and 3
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Aquarium Project 5th week
Lab Activity: Water change & vacuuuming gravel |
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Class Dismissed ... We will make this up as "Extra
Credit" at end of Projects as a workshop of "setting up, transferring &
clean-up" dates TBA
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* Aquarium Project- 6th week
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Aquarium
of the Pacific, Long Beach, A special back scenes visit will be
provided by the Director of Husbandry, Perry Hampton.
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Meet at Guest" Entrance by 12:50pm sharp!
Please do not arrive late, it is embarrassing! Show up early/on
time or not at all
Aquarium Project- 7th week *You contract a time |
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Filtering Structures (pg 36-38) Take Home
Quiz #3
Protein Skimmers (pg 39-40) Worksheet 4: Protein Skimmers (pg 41) |
Lab Activity: Set up a canister filter
& protein skimmer
Aquarium Project- 8th week |
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Introducing,
quarantine and Species Compatibility
Nutrition and Feeding of Marine Inverts & Fish (pg 51-53) Take Home Quiz #4 |
Aquarium Project - 9th week
Worksheet (Handout): Species compatibility |
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Lighting & Sterilization (pg 48-50)
Worksheet 5: Sterilization (and supplemental for Lighting) Aquarium Math |
Lights Activity + Measure and record LUX for your Aquarium Project
Last Aquaria Project recording, Week 10 |
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Thanksgiving Holiday
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Week 11; please try
and come in this week to help with overseeing aquaria projects
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Fri, Nov 30; 9:00am - 11:30am - Set up the recieving tanks for transfer of Corals and Fish from Aquarium Projects break-down. | Pre-Clean up of Aquarium Projects: Transfer animals in various holding tanks. Clean and check in supplies, rebuild stock / holding tanks |
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Special Systems: Reef tanks, Natural Reefs, Refugiums, Algae Scrubbers,
Mangroves, Sea Grass, Kriesels and more! (pg 66-69)
Take Home Quiz #5 |
Aquarium Math and Lab 6: Mathematics for Aquarists, (pg 104)
Finish Projects; graphing, questions and discussion **Time permitting, project clean-up! |
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Sat, Dec 1; Assist with cleaning up from lab projects and related project of new receiving tanks | Clean up Aquarium Projects: Transfer animals in various holding tanks. Clean and check in supplies, rebuild stock / holding tanks |
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Disease: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment (pg
57-65)
Take Home Quiz #6 |
Final
Exam Review - print this "link" and bring this with any questions
All remaining worksheets, labs and Aquarium Projects are due before leaving! |
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FINAL EXAM: Begins at 1:15 pm
Concentrate on the last 1/2, but this will be comprehensive and incorporate the entire semester! |
These will be available for pick up after
Jan 7, 08 and during 1st week of Spring 2008 classes. These will be in
the box next to my desk, SM 234 Biological Science Prep Area. Ask for assistance.
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Required Text: Marine Aquarium
Systems. A Scientific Approach Emphasizing Ecosystem Dynamics in
Learning How to Successfully Set Up and Maintain Marine Aquariums for the
Home, Classroom, Work Place and Research Lab, 4th Edition.. Author;
Julie Anderson. 2006.
Purchase one at our Bookstore. It contains
assisted lecture & lab notes, lab exercises, work sheets, data sheets,
and a compilation of secret tips, formulas, conversions, references and
other up-to date information.
Important Dates Regarding Records & Admissions:
Approximate Points Breakdown:
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2 - Exams
Final exam is somewhat accumulative, most emphasis on last 1/2 of class |
30% |
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Lab Exercises & Worksheets
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22% |
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Quizzes & Take Home Tests | 23% |
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Aquarium Project
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10% |
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Attendance and Active Participation
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15% |
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Total Points
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90-100% = A, 89-80% = B, 77-68% = C etc. If you do not want a grade, you must submit a form for Credit/No Credit by the deadline.
Attendance: You are expected to attend and participate at each meeting and thus, accumulate attendance points. You may not miss more than 2 consecutive class meeting or a total of 4 absences throughout the semester. This will result in an automatic Failing grade. If you must miss a class, you are responsible for any announcements and assignments as they are scheduled above. Please check Blackboard for announcements . Alternative assignments may be possible to make up for excused absences - but must be approved by me first.
Quizzes and Exams: These will be a combination of matching, true and false, multiple choice, fill in the blank and short answer. Quizzes are scheduled above and are open notes/book/internet/take home,y(ou should obtain 100% for these!) Exams are scheduled in advance, are closed notes and book and require a scantron sheet, 1-100.
Lab Exercises, Worksheets and Other Activity:
1. Set up and maintenance of small marine
tank for 2/3rds of the semester.
2. Weekly maintenance, feeding, cleaning,
water quality monitoring and record keeping for aquarium project
3. Reports and class discussions regarding
unique and common problems relating to aquariums.
4. Specific lab exercises pertaining to:
a. Equipment
use, set up, maintenance, trouble-shooting, design system and basic mathematic
computations for capacity, flow rates etc.
b. Specimen
acclimation, handling, transferring, observation, feeding, health and compatibility.
c. Ecological
analysis and chemical/physical measurements as well as, adjustments for
water quality in the aquarium
5. Field Trips: Aquarium of the Pacific and
possibly another to Ocean Institute & Doheny Aquarium or Chula Vista
Nature Center
Extra Credit: These can be earned a number of ways, but cannot exceed an accumulative of 30 pts for the entire semester. Assisting with routine maintenance and special projects in our Aquarium Facility, (1.5 hours = 3 pts), Reading assignments (visit this link) = 5 pts each, and attendance of optional field studies that are scheduled "outside" the time frame of this course. If you have a "project" in mind, check with me to clear it first. If you don't need the points, but wish to continue with these projects and maintenance activities think about enrolling in the MST 101 (Friday morning class.)
Aquarium Project: This will run for a total of 10-11 weeks, beginning Feb 1 through May 3 . Refer to pages 98-103, detailing specific instructions. This project, along with your notebook will be due on Dec. 14, date of Final Examination..
RULES AND SAFETY IN THE LAB: It is your responsibility to be
aware of and adhere to the rules and safety guidelines for student behavior
as listed in the Saddleback College
Catalog and on the Safety in the Lab Safety Handout you signed (it
is also pg 1 of your Lab Manual.
Emergency Procedures and Evacuation Procedures. Review the Emergency
procedures and Evacuation routes posted in the front classroom bulletin
board. These will be reviewed
during the the first lab meeting.
GENERAL INFORMATION & POLICY: Students are expected to attend
classes regularly. Failure to attend classes may be taken into consideration
in assigning grades. Students who
fail to attend the first meeting of any class for which they have officially
enrolled may be dropped by the instructor unless prior arrangement has
been made with the instructor. Students who
officially enroll in a class and never attend will be dropped by the
instructor no later than the end of the tenth instructional day of the
semester. Instructors may drop a student from a class
when he/she is absent for a total of six cumulative instructional hours.
In no case, where the instructor has an option to drop a student, should
the student presume he/she has been dropped
unless the instructor drop has been officially verified by the Office
of Admissions and Records (Calif. Ed. Code, Section 70902).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: It is difficult to cheat in this class
due to its project focus. Any attempts to cheat that are detected,
however, shall result in IMMEDIATE dismissal and failure
in the class and I shall PERSONALLY follow up the case to ensure that
the full weight of the College’s penalties is exercised. Please see
the Saddleback College Web site for details on
College policy.
USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Please no audible cellular phones
or pagers. If you leave the classroom to answer a call or page, please
leave for the entire lecture so as to not
constantly disrupt the class. Photo phones or personal electronic
devices such as a Palm Pilots can not be used during a test, not even as
a calculator. Student Services: General Student
Service Information is available at the Saddleback College Website.
General, academic, and service information can be obtained by accessing
the Counseling Division and Financial Aid
Websites. Individual and small group counseling information such as
academic planning and review of transcripts is available by appointment.
All other student services are available on
campus during normal business hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: This course meets
the requirements set forth in the accessibility checklist and universal
design grid provided by
Special Services. The Web Pages, video presentations, textbooks and
class materials used in this course are accessible to students with disabilities.
If you have questions on how to make
accommodations please contact Special Services, Mike Sauter. You will
need to provide documentation of your disability to the Special Services
Office in the Student Services Center.
Requests for accommodation for testing must be done in a reasonable
and timely fashion. Accommodated testing is given for lecture exams for
students with documentation of need.
CLASS CONDUCT (BP-5401): Students are expected to conduct
themselves with respect for the right of all members of the college community
to teach and learn in a safe and
academically stimulating environment. Students shall be held
responsible for observing rules and regulations for student conduct promulgated
under the authority of this policy by the Board of
Trustees or the district's administration. Violation of such
rules shall constitute good cause for imposition of disciplinary action
as provided in rules and regulations (Calif. Ed. Code, Section
66300).
No food or beverages in the classroom or lab. Bottled water with
a screw top is acceptable.
GRADE AND INSTRUCTIONAL RELATED GRIEVANCE (BP-5505):
When a student believes that a district or divisional/school policy or
procedure has not been followed,
the student should discuss this concern with the course instructor.
(excerpt of the official Board Policy - Visit the web site: www.socccd.org/board/boardpolicies.asp
GRADE GRIEVANCE: By law, the instructor is solely responsible
for the grades assigned; no instructor may be directed to change a grade
except in certain narrow circumstances
authorized by the Calif. Ed. Code, Section 76224 (a). When a student
believes that the district grading policy has not been followed, the student
should discuss this concern with the
appropriate course instructor. Prior to filing a grievance, an
attempt must be made to solve the problem. The student is expected to contact
his/her instructor directly to discuss their
differences when grades are available to the student. At this stage
most differences will be resolved. This contact should be conducted in
the privacy of the instructor's office whenever
possible, and the pertinent issues should be well defined so that they
may be discussed as objectively as possible.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email. This is the preferred method of contact rather than phone!
I check this at least 3-5 times a day and am on-line much of the time.
Expect responses within 6 hours during the hours of 8 am to 9 pm.
Due to the large amount of spam that everyone receives, all of your emails
must have MST 100 l in the subject field so that they don’t get trashed.
Office Hours: I am generally in the Biology Prep area,
(Sr. Lab Technician, Biological Sciences) SM 234-6, during the hours of
11:30am - 7:30pm M-Th, and Fri 10:30am-5:00pm (except
during times I'm instructing other classes.) Drop-ins can be accommodated
most of the time, but I'm not always on campus or in a situation where
I can stop working, but do try anyway if drop-ins work best for you or
Voice Mail. You can leave messages
at (949) 582-4657, I'll do my best to return your call.
SIGNATURE SHEET (Student must read, sign and submit this page to the instructor):
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF SYLLABUS: I have read this syllabus and understand the policies outlined in this document along with any elaboration on the part of the
instructor. Any items unclear to me have been brought to the attention of the instructor and clarified to my satisfaction. I shall adhere to the policies outlined in this document without
exception and accept any aforementioned penalties as a result of failing to follow these rules.
Furthermore: I shall behave as a consummate professional as outlined above in section 11 (above) entitled Class Conduct.
_____________________________________ _______________ ________________________ _________________
Name Student ID # Class Date
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