Water Recirculation and a Fish Shelter's Effect on Water's Dissolved Oxygen Levels Exposed to Extreme Heat with Low Oxygen Levels

Fish shelters exist in many lakes, they are created to protect smaller fish from their predators. Many fish are found to reside in them during summer months to avoid extreme temperatures. During summer months, higher temperatures reduce the solubility of oxygen in water. The purpose of this research was to improve the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in water with a water pump and fish shelter, for water recirculation and a decrease in temperature. This research aimed to decrease the temperature change and increase the DO levels when a heat lamp was used to simulate heat rays from the sun. The fish shelter was created with plywood and formed into a box. Fish were purchased from PetSmart and isolated in beakers one week before testing. The tests were performed by leaving the heat lamp on for six hours and heating a ten-gallon fish tank that contained water. The temperature and DO levels were recorded. The process was repeated for two days with the fish shelter and water pump inside the tank. The fish were introduced to the fish shelter and pump, and their changes in behavior were recorded. The temperature decreased from 92 degrees to 87 with the fish shelter, and 84 with the water pump. The DO levels increased from 4.5 ppm to 6 with the shelter and 8.5 with the pump. The temperature decreased and the DO levels increased with the addition of the fish shelter and the change was greater with the water pump.