Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The hermit crabs switched shells again!!!!
The white shell is empty and a hermit crab is back in what used to be Harry's shell. I gues he'she tried out the new shell and didn't like it. Also, the crabitat has many spots where there was a lot of digging last night. Harry (or the HC that is in Harry's shell) is hiding under the small wood cave in a hole. I wonder what happened and if they were fighting. Ron has been SOOOOO quiet and inactive lately. I am starting to worry about him (or her). :o(
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Upkeep
I replaced the bubble stone in Betsy's aquarium. This time it is very big, she probably won't be able to bite it. I also added fly ribbon to the millipedge and hermit crab habitats. That should keep the pesky fruit flies from buzzing around our poor critters.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
hermit crab identities
I think it may have been possible that a shell double-switch may have happened. The hermit crab in the new, white shell (who I *think* is Hermione) seems much more active than Hermione used to be (although Hermione became more active recently. I think it is possible that Harry moved into the white shell and Hermione took over Harry's shell. That would explain why Harry seems less active now. I think more observation is needed.
Name for the millipede
I have already received suggestions/nominations for what to name the millipede:
- Voldemort
- Dumbledore
Keep the suggestions coming. We'll have a school-wide vote soon.
- Voldemort
- Dumbledore
Keep the suggestions coming. We'll have a school-wide vote soon.
This week in science class
This week in science the upper grades worked on COMMUNICATION. Day 1 we did human bingo (along with a Ms. Bloom introduction and a talk about rules) and on Day 2 we did group logic problems (to help practice communication and doing our jobs during group work).
Grades 1 through 3 worked on OBSERVATION. We read a book about the 5 Senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) and played the observation game. In addition, we had an introduction circle and made name tags. After that we took a tour of the classroom and had a few minutes of free exploration time to look at the animals! Many kids even got to touch the giant millipede!
Grades 1 through 3 worked on OBSERVATION. We read a book about the 5 Senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) and played the observation game. In addition, we had an introduction circle and made name tags. After that we took a tour of the classroom and had a few minutes of free exploration time to look at the animals! Many kids even got to touch the giant millipede!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
COMMUNICATION and OBSERVATION
Today (the first day of school!) the upper grades (4-6) worked on the science process skill of COMMUNICATION. The lower grades (1-3) worked on OBSERVATION. In order to "do" science and be an effective scientist it is important to master science process skills like: OBSERVATION, COMMUNICATION, PREDICTION, CLASSIFICATION, MEASUREMENT, etc.
Betsy is hungry and/or really annoying
BETSY BIT UP and CHEWED UP the bubbler in the tank. The bubbler is the blue tube that releases air bubbles into the water. I do not understand what is happening with Betsy. I give her food and she doesn't seem to want to eat it (I have given the veggie food and the normal Reptomin turtle pellets) and she doesn't seem to be very happy with either. And then, she goes and chews up the bubbler tube! It will take some time to get a good feeding schedule working for her.
The crabs ate some of the apple piece that I left in the tank. The humidity is only about 50-60%. I need to find a way to make it higher. Also, I hope there isn't too much free standing water in the crabitat. I added water to the sponge with the hope that a wet sponge would help increase the humidity but the sponge did not do a good job holding the water and a lot of it poured right through.
There are fruit flies in the millipede's tank. I am going to find the sticky paper and put a strip of it in the millipede habitat. That will keep the fruit flies from swarming around the millipede's food!! The poor millipede did not seem like it liked getting looked at and picked up today! Poor thing. I've never seen it curl up so tightly. The kids in the classes sure did seem to enjoy looking at the animals.
After awhile (definitely not right away) I can start teaching students how to properly hold and care for the animals so they will be able to handle them (touch them) and not just look at them.
The crabs ate some of the apple piece that I left in the tank. The humidity is only about 50-60%. I need to find a way to make it higher. Also, I hope there isn't too much free standing water in the crabitat. I added water to the sponge with the hope that a wet sponge would help increase the humidity but the sponge did not do a good job holding the water and a lot of it poured right through.
There are fruit flies in the millipede's tank. I am going to find the sticky paper and put a strip of it in the millipede habitat. That will keep the fruit flies from swarming around the millipede's food!! The poor millipede did not seem like it liked getting looked at and picked up today! Poor thing. I've never seen it curl up so tightly. The kids in the classes sure did seem to enjoy looking at the animals.
After awhile (definitely not right away) I can start teaching students how to properly hold and care for the animals so they will be able to handle them (touch them) and not just look at them.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
HERMIONE CHANGED HER SHELL! HERMIONE CHANGED HER SHELL!!!!
HERMIONE CHANGED HER SHELL!! I rearranged and cleaned up the crabitat yesterday after I brought the tank into the science room. I took out some shells and put in some new ones. When I came in Hermione was sitting in one of the new shiny white shells I put in! How exciting!
I *think* it is Hermione. Harry still seems to be in his shell and so does Ron. I am assuming that Hermione changed her shell and that there wasn't a double shell change.
How exciting!! It's a beautiful and shiny white shell. Very pretty.
I *think* it is Hermione. Harry still seems to be in his shell and so does Ron. I am assuming that Hermione changed her shell and that there wasn't a double shell change.
How exciting!! It's a beautiful and shiny white shell. Very pretty.
Betsy is back at home (in the science room)
I brought Betsy, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the giant millipede to the classroom this evening. I hope they enjoy their new home and the friends they will soon make (my students!). School starts Wednesday. How exciting!
Betsy's water is dirty. She really needs a larger tank and an under gravel filter. Until then, I will rinse the Fluval 4plus filter more often to get the yucky stuff out. If she had a better filter system then we could give her yummier food like vegetables and strawberries (she LOVES strawberries) but we can't because fruits and vegetables get the water way too dirty!!
I gave the hermit crabs some of their *new* favorite food and some "cookies" (that's what the bottle calls them!). They seemed to like the food before.
The millipede seems to be doing well. He/she started eating right after I brought her into the class. I gave her/him some old, rotting carrots to eat and he/she seems to like them!
Betsy's water is dirty. She really needs a larger tank and an under gravel filter. Until then, I will rinse the Fluval 4plus filter more often to get the yucky stuff out. If she had a better filter system then we could give her yummier food like vegetables and strawberries (she LOVES strawberries) but we can't because fruits and vegetables get the water way too dirty!!
I gave the hermit crabs some of their *new* favorite food and some "cookies" (that's what the bottle calls them!). They seemed to like the food before.
The millipede seems to be doing well. He/she started eating right after I brought her into the class. I gave her/him some old, rotting carrots to eat and he/she seems to like them!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Hermoine seems more active now
I have been noticing that Hermione has been more active nowadays.
Oh! I got new hermit crab food and the crabs seem to LOVE it! I put in a good amount and they finished it ALL overnight! Wow! They seem to like that food a lot than the first kind of food I was feeding them. Also, I noticed that after I put the new food in. Harry went over to it and started eating pretty quickly. I hope he shared and all three of them are getting enough to eat. I hope that it isn't just one or two crabs hogging food and not sharing with the others.
Be nice! Share!
Oh! I got new hermit crab food and the crabs seem to LOVE it! I put in a good amount and they finished it ALL overnight! Wow! They seem to like that food a lot than the first kind of food I was feeding them. Also, I noticed that after I put the new food in. Harry went over to it and started eating pretty quickly. I hope he shared and all three of them are getting enough to eat. I hope that it isn't just one or two crabs hogging food and not sharing with the others.
Be nice! Share!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Betsy keeps eating thermometers
I am unhappy to report that Betsy seems to have attacked another thermometer. I do not know why she bites the thermometers. I fed her a lot before and she ate the food (it was good, yummy veggie food from the store) but then the next day I found it all in pieces at the bottom of the tank. (Betsy *really* needs an under-gravel filter (UGF) at the bottom of her tank to help clean the organic waste/leftover food she discards. I got the idea from this website.)
I need to find the right amount to feed her. It seems like I do too much or too little food but never the right amount.
The hermit crabs seem to be doing well. Hermoine has been on the cork ramp and is out and about a bit more lately. Harry, as always, is frequently on the cork ramp and LOVES to climb! He is so active! Ron has been on the cork ramp but the past two days he's been sort of quiet - fairly inactive. I hope he's OK. I am concerned about the sand in the tank. I hope it's not too wet. The temperature should be fine but I can't get the humidity up to and steady at 70%. I don't want to cover more of the mesh screen with flexiglass because I want oxygen to be able to get into their tank!
The millipede is doing well. S/he is eating fairly well. I see it out and about during some parts of the day now, when there is light, not just at night. I moved it's food dish to on top of the house and I saw it eating just fine. I thought it would be interesting to move the food around to keep the environment more like the wild... I am assuming that in the wild animals don't find their food at the same spot all the time.
Still, I am concerned about Betsy. The feeder guppies I got so long ago are still there. I try to feed the fish with fish flakes but Betsy eats the fish food! They're still alive though. I am guessing that they scavenge from the bottom of the tank. I tried to put in a special floating thing that helps keep the flakes from floating away but Betsy tried to bite it! I took out that floating ring right away! I am going to go to the store now and try to find some thermometers that I can put on the OUTSIDE of the tank (I put the second thermometer on the outside of the tank near the basking area but, unfortunately, I don't think it gives me an accurate picture of what the temperature is like when basking in the basking area.)
I need to find the right amount to feed her. It seems like I do too much or too little food but never the right amount.
The hermit crabs seem to be doing well. Hermoine has been on the cork ramp and is out and about a bit more lately. Harry, as always, is frequently on the cork ramp and LOVES to climb! He is so active! Ron has been on the cork ramp but the past two days he's been sort of quiet - fairly inactive. I hope he's OK. I am concerned about the sand in the tank. I hope it's not too wet. The temperature should be fine but I can't get the humidity up to and steady at 70%. I don't want to cover more of the mesh screen with flexiglass because I want oxygen to be able to get into their tank!
The millipede is doing well. S/he is eating fairly well. I see it out and about during some parts of the day now, when there is light, not just at night. I moved it's food dish to on top of the house and I saw it eating just fine. I thought it would be interesting to move the food around to keep the environment more like the wild... I am assuming that in the wild animals don't find their food at the same spot all the time.
Still, I am concerned about Betsy. The feeder guppies I got so long ago are still there. I try to feed the fish with fish flakes but Betsy eats the fish food! They're still alive though. I am guessing that they scavenge from the bottom of the tank. I tried to put in a special floating thing that helps keep the flakes from floating away but Betsy tried to bite it! I took out that floating ring right away! I am going to go to the store now and try to find some thermometers that I can put on the OUTSIDE of the tank (I put the second thermometer on the outside of the tank near the basking area but, unfortunately, I don't think it gives me an accurate picture of what the temperature is like when basking in the basking area.)
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