This project started in 1995. A group of 8th grade students who called themselves the "Salmon Team" organized the project. Meeting at lunch, we began putting together the tank, chiller, and filter which were provided by funds through a district Mini-Grant. We started with a 20 gal. tank, two small Whisper filters, and a chiller.

The chiller was purchased from Aqua Tropics with funds from a district mini-grant.

The chiller is the black box with white pvc pipes protruding from it.

We had a hard time maintaining temperature so we insulated three sides of the tank with the pink insulation board.

Now calling ourselves Lab Rats and meeting during lunch, we started raising salmon and trout from eggs during the winter of 1996. Our first attempts were semi-successful. We still had problems keeping the water temperature at the required 51 deg. F/11 deg. C for incubating salmon eggs. We also had problems with nitrite levels.

We discovered that our pump was too powerful and circulating the water at a rate which caused the water to quickly absorb heat from the room. We switched to a smaller pump and solved the problem.

In 1997 Mr. Honroth, our Vice Principal, provided technical assistance which helped to solve our problems from the year before. We switched to a large Fluval canister filter which helped aerate the water and promote bacteria growth. This solved the nitrite problem.

We also replaced the 20 with a 35 gallon tank.

We raised our second batch of salmon and trout for two years. They grew from "eyed" eggs to 20 cm in length during that time. Tank maintenance is still a chore but maintaining pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels is easier.

A power outage and hot day killed this batch in the spring of 1999.

In the fall of 1999 we applied for licensing with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to raise and release salmon. The licensing is a part of the "Salmon in the Classroom" project sponsored by WDFW.

The 1999-00 "Millinium" Salmon were released July, 2000 at the Ringold fish hatchery as a part of the Tri-Tech Skill Center Technology Academy.