Welcome to the Fish in Schools (FinS) Education Portal
On this page, you will find helpful information about the FinS program, including training videos, classroom resources and program updates. You can also post stories about your FinS experience, share pictures and videos, and ask or answer questions about the program.
FinS applications for 2024-2025 open June 1 - September 30
See the "FinS Application Documents" of the right hand-side for more information.
Classroom Resources
Print off and laminate these resources to help engage your students with the care of your fish.
Have additional questions about the program? First check out the Q&A tab below!
Privacy Statement Information you provide to Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is collected under the authority of Section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act and is managed in accordance with Part 2 of the FOIP Act. Comments, images, and videos and any personal information therein you provide may appear on the Fish in Schools (FinS) Engagement HQ Website. Submitted comments and media will be moderated, but once posted to the FinS website, will be viewable by any participant in the FinS program and the general public. EPA will not use or disclose your information for any other purpose without your written consent or unless required to do so by law. If there are any questions or you wish to request a change to the information you provided, please contact Bow Habitat Station at 403-297-6561 or by email at fins.program@gov.ab.ca.
On this page, you will find helpful information about the FinS program, including training videos, classroom resources and program updates. You can also post stories about your FinS experience, share pictures and videos, and ask or answer questions about the program.
FinS applications for 2024-2025 open June 1 - September 30
See the "FinS Application Documents" of the right hand-side for more information.
Classroom Resources
Print off and laminate these resources to help engage your students with the care of your fish.
Have additional questions about the program? First check out the Q&A tab below!
Privacy Statement Information you provide to Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is collected under the authority of Section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act and is managed in accordance with Part 2 of the FOIP Act. Comments, images, and videos and any personal information therein you provide may appear on the Fish in Schools (FinS) Engagement HQ Website. Submitted comments and media will be moderated, but once posted to the FinS website, will be viewable by any participant in the FinS program and the general public. EPA will not use or disclose your information for any other purpose without your written consent or unless required to do so by law. If there are any questions or you wish to request a change to the information you provided, please contact Bow Habitat Station at 403-297-6561 or by email at fins.program@gov.ab.ca.
Use this space to connect with FinS projects across the province and the FinS team at Bow Habitat Station about the program or the fish in your classroom aquarium.
Hello,
I just noticed that you are asking for a 30 gallon tank. I was hoping to save the school money by using a 25 gallon tank that I already cleaned and prepared at home, would 25 gallons be sufficient or is it too small for the number of fish we will receive?
Fishbert
asked
about 1 month ago
Hello,
A 25 gallon tank can work to house your fish, however, as the fish grow you might need to complete more water changes as the the water quality will be more difficult to maintain. If you are using a used tank please flow the steps for disinfection found in our technical manual to ensure the health of the fish.
FinS Team
Help, I think our aerator broke after school today. It was making an awful noise, and so I unplugged it. Now it won't turn on at all. I have left the fish with no aerator for the night but I'm wondering how long they can survive without oxygen flow while we sort out the issue?
jenlazaruk
asked
8 months ago
Hello,
You will need to replace the aerator as soon as possible as it provides oxygen to your fish. For the aerator make sure all of the tubing for the intake hose is properly connected, if it is loose it will not flow properly. If you still have the user manual please reference it for guidance.
If it is still not working please call the Bow Habitat Station main line 403-297-6561 for further instruction.
FinS Team
Hello!
Our little Alevin are at 450 ATUs. Some have started to swim up but a few little sneaky buggers keep escaping from the incubation basket! Has anyone else experienced this? This never happened last year. I’ve been netting them back into the basket, but should I just leave them out instead??
soakley
asked
10 months ago
Hello!
If they are still resting at bottom most of the time you will want to put your alevin back into the basket, otherwise they will burrow themselves into the gravel. The typical aquarium gravel is too heavy and could crush your alevin.
FinS Team
Hello, I just want to make sure that it was ok to add the nutrifin to the tank before the egg delivery. I realize that it is not needed until the fish are hatched but I have already added it to the tank and I am picking the eggs up today.
Thanks,
Tyler Lowe
tjlowe
asked
11 months ago
Hello Tyler,
Yes, it is okay to add the Nutrafin Cycle to the tank before getting the eggs. The Nutrafin Cycle established a biofilter in the tank so no harm will come to the eggs.
We normally wait to add the Nutrafin Cycle since the biofilter does not have much to eat before the fish start producing waste as fry. You will simply need to add the Nutrafin Cycle again at 400-410 ATUs
Fins Team
Hello,
The gill of some of our fish are quite red. Is there something we should be doing to help them?
Tara.nissen
asked
over 1 year ago
Discolouration of your fish’s gills is indicative of high ammonia levels.
Move to a schedule of increased water changes immediately. Add zeolite rocks (can be found at your local pet store) in their porous container to the bottom of your tank to help with ammonia absorption.
FinS Team
We have noticed a dwindle in our trout population, without having any mortalities (that we see). Is it possible they could be eating each other? What should we do?
spdavey
asked
over 1 year ago
Hello,
Make sure you are feeding them enough food by using the equation a the bottom of the Feeding Schedule. Make sure you are feeding them throughout the day instead all at once.
FinS Team
We noticed an increasing number of mortalities last week so have increased our water changes to three times a week. Is it advised to preventatively purchase and add in the zeolite rocks? We haven't noticed any red gills yet, but wondering if we should take proactive steps?
seketcheson
asked
over 1 year ago
Hello There!
Yes, zeolite rocks can help manage ammonia levels in your tank and be added if you are worried about ammonia levels in your tank. We have used them in the past in our FinS tanks so they are safe to add to your tank if you can source them.
FinS Team
One of our alevin's bodies is shaped like an S and it looks like they are having trouble swimming. Should we be concerned? Is there anything we should do about this? Thank you!
spdavey
asked
almost 2 years ago
The FinS Team has discussed your question with our fish culture technicians.
The crooked spine can be genetic, or from poor nutrition. It’s most likely not poor nutrition at this stage, and if it’s only one fish there’s no concern. We do see it in the hatchery and would remove it, but inside the FinS aquariums it’s harmless to let it be. We do see larger fish that still have the crooked spines from when they were fry. It just doesn’t look good, ascetically.
- FinS Team
When doing a water change, how much Nutrafin Cycle do we add? Enough for the 2 gallons that we changed or the 24 gallons for the whole tank? It is unclear on both the bottle and manual!
Thank you!
bllabrecque
asked
almost 2 years ago
We have been getting this question quite a bit! The FinS Team recommends adding enough Nutrafin Cycle and Nutrafin AquaPlus to treat the entire Aquarium volume. Follow the Chapter 6: Water Changes in the FinS Technical Manual to add 10mL of Nutrafin Cycle and 10mL Nutrafin AquaPlus to the Aquarium each time you complete a water change.
- FinS Team
Escapee! While doing my daily check, one of my more mature alevin (egg sac almost completely absorbed) decided he was too crowded in the incubation basket and flipped out over the top rim. He settled down into the gravel and looks quite pleased with himself.
Do I leave him be or put him back into the basket?
HighPark
asked
almost 2 years ago
Hello,
If the escapee is swimming around have a good time, they are good to stay out of the basket.
If they are resting on the gravel they should be returned to the incubation basket by gently scooping them up with your fish net.
Have additional questions about the program? First check out the Q&A tab below!
