Jennie Mallory Science Fair 2011

ABSTRACT
How does sugar affect the respiration rate of a Siamese fighting fish?
Research
Unlike the land animals, almost every single fish gets their oxygen from the water. There is a
certain amount of dissolved oxygen in water. To receive the oxygen the fish have to gulp in
through their mouths and pump it over their gills. Most fish have four pairs of gills that are
enclosed in a gill chamber located on both sides of their heads. Each gill consists of two rows of
filament attached to a gill arch.
Hypothesis
The Siamese fighting fish that will ingest the sugar will have an extreme rise in its respiration
rate.
Problem
How does sugar affect the respiration rate of a Siamese fighting fish?
Procedure
1. Separate the two Great Delta Betta fish in their own bowl and name them. (The names of
the fish are Dawny, the green and black fish, and Dawna, the red and white fish).
2. Put a pinch is tropical fish food flakes in three 8oz cups.
3. Put 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup with the fish food.
4. Pour the contents of one cup in Dawny’s bowl.
5. Observe for 15 minutes (three 5 minute periods). Record data.
6. Put 1 teaspoon of fish food flakes into Dawna’s bowl.
7. Observe for 15 minutes (three 5 minute periods).Record data.
Results
The respiration rates of the betta fish (Dawny and Dawna) differed extremely. Dawny, the black
and green female betta fish became “hyper active” after ingesting the sugar with her fish flakes.
Dawna, the red and white female betta fish, had a normal respiration rate and eventually fell
asleep 5 minutes into the experiment.
Conclusion
My hypothesis was the Siamese fighting fish that ingested the sugar will have an extreme rise in
its respiration rate. The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted .Because of the
results of this experiment, I wonder if adding sugar to a fish’s diet will help it live longer. If I
were to conduct this project again I would have used male Siamese fighting fish because there
are usually more active.
Jennie Mallory Science Fair 2011

Name: Jennie Mallory

Title: Sugar Rush

A. Question being addressed (Purpose/Problem)

How does sugar affect the respiration rate of a Siamese fighting fish?

B. Hypothesis
The Siamese fighting fish that will ingest the sugar will have an extreme rise in its
respiration rate.

C. Description in details of method of procedure

1. Separate the two Great Delta Betta fish in their own bowl and name them. (The
names of the fish are Dawny, the green and black fish, and Dawna, the red and white
fish).
2. Put a pinch is tropical fish food flakes in three 8oz cups.
3. Put 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup with the fish food.
4. Pour the contents of one cup in Dawny’s bowl.
5. Observe for 15 minutes (three 5 minute periods). Record data.
6. Put 1 teaspoon of fish food flakes into Dawna’s bowl.
7. Observe for 15 minutes (three 5 minute periods).Record data.

D. Bibliography
• Species of Betta. Fish Base. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006
version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• Marcus Song, Caring for Betta Fish (Lulu Press, 2006). ISBN 1-4116-9365-5
• Fernando, Yohan. "Betta edithae - a Pseudo Betta?". International Betta
Congress Species Maintenance Program. http://ibc-
smp.org/articles/edithae_pseudo.html. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
• "Betta". American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed. ed.).
http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/B0217800.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
• "2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. they are amazing.... -> male betta".
http://www.iucnredlist.org/. Retrieved 2006-06-30.