Will continually update this log and adjust date to most recent date for tracking oyster morts and steps being taken to improve the oyster tank rack in FTR.
Improving the system
Notes:
- A lot of the valves are broken, so those will need to be replaced
- The tubing is pretty old and could use replacing
Goals:
- Find replacement tubing and valves and get OK’d by Steven for ordering
Up-To-Date Mort check
Family mortalities to date (2026-09-18):
| family | start_number | morts | percent_mort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 60 | 12 | 20 |
| 5 | 60 | 9 | 15 |
| 6 | 60 | 9 | 15 |
| 7 | 60 | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | 60 | 10 | 16.66666667 |
| 10 | 60 | 16 | 26.66666667 |
Spreadsheet link: here
Copied spreadsheet below:
| initials | date | row | tank | number_mortalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-10 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-11 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| GAC | 2026-09-13 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-13 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-14 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-14 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-14 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-14 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-14 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-15 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2926-09-12 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-16 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-16 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-16 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| CM | 2026-09-17 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| CM | 2026-09-17 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| CM | 2026-09-17 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| CM | 2026-09-17 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-18 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-18 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-18 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| GAC | 2026-09-18 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
2026-09-14
While I was in a meeting from 11am-12pm, the tank rack system emptied again because the recirculating tube that goes into the holding tank popped out AGAIN!
So they were without water for less than an hour. I refilled with ~20ppt water and secured the tube into the tank with a big metal clip and zip ties.
2026-09-13
Arrived to the lab around 12pm and saw that the pump was just pumping air.
There was a tube that had popped out of the holding tank and that is likely how the system drained. There was NO wet puddles on the floor, so it’s likely that this happened shortly after I left lab yesterday (~1500).
So, I took of the t-splitter of the draining tube and put the whole tube into the holding tank to prevent this from happeneing again.
I had a garbage can full of 30ppt water in the tank room, but it was too heavy to move to the rack room. So, I did water chemistry for the Left and Right blue tanks and Left and Right yellow tanks a day early. The Right tank had high nitrate levels and was supposed to be switched out tomorrow no matter what anyway, so I drained and refilled that to empty the can.
I then brought the can over and filled it with water and made 20ppt water to refill the system.
The tanks had water again as of 1405.
2026-09-09
Setting up the system.
The racks are already plumbed and have a pump system and a chiller that can be hooked up.
I set up 4 rows, 6 tanks per row. Each tank has a water input and a drain that drains into a PVC pipe that controls the outflow to the holding tank that the pump is connected to to recirculate the water through the system.
Steven and I then added 10 individuals per tank from 6 different oyster families. Family numbers: 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10.
I’ll be checking daily for mortalities, logging how many are dead from which row, tank (family) number, and tossing the morts into a bucket in the cold room.
I’ll also be spot-checking temperature and salinity.
