The more crowded it gets, the more aggresive guppies will become!

	Project title: The more crowded it gets, the more aggresive guppies will become!
Difficulty level:	Elementary school
Main link:	None

Hypothesis:

Guppies (small fish) behave more aggresively, the more crowded it gets!

Materials:

- 3 glass bowl aquariums of equal size
- water
- guppies
- fish food

The Procedure:

In this really simple yet interesting science project, we'll take 3 fish bowls and place different numbers of guppies into each. We'll then observe how aggresive the guppies are in each.

The control variables:

- type of guppies
- temperature of the water
- lighting condition
- size of the bowl
- amount of water
- amount of food

The independent variables: number of guppies
The dependent variable: behaviour of the guppies

Procedure
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1. Fill each of the bowls with the same amount of water (about halfway).

2. Place 3 guppies into the first bowl, 15 into the second, and 30 into the third.

3. Observe the behaviour of the guppies ove the 3 days. Feed the guppies at regular intervals.

4. Record your findings.

Results:

The results of the experiment show that the more crowded the aquarium, the more aggresive the guppies are in behaviour.

Analysis:
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The hypothesis should be accepted.

Most animals behave similarly - when it gets crowded, the creatures become more aggressive and protective over their territory. It's what we commonly refer to as "survival instinct". Even human beings behave similarly. You will notice that the guppies become more aggressive and start to chase each other away, when it gets more crowded. They also breathe more rapidly and feed more verociously!

Other tests that may be performed:
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- try the same experiment with different fish
- observe the size of the guppies over time, in each of the three bowls

Some Background Information:
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Overcrowding leads to aggressive behaviour, for any kind of creature - including people!