Five members of the East Knox FFA participated in the State Aquarium Management Career Development Event on November 11. The event took place at the Lausche Building within the Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus. The team, consisting of Keaton Spence, Hayden Garman, John Chadwick, Brayden Moran, and AJ Salmons, secured the 19th position among various teams from across Ohio.
To reach the state finals, participants first completed an online general knowledge test. This test covered topics such as fish characteristics, anatomy, feeding habits, diseases, reproduction, handling techniques, aquarium tanks and filters, water pH levels, and tank setup. The top five scorers from these preliminaries advanced to the state finals.
During the finals, team members were tasked with identifying different species like gouramis and cichlids. They also identified aquarium equipment and plants and recognized fish diseases and foods. Each contestant was required to perform four practicums: determining pH using test strips, identifying filter types and their functions, catching and bagging aquarium fish, and identifying fish along with their diets.
The Aquarium Management Career Development Event aims to provide students with an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills related to fish and other aquarium animals in the pet industry. This marks the second year that East Knox FFA has fielded a team for this competition.
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