Observation 4: Tuesday, November 8

For my final observation, I was hoping for some changes, and I got them!  The lower half of the microaquarium was FULL of filamentous algae strands - quite a crisscrossed network of them.  My observation last week of the so called "colonial algae" around the bottom seeming to have "replaced" the larger diatoms was incorrect-- Dr. McFarland pointed out to me that they were diatoms themselves, and there had to be many several hundreds of them.

I identified several new organisms that I had not seen at all until this week, including a mite.  QUITE exciting!  Below is a video.  I was fascinated by the hooked "arms" it used to catch food.



 I also found a highly increased number of Raphidocustis in and around where the algae met the sediment in the bottom.  The flagella are easily its most defining characteristic, as it has any small and a couple long ones all around its perimeter.

Fig. 409. 1999.  Patterson

The other new organism I observed was Peranema, which was somewhat easy to identify because of its motility and long flagella.  I looked for some time, but I only saw one.  May guess is conditions are becoming more favorable toward them and their numbers would increase were more observations to be taken.

Fig. 72.  1999.  Patterson

The rest of the organisms I photographed are ones that I had seen before, but this week the amoeba seemed to have increased in number, concentrated in the bottom half of the micro-aquarium, and the Colpidium were more "active" and in larger number.  The euplote pictured below is one of only a very few I observed over the course of the past month, and upon seeing it in the book I found it incredible how it can actually use its flagella as "legs" to traverse substrate (which explained how it seemed to scuttle in and out of it differently than any of the other organisms).

 Fig. 338.  1999.  Patterson

Fig. 260.  1999.  Patterson

 

Observation 3: Thursday, November 3

Unfortunately I was unable to take any photos this week due to having very little time, but I did oberve some interesting changes this week.

There seemed to be more Tachysoma this week.  There were fewer that I could observe last time, but this week they seemed to have increased in number again.  There appeared to be about the same amount of gastrotrich. 

In the bottom of my microaquarium there were a couple noteworthy changes:  There were masses of filamentous algae growing from the sediment, and in and around it there were hundreds of what I assume were some kind of colonial green algae.  These seem to have "replaced" the diatoms that initially dominated the bottom of the aquarium.  Whereas for the first couple observations the diatoms were too numerous to really count, it was somewhat a rarity to even see one this week. 

I did not observe any "new" organisms this week, and am still working on identifying those that I haven't been able to yet.  When I was finished observing I topped it off with some distilled water.

Observation 2: Thursday, October 27

This week a food pellet was added to my MicroAquarium on October 21 ("Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%).

I observed no major changes this week, except that the predominant organism I saw was the gastrotrich (or it was the predominant larger organism I saw).  Last week there were more tachysoma swimming about, so I can only guess that either the gastrotrich is a predator and has reduced their numbers, or the tachysoma have responded to the increased number of gastrotrich by hiding more in the substrate (which is the only place I saw any of them at all this week). 

There were about the same number of diatoms and photosynthetic organisms, but again, they were mostly concentrated near the bottom. 

Another small change was the number of rotifers I could see.  I saw maybe three last week, and this week there were at least twice that many, most of which were either anchored in the substrate or floating just above it.  I actually saw a philodina (pictured below) eat a small protist by sucking in in with its rotating head cilia, which was very cool! 

Overall, the numbers of other organisms and general location of them was the same:  small protists were concentrated higher up around plants A and B, and the larger ones were in and around the substrate at the bottom.  There were a couple filamentous-looking strands of algae growing out of the mud also.  I took several pictures, but only had time to identify a couple.  I will continue to post them as I can identify them.

Fig. 6.1.  2001.  Douglas Smith.

Fig. 7.11.  2001.  Douglas Smith

Observation 1: Thursday, October20

My micro-aquarium really "took off" since the set-up.  Despite having lost a little water, the number of organisms I saw (and different kinds) was vastly greater than at first.  The most numerous things I saw were diatoms, and they seemed to be more concentrated toward the bottom of the aquarium.  There was no way to count them all, but there had to be a couple hundred, and I think they may be photosynthetic.  I didn't try to identify every organism I saw this week, but three that I did were Tachysoma, Vorticella, and Cyclidium, all of which are protists.  Dr. MacFarland showed me the contractile vacuole in the tachysoma that allows it to move so suddenly and quickly, as well as the cilia covering the perimeter of the cyclidium (he also pointed out the extra long cilia that allows it to jump suddenly).  The vorticella was most frequently observed anchored in the mud at the bottom and on free-floating debris, with cilia around its "head" to capture food.  Here are the images I took--

Fig. 233.  1996.  D.J. Patterson

Fig. 332.  1996.  D.J. Patterson

Fig. 265.  1996.  D.J. Patterson

 

Initial Observation from 10-12-11

I chose to set up my micro-aquarium with water from below the Cemetary (10. Water pool below spring. Lynnhurst Cemetery off of Adair Drive. Knox Co. Knoxville TN. Partial shade exposure Spring Feed Pond N36 01.357 W83 55.731 958 ft 10/9/2011).  There really wasn't any particular reason.  I used both plants "A" ( Plant A . Amblestegium sp. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/9/2011)
and "B" (Plant B. Utricularia gibba L. Flowering plant. A carnivous plant. Original material from south shore of Spain Lake (N 35o55 12.35" W088o20' 47.00), Camp Bella Air Rd. East of Sparta Tn. in White Co. and grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building. The University of Tennessee. Knox Co. Knoxville TN.) in my aquarium, and other than looking at the bladder structures, I didn't see anything too "special" about them yet.   I observed very few organism, but I did see at least two different kinds.  One appeared to be unicellular and moved VERY quickly.  I used one of the recommended websites and I think it might possibly be a protozoa, more specifically a Colep  (http://www.microscopyu.com/moviegallery/pondscum/index.html).  The other organanism was "hiding" in the top of the mud at the bottom, so I didn't get a very good look at it.  I did note that it appeared to be much larger (multicellular?) than the presumed-to-be Coleps, and more elongated.  I think it may be some type of insect larvae.  I guess I'll find out soon enough!