October 24th---Second Observation

October 24th, 2013

Before viewing the micro aquarium under a microscope, I noticed that it had lost water and there were air bubbles scattered randomly throughout it. I also noticed that the plant samples in the micro aquarium are losing chlorophyll.

While using the microscope, I was able to find most of the organisms in the dirt at the bottom rather than near the plant samples possibly because they find more food in the dirt. I found two organisms around the two plant samples. I spotted a rotifer that was free swimming floating around a leaf and I spotted a worm-like larva attached to the stem of the hedwig. At the bottom, I found two more worm-like larvas, a dead rotifer, an arthropod that resembled a flea, a water bear, and a gastrotrich eating a strand algae or maybe a disattached leaf.

Bibliography

McFarland, Kenneth [Internet] Botany 111 Fall 2013. [cited 10/24/13]. Available from http://botany1112013.blogspot.com/

Pennak, Robert W. 1989. Fresh-Water Invertebrates of the United States. 3rd ed. New York. Ronald Press Company

             
October 15--Setting up


               On October 15th I set up a micro aquarium. I filled the glass container with water that came from Third Creek in Tyson Park, in Knox county, Knoxville Tennessee under partial shade exposure. Collected at N3057 13.53 W83 5632.37 824 feet. Collect on October 14th, 2013 (McFarland, 2013). I took dirt from this water source and placed it at the bottom of my micro aquarium.
   
                Next I placed two plant samples. One was Amblestegium Varium, commonly known as Hedwig, Lindberg. This moss collection is from Natural Spring at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Rd, Knox County TN (McFarland, 2013) found in partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. October 13th, 2013 (McFarland, 2013). The second plant sample I added to the micro aquarium was Utricularia gibba L. Flowering plant. This was originally from Spain Lake (N 35o55 12.35 degrees W088o20 degrees 47.00) Camp Bella Air Rd. East of Sparta TN in White County (McFarland, 2013). This sample was taken from the Utricularia gibba grown in water tanks outside of the greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building. The University of Tennessee. Knox Co. Knoxville TN on October 13th, 2013 (McFarland, 2013).

This is a picture of what my micro aquarium after I had set it up. 

Once I had placed this under a light microscope using 10x I observed very few organisms. The first organism I identified was a hydra. Halfway across the aquarium from the hydra was a worm. Near this worm was a clearish brown tardigrade.