When I first looked at my Micro-Aquarium, I noticed that it still had air bubbles around the plants. I also noticed that the water level seems to have gone down a bit.
As I started at the bottom, near the soil area, I saw 4-5 of the same worm-like organisms that I have seen the last two observations. I attempted to get a photo but they were still moving too fast. There seems to be more of these than I had previously noticed. I could not identify them without a still picture but believe they are nematodes.. Again, I saw a great deal of the algae and oscillatoria from the last couple weeks.
I saw many clear blobs with flagella and a couple fast moving rotifers. I didn't find anything new until the end of my observation period. At that point I noticed a clear, amoeboid structure with cilia all around it. It was very still and then suddenly darted out of view. I was able to locate it and noticed it had a vacuole that was pulsing in the lower region. We were able to identify it as a Cyclidium from Fig. 331, on page 149 of:
Patterson DJ. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa. Manson Publishing Ltd: London: 1992.
Most of the action in my Micro-Aquarium has slowed down and the organisms are eating each other. The Vorticella and Difflugia that I previously observed could not be found and the numbers of other unidentified organisms has diminished. This source of water held many different types of organisms and forms of biological diversity.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
November 2, 2010
When I observed my Micro-Aquarium this week, I first noticed that air bubbles were all around the plants I added last week. I determined that this was Oxygen being released by the plants. I also noticed a blue tint of cyanobacteria all around the area where the food pellet had been.
When I placed the Micro-Aquarium under the microscope I noticed immediately that the huge numbers of organisms I observed last week were no longer present. The hundreds of clear, bouncing organisms must have consumed each other as their food source disappeared.
I did observe a great deal of algae. I saw a great deal of long skinny threads that looked like noodles or worms. I was able to identify them as oscillatoria from the following source:
Forest HS. Handbook of Algae. Knoxville(TN): The University of Tennessee Press: 1954. 381.
I saw many diatoms that were non-motile. I also saw unicelluar blobs with vacuoles. I could only locate one of the several Vorticella that were seen the last two weeks. It was spinning very quickly. I saw many of the Difflugia that I had previously observed, but they were not moving this time. I did see the wormlike organism that we thought could be a Nemotode last week. He was still moving too quickly to be identified.
Overall, this week's observation was a lot less active than last week's. The food pellet that caused such a huge increase in population is now exhausted and the organisms have eaten each other up. They seem to all be slowing down and disappearing.
When I placed the Micro-Aquarium under the microscope I noticed immediately that the huge numbers of organisms I observed last week were no longer present. The hundreds of clear, bouncing organisms must have consumed each other as their food source disappeared.
I did observe a great deal of algae. I saw a great deal of long skinny threads that looked like noodles or worms. I was able to identify them as oscillatoria from the following source:
Forest HS. Handbook of Algae. Knoxville(TN): The University of Tennessee Press: 1954. 381.
I saw many diatoms that were non-motile. I also saw unicelluar blobs with vacuoles. I could only locate one of the several Vorticella that were seen the last two weeks. It was spinning very quickly. I saw many of the Difflugia that I had previously observed, but they were not moving this time. I did see the wormlike organism that we thought could be a Nemotode last week. He was still moving too quickly to be identified.
Overall, this week's observation was a lot less active than last week's. The food pellet that caused such a huge increase in population is now exhausted and the organisms have eaten each other up. They seem to all be slowing down and disappearing.
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