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MicroAquarium Observation 11.12.09/11.13.09


There are even more tinier microorganisms found in my aquarium upon the last observation, mostly ciliates, worms, and diatoms. Gastrotrichs are the most abundant aquatic animal spotted this week in my aquarium. Bacteria and algae, specifically green and blue green algae, have also taken over the aquarium.


As you can see in this photograph, cyanobacteria (the small blue green strands) fill the areas between the plants along with bursts of green algae. There were small signs of spirogyra also found in less abundant numbers than the other cyanobacteria and green algae.




Spirogyra can be seen among the brown dirt areas. Vorticella aren't as abundant as they were in the previous observations and instead the aquarium is overrun with bacteria and algae. There are also hundreds of tiny green pellets scattered about the aquarium, which could be bacteria. Although I assumed ostracods were mostly extinct from my aquarium, I found a few more than last time, even one lively one scooting along a stem of Plant B. I've discovered that there is much more variety in the new abundance of bacteria and algae than in the aquatic animals observed previously. The vorticella has mostly moved to the surface of the dirt rather than among the plant stems. Inside of the originally observed pods among the stems of Plant B there are hundred of small green wormlike creatures vibrating within the pod.


A (rotifer) that hasn't been spotted before was seen around Plant B, slow movement and a rotating mouth.






http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/smal1.html

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(vorticella)

MicroAquarium Observation 11.6.09

There was much decay and inactivity in my aquarium this week. Whether I missed an opportunity to lend my aquarium additional water or nutrients or other aquariums simply had more fruitful water sources, mine appears to be either struggling to sustain its life or the more vibrant organisms witnessed earlier are simply making way for the blossoming more minuscule organisms. Although the chomping ostracods, who consume much more food than their tinier and much more abundant neighbors, the vorticella, and the dirt worms have appeared to diminish almost completely, there is a high amount of (new) smaller microorganisms. Most of these organisms appear to be tiny worms and other (possibly single-celled) aquatic animals floating around without a strong dependence on or connection to the plants. The dirt appears to be more sparse, the plants are browning and their leaves are decaying. There was one immobile ostracod spotted in contrast to the fifteen or so my aquarium began with. Numerous tiny paramecia dominate the water, not constricted to the area of one plant or the other, one of which (to be clearly identified in next observation) I witnessed consume a diatom. During observation of the vorticella, I caught sight of one that had detached from its stalk and floated into the dirt. (http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html) There were also a few amoebas spotted along Plant A.


(a lone ostracod near the bottom)



(recent evolution of Plant A, with hyphae-like apendages sprouting over the plant)


Source:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html

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MicroAquarium Observation 10.29.09
*included photographs are from last week, I could not make it to take pictures this time as it was quite busy.*

Complete water source information:
11. Fountain City Duck Pond. West of Broadway at Cedar Lane. Knox Co. Knoxville TN Full sun exposure. Spring Feed Pond N36 02.087 W83 55.967 963 ft 10/12/2009

In the third week of existence, there has been quite a bit of change and organisms in the MicroAquarium appear to be decaying. Plant B has expanded greatly across the left side of the MicroAquarium (even extending a stem out of the water at the top) while Plant A has remained the same size. There appears to be clods of debris (dirt? fungi?) in small clouds across the aquarium, near the plant stems and just above the dirt. There are small, short dark stems poking out from the dirt. The smallest mobile organisms observed previously (yet to be identified) are now much more mobile and numerous, swarming around the stems of Plant A, rather than hiding underneath leaves. (faintly pictured left)

Another observation yet to be identified are the acorn-like heads attached to long strings, which have now also greatly multiplied around plant A.

These ostracods were the most common organism found in my aquarium last week, but this week there were hardly any found. When once there were probably 10-15, there were probably about 5 now. And although this picture reveals them to be quite dark and spotted, they were more transparent last week when this was taken, but now resemble this photograph much more closely. They are also quite a bit less active and appear to be mostly stationary closer to the dirt. I was not able to locate this daphnia (which I'm sure did not actually consume this ostracod, it must be an illusion of the microscope!) in this photograph.

The leaves from the stems of plant A appear to be browning as the ostracods are, possibly decaying, with tiny circles at the end of the leaves. The previously illustrated purple pods have now mostly turned green and have evolved from their spherical shape into a more elongated, squished shape. The dirt at the bottom is more sparse and contains a few leaves fallen from the plants. The rotifer previously pictured living in the dirt was no longer found.