We set up the micro aquarium by first obtaining two (approximately 5x8) glass pieces which were a few millimeters apart. They were glued together on all but on side, allowing water to enter the aquarium. Next three colored dots were placed on the upper left hand corner of the aquarium (running in vertical fashion) indicating specific group, table, and seat numbers. This is a way to identify which aquarium belongs to what person. After selecting which water source I wanted, I suctioned a sample of water and soil from water source 2 using a pipet and released it into the aquarium. I added a small level of soil to the aquarium and filled the aquarium 2/3 of the way full. I left about 2 centimeters of space unfilled to allow me to add two different plants (A and B). I placed plant A on the right side of the aquarium and plant B on the left. After the plants were added, I added more water from source 2 so that I had only 1 centimeter or air space. I then added a clay like substance to lid which will be placed on the top (the opening) of the aquarium. The clay acts as a glue to hold the lid in place. Finally there was a stand given to me in order to allow the aquarium to stand upright. Both the lid and the stand were made of the same material as the aquarium.
The source of my water came from the French Broad River: Further information is provided below to serve as a reference:
French Broad River Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, Kelly Lane , Knox Co. Tennessee. Partial shade exposure French Broad River Water Shed N35 56.742 W83 41.628 841 ft 10/10/2010
Plant A’s identifying information is provided below:
Fontinalis 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. 10/10/2010
Plant B’s identifying information is provided below:
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.
I observed the aquarium first with the 4x objective on the microscope. Today I saw a nematode. It looked like a worm and moved at a rapid pace. I also saw what is called a vorticella. The nematode was noticeably longer than the vorticella. The vorticella looks like a bell with a long handle. It also has cilia. In addition to these organisms I noticed extremely small organisms which could barely be seen with the 4x objective. These were extremely fast and hard to locate using the 10x objective. I am unsure of its name. Lastly I noticed an organism which was about the same size as the vorticella. It looked like a fat inchworm.
Citation:
Botany 111 2010. "An inquiry into the dynamic microorganisms in our environment.”Last modified October 4, 2010.
http://botany1112010.blogspot.com/.
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