Week 4

The aquarium revealed much more decay than in the previous weeks. Life in the aquarium seems to be depleting but is still a ways from absent.

The larger organisms seem to have eaten away at many of the smaller organisms and the living plants within the aquarium.

Many of the decay has accumulated at the bottom of the aquarium and life still seems to be most present in the lower regions.

There are still algeas thriving such as:
Spiragyra sp. (Prescott)

and Mougeotia sp. (Prescott)

Smaller organisms like Euplotes sp. (Pennak) and Halteria sp. (Pennak) are still roaming the aquarium but as food runs out they become more a target for the larger organisms.

Bibliography:

Pennak R. Fresh Water Invertebrates of the United States. New York. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Prescott G.W.. The Fresh Water Algae. Dubugue, Iowa. W.M.C Brown Company Publishers. 

The third week seemed to hold much more larger organisms. It seemed as if the larger organisms had been feeding on the smaller species and depleting them in numbers.

Some of the larger organisms I observed were:

Aeolosomun sp. (Pennak pg.299)

Euchlanis sp. (Pennak pg.171)

Amoeba sp.

There were less but still a plenty of smaller organisms such as 

Euplotes sp. (Pennak pg.145)

The aquarium was also still plentiful in algae and diatoms such as

Mougeotia sp. (Prescott pg.102)

and 

Unnamed Diatom

There was is much more decay in the aquarium of things like leafs and dead organisms. The presents of algae seems to remain similar to the making of the aquarium, and the larger organisms seem to be flourishing while feeding on the smaller organisms, but they are still maintaining a relevant population. 

Bibliography:

Pennak R. Fresh Water Invertebrates of the United States. New York. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Prescott G.W.. The Fresh Water Algae. Dubugue, Iowa. W.M.C Brown Company Publishers. 

First Week Observations

After the first week my aquarium looked much more lively. There were small brown spots that covered the walls of my micro organism and there were many more single celled organisms like Halteria sp.,

and Paramecium sp.

The insect larva (Diptera) found during the first observation had grown substantially and were eating up some of the plant life that was placed in the aquarium. 

I observed different plant life providing support to the rest of the living organisms such as Spiragyra sp., 

 Surirella sp.,

and Mougeotia sp.

There were a lot more of the smaller single celled organisms, the same amount of bigger organisms like the Diptera, and some parts of the plants have started to decay, but there were not yet dead organisms laying in the dirt at the bottom. Most of the moving organisms have accumulated at the lower middle area of the aquarium. 

My micro aquarium was filled with water from sample 12: Water pool below spring. Fountain City Park west of Broadway at Hotel Ave. Knox Co. Knoxville TN. Full shade exposure Spring Feed Pond N36 02.253 W83 55.986 990 ft 10/9/2011

Plants Inserted were:
Fontinalis sp. Moss.  Collected from: Holston River along John Sevier Hwy under I 40 Bridge Partial shade exposure Holston River water Shed N36 00.527 W83 49.549 823 ft 10/13/2013

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. 10/13/2013

There were a few different organisms observed some being insect larva and other smaller creatures but the overall population was medium to low