MicroAquarium Observations on 10/27/11

   While visiting my MicroAquarium this week, I noticed a dramatic increase in activity and movement.  My MicroAquarium was full of life; I could see small microorganisms swimming around in all different directions and at varying speeds.  I also noticed a large increase in the diversity of life that was present.  There was a reason for this substantial increase in activity in my MicroAquarium.  On October 21st, one Beta Food Pellet was added to the watery matrix.  The following is information on the Beta Food Pellet: "Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%.
   As I was looking through the microscope, I observed that there seemed to be more activity in the middle area of the MicroAquarium where the plant material is located and on the bottom layer where the soil is positioned.  Around the plant material, I saw many large animal-like organisms ingesting the leaves of the Amblestegium sp. moss.  Upon further observation, I noticed that they were the same rotifers I saw from last week, yet they had dramatically multiplied in numbers.  With the help of Dr. McFarland and the 4th edition of Pennak's Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States: Porifera to Crustacea, I was able to confirm that the organisms I was observing were indeed rotifers, Euchlanis sp. (Figure 1).  These rotifers have tail-like structures and a large mouth for consuming organic matter (Smith 2001).  More Vorticella sp. were also thriving in my MicroAquarium this week; around 20 organisms were present.  While continuing to scan my aquarium, I made an amazing discovery.  Along the edges of my aquarium, I saw a green sphere with spike-like filaments protruding from it.  According to Guide to Microlife, these creatures were Actinosphaerium sp. (Figure 2).  One of the Actinosphaerium sp. I saw was actually ingesting some foreign material using one of its large vacuoles, according to Dr. McFarland (Figure 3).



Figure 1 (Corresponds to figure 7.2 on page 131 in the 4th edition of Pennak's Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States: Porifera to Crustacaea)



Figure 2 (Corresponds to Image 21 on page 82 in Guide to Microlife)



Figure 3 (Corresponds to Image 21 on page 82 in Guide to Microlife)

   I also saw a nematode moving around in my MicroAquarium along with some more Notosolenus sp.  One organism that caught my attention was the Euplotes sp. because of the cilia that was moving in circles on the bottom of its transparent body (Figure 4).  I could see the inner workings of its body, which was absolutely fascinating.  Dr. McFarland and I were able to identify this species and another organism called a Lembadion sp. using the text Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa.  The Lembadion sp. was swimming in fast circles while moving from one area to the next in the MicroAquarium (Figure 5).  I'm very interested in seeing what new organisms I will view next week in my MicroAquarium!



Figure 4 (Corresponds to Figure 259 on page 124 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa)




Figure 5 (Corresponds to Figure 319 on page 144 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa)



10/18/11 MicroAquarium Observations and Discoveries

For my first week of observations, I witnessed a thriving ecosystem in my MicroAquarium.  It was amazing to see the diversity of life that was already present in my MicroAquarium.  While looking through the microscope, I noticed subtle movements around the plant and soil material.  By increasing the magnification, I saw an organism that moved in a wave-like fashion around the surface of the soil; it looked as though it was consuming the soil and swimming in circles.  Upon closer observation, I could see that it had a split tail and a large mouth.  I asked Dr. McFarland what I was seeing, and he said that this creature was a rotifer, and they tend to be hard to photograph.  According to the University of California Museum of Paleontology's website found at www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/rotifera/rotifera.html, rotifers are microscopic animals that are often found in freshwater and feed on organic matter.  I also had the opportunity to see various ciliates present in my MicroAquarium.
 Around the middle section of my aquarium, I also saw quite a few flagellates present.  These organisms tend to move in either a whip-like fashion with their flagella or they use their flagella to pull themselves along in their environment.  The flagellate I saw had one long, straight flagella and a shorter flagella that was more curved in its shape (See Figure 1). The smaller flagella is hard to see in the photograph, but through the microscope, it was perfectly visible.  These flagellates were huddled around a certain area in the MicroAquarium (Figure 2).   With the help of Dr. McFarland and the book Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide, we were able to identify the flagellate as a member of the Notosolenus genus; a similar picture was present in this book as Image #79.  We suspected it was a Notosolenus sp. because it was able to pull itself along with its flagella after mating with another flagellate.  Its second, smaller flagella was stationary through this movement.  A closer view of the main body of the Notosolenus sp. is available for viewing in Figure 3.

Lastly, I saw a beautiful organism called a Vorticella (Figure 4).  We were also able to identify this organism using the text mentioned earlier; a picture of a Vorticella was found as Image #232 in this text.  This organism resembles a blooming aquatic flower.  I discovered a useful website called Buzzle.com located at http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vorticella-facts.html,  that explained some interesting facts about the Vorticella. Vorticella are attached to a substrate by a stalk that can contract in order to capture food that is passing by it (BILW 2011).  It is amazingly quick, and is able to detach itself from its substrate whenever environmental conditions are unfavorable (BILW 2011).  Hopefully, I'll be able to view even more organisms in my MicroAquarium next week and check on the possible changes that have occurred in the organisms I have already discovered!




Figure 1 (Corresponds to Image #79 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide)

 


Figure 2 (Corresponds to Image # 79 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide)

 


Figure 3 (Corresponds to Image # 79 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide)

 


Figure 4 (Corresponds to Image # 232 in Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide)

 

MicroAquarium Overview, Initial Setup, Water Source, and First Observations

Throughout the rest of the semester, I will be observing a MicroAquarium that I constructed in Biology 111 (Botany) with the help of lab director, Dr. Kenneth McFarland.  The purpose of these observations is to explore an area that is not always apparent to us, the microscopic world.  This realm is full of interesting organisms which serve different and unique roles in our environment.  I have the opportunity to investigate the inhabitants of my MicroAquarium and conduct research on their unique features, habitats, and activities.

In order to set up the MicroAquarium, I had to label one side of the aquarium glass with 3 colored dots for future identification. I applied putty to the lid of my MicroAquarium, so that the lid could be securely placed on the aquarium in order to prevent water evaporation.  I had the opportunity of selecting water samples from 13 different water sources.  I choose to put a sample from the French Broad River water shed at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge from Kelly Lane, Knox County, Tennessee in my MicroAquarium.  This water was exposed to partial shade and contained the Cladophora sp. alga in the family Cladophoraceae.  I also added Amblestegium sp. moss collected from a natural spring at Carters Mill Park on Carter Mill Road in Knox County, Tennessee along with Utricularia gibba L., a flowering carnivorous plant found on Camp Bella Air Rd. in White County into my MicroAquarium.  The Utricularia gibba L. plant sample was grown in water tanks outside of  a greenhouse located by the Hesler Biology Building at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Our lab class was also required to obtain soil from our water sample bowls to be placed as a thin layer in our MicroAquariums, so that we could see potential microorganisms living in the soil.

After my MicroAquarium was correctly assembled, I placed it under a microscope in order to view its contents.  While looking at the Utricularia gibba L. plant,  I noticed something moving around in one of its "bladders."  There was a small, round organism bouncing around against the walls of the bladder.  It looked as though it was trying to excape from the bladder.  After viewing this amazing discovery, I asked Nick Buckley, a graduate student, about what was occurring.  He said that this microorganism was able to enter the bladder's membrane, but that it couldn't get out due to the membrane's cell structure.  I also saw a larger organism with wings and cilia crawling up the Amblestegium sp. moss.  Hopefully during future observations, I will be able to identify these interesting creatures and discover many more.