Last Week of the "MicroAquarium" Project

(a) Nematode

 The nematode was a member of my aquarium, this nematode spend most of its time around the bottom part of the aquarium, close to the soil but during my observation I noticed the nematode swimming around the middle of the aquarium. Nematode worms have round elongate bodies that usually taper nearly to a point at both ends. Unlike flatworms, they have no cilia. The body is enclosed in a tough cuticle. Just under the epidermal layer of the body wall are bundles of longitudinal muscles; there are no circular muscles. The lack of circular muscle and the stiff cuticle severely limit the types of movements possible for the worms, and they usually thrash about in what appears to be a random and inefficient manner (keeton).

Nematodes are extremely abundant, and occur in almost every type of habitat. Of the many free-living in soil or water, most are very tiny, often microscopic. A single spadeful of garden soil may contain a million or more, and a bucket of water from a pond usually contains comparable numbers. many of the nematodes are internal parasites on both plants and animals; these also are often small, but some may attain a length of 3 feet or more (Keeton).


Citation:

Keeton, W.  Biological Science pg 176

Week #4 MicroAquarium Project

Stenostomun sp.

This week was extremely interesting. There was a lot of different activities going on in the aquarium and with the help of Mr. Kenneth Mcfarland I was able to identify the variety of organisms in the aquarium. I was able to observed many different activities compare to last week. First, I noticed a lot of floating debris in the bottom part of the aquarium (maybe dead organisms). There is also a large amount of small organisms moving very fast they almost look like invisible thread. There is also a large amount of cyanobacteria as well. I took both of these pictures they are identified as Stenostomun. This organism "Stenostomun" is pretty big compare to other organisms within my aquarium, like rotifers, snails and others. What caught my attention about this organism was the big spot in the middle. My first guess was that the organism had digested several organisms or that it was pregnant.  Although I observe the stenostomum digesting different parts like algea and other organisms, I was not sure of what it was. I did notice that this particular organism was very active on one side of the aquarium, to be specific, I only saw it near plant B. There are several Stenostomum in my aquarium but only one with this black spot in the center or almost the center. "Hypodermic impregnation appears to be the role in Stenostomun. A single egg is ripened in each ovary during the reproductive season. It is fertilized inside the body and is liberated to the outside by a rapturing of the body wall" (Smith, Pottswald). The movement is medium motion but steady and hardly stood still. From what I have observed in last few weeks, this is the largest organism in my aquarium with waters from the Holston River. There are several snails but they do not wonder around much as does the Stenostomun. The snails spend a long time on the same spot and they seem to be hungry always. Also, they are more frequent in the middle of the aquarium. Overall, my aquarium seems to have a variety of organisms and I have to agree that it is a whole new world after observing my aquarium under a microscope. This is something that needs to be seen to believe it. I never thought that so many small organisms could be in such a small amount of water and be able to live and hunt for food. Inside that aquarium lives a whole different world.


Citation:

Smith D. Pennak's Freshwater invertebrates of the US, 4th ed. pg 89

Ward H. Freshwater Biology pg 336

MicroAquarium Week 3

This week was an interesting one. First, Betta food pellets were added to the MicroAquarium. The name of the food is "Atison's Betta food" and is made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americans, 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% (McFarland). During the week, after the food was added to the aquarium the activity inside multiplied. There are many more tiny organisms moving very fast and also a lot of green algae or some kind of fungal growth composed of many filaments. I also notice an increase of actinosphaerium, rotifers, and snails, ciliates, heliozoans, flagellates, and many protozoa. The picture below show a snail feeding on plant B. I noticed many snails around plant B as well. They love to hang around and feed. I think the snails are the one watching and keeping everything under control inside the Aquarium.   

This one I just noticed and I am working on identifying him. I will get back to this one on Tuesday.

This guy here is not identify as of yet. i am not sure if a flatworm or a roundworm.

My view this week was very different to last week. Let me mention that the aquarium had less water inside, it is due to evaporation so I inserted some water to fill it up. I think that the process of putting the Betta food in the aquarium made everything gain strengh and all different kinds of organisims are appearing. The algae is also very big, it seems to be growing and growing, whcih is good because many of the organisms feed on dead plants, algae, and animal material.

Reference:

Patterson, D.J. Free Living Freshwater Protozoa, Washington D.C. Manson Publishing ltd. (1996).

Actinosphaerum

This is the video I mentioned on my last blog. This an Actinosphaerum digesting several rotifers. I noticed the activity after it has digest 3 and it was on the fourth. If you look closely you will be able to notice the last part of the rotifer being digested by the actinosphaerum. A Rotifer is a tiny multicellular aquatic animal of the Phylum Rotifera, having a wheel-like ring of cilia at their front end. The cilia traps small organisms for food. They are found in fresh and salt waters.

Week #2- MicroAquarium Project

Week 2

Actinosphaerium

My observations of the second week of my MicroAquarium project  is very interesting. First, I noticed the huge change in the amount of organisms in the aquarium, from snails, who were very active in digesting everything that came their way as well as many small organisms floating all over, especially around plant B.  The picture above is a multinucleated heliozoan that is related to Actinophrys. (Paterson, D.J. 1979). They are very small and are very common in fresh water as well as in lakes and rivers. They are unicellular and spherical in shape with a almost clear body and is filled with tiny vacuoles which assist in flotation. (Paterson, D.J. 1979). When I first noticed this organism I notice that it was moving very slow and at the same time it was digesting a piece of something, it almost looked like a vacuum. I actually took a video as it was happening, but I had trouble downloading it. As soon as get the problem fix, I will have it on my blog.  

Citation: 

Patterson, D.J. 1979. On the organization and classification of the protozoon, Actinophrys , microbios, p. 165-208.

MicroAquarium Project

An inquiry into the dynamic microorganisms in our environment.
On Wednesday 13, 2010, I started my MicroAquarium project and it will be a weekly process for the next five weeks. I placed 1/3 of water into the aquarium, the first water was taken from the bottom of the container #4 which is water from the Holston River located along the John Sevier river under I 40 bridge. After I placed the first 1/3 of water from the bottom, I took another 1/3 of water from the center of the container and placed it in the aquarium, after that i took the another 1/3 of water from the top of the container as well a two different plants. The plants are Labeled A and B. Plant A called Fontinalis and is a collection from Natural spring at Carters Mill Park, in Knox co. This particular plant is a partial shade exposure as well as the water from the Holston River. Plant B is called Utricularia Gibba, and is a flowering plant and carnivous. The original material is from south shore of Spain Lake, east of Sparta, TN. This particular plant is grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology building at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
After I placed the water together with the plants in the MicroAquarium I looked at it under a microscope and what I saw was incredible. First, I notice a very small almost transparent organism swimming back and forth in a very fast mode and when not moving, it was feeding on plant B. On plant B, I saw 2 small bubbles and inside it appears to be another bubble except the bubble inside was darker and between them I noticed very small particle moving around. I also saw a long organism moving very fast near plant A which I believe it is a mosquito larva. I also notice one organism very small with an oval shape to it and that organism was also feeding on plant B.
Citation:
Plant A . 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. 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.

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 10/10/2010