Monday, October 28, 2013



2nd Observation: Thursday, October 24
 This was the second time observing the micro-aquarium. I placed it under the microscope, and the water level seemed to have remained the same within the week. I began observing and looking for larvae like creature I had observed last week, but I was not able to find it. I did however, observe an organism with a small elliptical body, multicellular, with two flagella protruding from what seemed to be the head of the organism. It moved in a steady somewhat slow motion, without whipping or darting characteristics. It seemed to swim close to the Amblestegium varium (Hedwig) Lindberg. Moss as if it was taking cover or looking for food. This organism was identified by Professor McFarland as Cyclops sp. (McFarland, 2013). The Amblestegium varium had a stringy fibrous looking brown plant matter growing on it that was not observed last time. Further question as to what this could be. The sediment layer in the bottom was observed, and fast moving round organisms with a single whipping flagella and small appendages that resembled a crab were observed but unidentified, but most certainly heterotrophic and multicellular, maybe belonging to the diatoms. A number of rod-like chloroplast containing tubules were observed growing in various locations amongst the aquarium, these tubules were immobile and seemed to grow from the tip like a stem, they were unidentified but will be during the next observation. Dead organisms could be found throughout the aquarium, some single, and some multicellular. One organism was being eaten from the inside by single-celled organisms, identified as Amoeba sp. (McFarland, 2013). The plants seem to be growing well and are stable in their new environment.
A food pellet was added my Professor McFarland,  "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%.

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