Set-up and Observation #1

Set-up

     First, I obtained a MicroAquarium, with a base and a lid. Next I color-coded my tank to my specific section, table, and seat number with small colored stickers. This code is to keep record of everyone's individual aquaria. 

     I then selected a water source, the French Broad River at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, in Knox county, TN.  I should mention that there were 13 total water samples, collected by the instructor, and each student was to choose one. In order to collect a decent stratification of organisms and sediment, I drew one pipette full of water from the sediment, injected it into my aquarium, then repeated that process from the top of the water sample, and the middle. Then I added live Plant A (Fontinalis sp. Moss) and live Plant B (Utricularia gibba L.) Which is an insectivorous plant. The plant material is useful in oxygenating the small habitat.

Observation

     Now, with all samples inside my aquarium, I flipped the tank onto its side and onto the mechanical stage of the lab microscope. The water stays inside the tiny tank, how cool! I powered on the microscope, and starting with the 4x lens, I began observing. There was plenty to see at this level of magnification, the first (mobile) object I viewed was clear, long, shaped like an okra, and was moving smoothly into a clump of brown sediment. At the 10x magnification, I saw many ciliates, mostly clear, but I am not able to identify these yet. I was very excited to see two colonies of bacillaria diatoms (carpenter's rulers), the first colony I watched was condensing and expanding and seemed to be clinging to some plant material.

     Check back next week and I will have more observations and identifications to share.