Time for a Census

This week, as a observed the aquarium, I noticed that the soil and water levels had continued to decrease.  I added more added more distilled water to compensate.  Also this week, I decided to count some of the organisms that I have already identified.  I could have very well missed a few, but I counted 5 nauplii, 6 annelids, 8 nematodes, and 3 cyclopes.  I was somewhat surprised by the numerical count of the various organisms in the aquarium.  But, it is considered it to be an empire, so I shouldn't be too surprised by its population.  There are also an extensive amount of various paramecium.  I also identified a species of rotifer.  I have been seeing this organism making its way around town frequently in the past, and I finally resolved to identify it.  It is a Lepadella ovalis (Donner 18).  It is a oval shaped organism with a whip-like, pointed tail structure with two eyes.


Reference for Identification:
Donner, Josef. Rotifers. London: Fredrick Warn & Co. Ltd., 1968. 18.

In the Soil

This week, there was a great decrease in the water level within the aquarium.  Distilled water was added to make up the difference.  Upon first looking in the aquarium, I didn't notice much vivacity.  I did observe a noticeable decrease in the amount of soil at the bottom of the MicroAquarium.  This is where I found most of the live organisms.  My hypothesis for the reason why most of them were congregated at the bottom on the soil is because they were feeding from the nutrients.  The decrease amount of soil made it easier for me to see the organisms that migrated to the bottom.  I saw four nematodes, one of which was dancing violently.  I also saw 2 more nauplii and various species of paramecium.  One in particular that I noticed a great deal of was Paramecium bursaria (Patterson 143).  I first thought that it was some kind of colonial green algae, but found it to be something very different upon research.  It seems to me that the aquatic empire might be dwindling and fighting for a robust and thriving existence.  This could be because of the evaporation of water, diminishing food supply (or at least not quite as copious as it once was), or the fact that this water sample was taken from the polluted water from the Tennessee River right near a sewer plant.

Reference for Identification:
Patterson, D.J. "Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa." New York: Manson Publishing, 1998. 143.