October 20, 2009 micro-aquarium set up

Today I started my Micro-Aquarium. Dr. McFarland took me and another guy out to the greenhouse to collect our samples. To start off our sources, we first went to a cold water tank and collected. Next, we got samples from a warm water tank and we also got our first piece of algae from this tank. We then went to a cold water aquarium and got samples. After that, we went outside of the greenhouse and collected rainwater samples that filled a pot; both were cold water. We also ate cranberries that Dr. McFarland gave us. Then we went over to the other side of the greenhouse(still outside) and collected water from one more cold water tank.

Once back in the lab, I placed the other piece of algae that all the other students had in their aquariums in mine. I added a pellot of beta fish food. I suspended that also in the middle of the aquarium under the algae. One of my first observations under the observation microscope was that much of the sediment had settled to the bottom and I could see many different types of organisms moving around rapidly. I think it had to do a little with the heat of the bulb on the water and most of the organisms were used to a colder temperature. Either way, there were many different types of organisms present. I saw many different types of algae, annelids, and I think even didinium which were very small compared to most others.