MicroAquarium Setup and Observation 1- Wed, Oct 11, 2009.

Setup:
The MicroAquarium included a bottom layer of muck a few millimeters thick topped by water to fill the MicroAquarium roughly 1/3 full, both layers from source 5: Meads Quarry (Island Home Ave, Knox Co. Tennessee Partial shade exposure Rock )*.

Two plants were included into the micro environment at the middle layer of water. On the left side of the viewing plate is Plant A, Amblystegium varium, collected from Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. On the right side is Plant B, a carnivorous plant grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building*.

*Ingredients and locations, http://botany1112009.blogspot.com/

The MicroAquarium was then filled to within millimeters of the top using the same water as before.

Observations:
In plants A and B, relatively tiny, flea-looking organisms were observed zooming around in squiggly paths.

Also observed in both plant regions were peppercorn -looking organisms, possibly Tardigrades (http://www.una.edu/faculty/microaquarium/Organisms.htm), that remained stationary.

Around Plant A specifically, larger insect-type organisms were present. They were tick-shaped, but spikier. In the region of plant B particularly, were slow-moving sluggy things that may have been Ciliates (http://www.una.edu/faculty/microaquarium/Organisms.htm).