My Micro Aquarium Setup and Observation #1

Drew Bogert

Blog #1

MicroAquarium Observation #1

        To start my MicroAquarium, Dr. McFarland gave me a base, an aquarium, and a cap. We were instructed to put paper sticker dots that correlated to lab section, table number, and seat number. After this, we wrote our initials on this stickers. On each table, there was a bowl of water (total of 12). Each bowl was from a different water source around the Knoxville TN area. I chose bowl number 6, which came from "Spring Creek running through Dean's Woods Road frontage" (McFarland, 2013). After we chose which water source we preferred, we used a pipette to put 1/8th of an inch our sediment and filled our aquarium 3/4s of the way full of the water source. After this, we had the choice of 3 different mosses to add the aquarium. I chose to add the following 3 mosses:

       1.    Amblestegium varium (Hedwig) Lindberg. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/13/2013

                                             (McFarland, 2013)

      2.    Utricularia gibba L. Flowering plant. A carnivorous plant. Original material from south shore of Spain Lake (N 35o55 12.35" W088o20' 47.00), Camp Bella Air Rd. East of Sparta Tn. in White Co. and grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building. The University of Tennessee. Knox Co. Knoxville TN. 10/13/2013

                                            (McFarland, 2013)

     3.    Fontinalis sp. Moss.  Collected from: Holston River along John Sevier Hwy under I 40 Bridge Partial shade exposure Holston River water Shed N36 00.527 W83 49.549 823 ft 10/13/2013

                                            (McFarland, 2013)





     
         After placing three pieces of three different mosses in my MicroAquarium, I took the aquarium and set it under a microscope. While observing it for just under 20 minutes, I saw a nematode. Dr. McFarland clarified that it was a younger nematode because its movements were so spastic and quick. By this time, my lab time ended, and I had to leave. We were instructed to cap our MicroAquariums and set them in a plastic container.

Finished MicroAquarium

Bibliography:  McFarland, Kenneth [Internet] Botany 111 Fall 2013. [cited 23 October 2013 ]. Available          from http://botany1112013.blogspot.com/