Observations: Week of October 17

Observations made on October 21

I observed my MicroAquarium October 21 in the lab, using a compound light microscope. Many organisms were found in the water sample, both in open water and near the small samples of Amblestegium and Utricularia gibba. 
I observed some larger organisms. One was identified as Cyclops. 
Most organisms, however, were very small. These included:

• Stenostomum sp. - a species of flatworm
• Several of these flatworms were found in the upper layer of the soil substrate of the Mircoaquarium. They are quick moving, and can move in and out of the soil at will. 
• Heterophrys sp. - a freeliving freshwater protozoa
• These were found in the open water, moving at a mild rate. 
• Heterophrys was relatively abundant in the sample.
• Aelosoma sp. - a member of the class Annelida
• These annelids were found, as the flatworm, in the substrate and the water suspended directly above it. They are a motile species.
• Fewer Aelosoma were found than Stenostomum. 
• Epalxis sp. 
• These microorganisms were found just above the substrate. They are motile, and move rapidly via long tendrils or cilia. 
• Only a couple Epalxis were found in the MircoAquarium.

and some other species of paramecium. 

Photographs of these organisms have yet to be processed, but will be properly identified and labeled in the coming week. 

Many other small, moving organisms were present in the Mircoaquarium, as well as some more stationary organisms. 

Additionally, I added distilled water to the sample to replace the water that had evaporated from the tank.