I set up my MicroAquarium™ (M.A.). To find out more about exactly what a M.A. is, check the tab on the right side of my blog. To do this, the first thing I had to decided was what water source I was going to choose for my M.A. I was given the choice of choosing from Twelve different water sources. I chose my water source from the Fountain City duck pond. I chose this water source because I frequent the park around the pond, and wanted to see what microscopic life was taking place below the water. I posted some additional information on my water source on the right side of my blog page. In the next entry I will discuss what steps I took to set up my M.A.
After I had selected my water source, I used a water dropper to draw up water from a large bowl containing the pond water. I filled up the first 1/3 of my M.A. with water from the bottom of the bowl. I made sure to draw up a little mud and sediment with my water. I did this because many micro-organisms enjoy living in the sediment and mud at the bottom of a pond. Next, filled up the middle 1/3 with water from the middle of the bowl, and then the top 1/3 with water I skimmed off the surface of the water.
After I had selected my water source, I used a water dropper to draw up water from a large bowl containing the pond water. I filled up the first 1/3 of my M.A. with water from the bottom of the bowl. I made sure to draw up a little mud and sediment with my water. I did this because many micro-organisms enjoy living in the sediment and mud at the bottom of a pond. Next, filled up the middle 1/3 with water from the middle of the bowl, and then the top 1/3 with water I skimmed off the surface of the water.
I next inserted two species of aquatic plant material into my M.A. The plant I placed on the right was Amblystegium sp. This is a aquatic moss that was collected on 10/9/2011, from a natural spring at Carters Mill Park in Knox Co., TN. I have included further information about this plant and where it was collected in the tab on the right under the photo.
The second plant, which I placed on the left side of my M.A., was Utricularia gibba. This is a flowering carnivous plant that was originally collected from Spain Lake, in White Co., TN. The collected species was then grown in water tanks, outside of the Hesler Biology Building at The University of Tennessee untila sample was collected for this experiment. I also have included further information about this plant and where it was collected in the tab on the right hand side of the page.
The reason I added plant life to my M.A. was to oxygenate the water. Oxygen is essential for the micro-organisms living in the M.A. to survive.
(Sources at bottom of blog)
(Sources at bottom of blog)
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