Week #1 MicroAquarium™ set up.

 

This week in my Botany 111 lab, we started our class term project, which this week consisted of setting up little glass tanks called MicroAquariums™. The MicroAquariums™ are relatively simple in structure, about 2x3 inches in size and made of glass and silicone. Tiny lids and stands keep the aquarium upright and prevent water loss.

 The first thing we did was to label our aquarium with colored dots the represented our lab section, the table we sat at, and which seat we sat in at the table. We then wrote our initials on the dots to make sure that we would be able to identify our own aquarium. There were 12 different water samples laid out in dishes around the lab tables and we were instructed to choose one and fill it partially with sediment from the sample and the rest of the way with water.  

The water I chose for my MicroAquarium™ was drawn from the 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 10/9/2011. (McFarland, 2012). I chose this particular sample because I live next to a section of the Holston River. It is the source of my town’s tap water and I thought it might be interesting, (or maybe scary) to see what sort of micro-organisms live in there.

The next thing we did was to insert two different types of plants into the aquarium. The two types of plants were as follows:

·         Plant A . Amblestegium sp. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/9/2011. (McFarland, 2012).

·         Plant B. Utricularia gibba L. Flowering plant. A carnivous 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. (McFarland, 2012)

I put a third type of plant into my MicroAquarium™ at the suggestion of my instructor. This plant was called Myriophyllum Spicatum, and was taken also from the Holston River; again, along John Sevier Hwy under I 40 Bridge Partial shade exposure Holston River water Shed N36 00.527 W83 49.549 823 ft 10/9/2011. (McFarland, 2012).

Our MicroAquariums™ were now completely set up and the final step for that day was observation. We placed the aquarium under microscopes and looked around in our newly created ecosystems for signs of life.  Under such low magnification it was difficult to see much, but there were a few fast moving dots I took to be the first inhabitants of my MicroAquarium™. I cannot wait to view the aquarium and keep track of the growth, life, and death of the microscopic organisms within it over the next few weeks, and will continue to blog about its progress.

Bibliography:

1.      McFarland K. 2012. Botany 111 Fall. [internet]. September 2012. Available from: http://botany1112012.blogspot.com/