Week 5

This is the final week of observation and many changes have occurred since the initial observation. The largest observational differences has been in the growth and development of the plants that have been placed in the micro aquarium. In the five weeks of observation it has doubled its size and greatly influenced the habitat in the micro aquarium. In this final week of observations it is apparent that many life forms have developed in the micro aquarium. In this last week it seems that the most present kind of organism is the stationary Green Algae. In the previous weeks it seemed that the most abundant organisms were the mobile micro organisms but green algae have taken over. The mobile organisms that are still present seem to be located around the plant structures. The plants may play a role in sheltering the organisms as well as possibly providing nutrients to survive. Since the micro aquarium is a closed environment the nutrients available must come from photosynthetic organisms.

Smith, Douglas. Freshwater Invertibrates of The United States. 4th. Print. 

Week 4

 Image 1: Copepoda ( 489 Smith)

 This week there was an apparent increase in the level of activity in the mobile organisms in the micro aquarium. This continued growth could still be attributed to the addition of the food pellet that would add nutrients to the environment and spur growth. The two plant species have also appeared to have some level of growth. These plants obviously play an important role in this ecosystem because most of the activity of the mirco organisms tend to be centered around the plant

Image 2: Diatom (Lund)

 structure. As always both chorophyll containing organims as well as clear mobile organisms were observed.

A new organims that was observed was an Aeolosoma. this organism was one of the largest mobile organisms that were present in the micro aquarium so far. food for them is taken in through their head muscles and use of cilia (276 Smith).


Organisms shown in image 2 and 3 are both photosynthetic. You can deduce this because of the green pigment found in both, that is the   

Image 3: Netrium (Lund 53)

chlorophyll. The organism found in image 2 is a Diatom. Diatoms have a silica outer shell that is often found on the bottoms of water sources after the organism dies. The organism in image 3 is a green algae. Both of these organism play a major in the micro aquarium ecosystem.










Smith, Douglas. Freshwater Invertibrates of The United States. 4th. Print. 

Lund, John. Fresh Water Algae. Hong Kong: Biopress Ltd., 1995. Print.