CG22's BLOG: Week 2: First Observations

This past week was the first open lab in which we were able to view organisms and find out what all we had in our MicroAquarium. Using the microscope I was able to find a lot of very different things. Some simple in shape and other surprisingly complicated for their relatively small size. In my MicroAquarium I had tons of Rotifers. From best I could see of these fast little guys I believe they were Rotifera Synchaeta. Also I saw many diatoms, mostly Pinnularia. The first thing I saw however was a large worm like thing, later identified to be a nematode. There were quite a few of them, especially up by the aquatic plant pieces. There were a number of photosynthetic microorganisms as well, including a few Spirogyra and a number of Desmatodes. After looking in one of the handbooks, I was able to conclude that the Desmatode I photographed was of SP. Pleurotaenium.

Also on Friday, Oct 22nd, all of the MicroAquariums were given one food pellet. It was a "Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%.