Day 21 - 7 November 2012

7 Nov 2012 - Today I went into view my aquarium, a day later than normal, and I'm glad I didn't wait longer as the water level was much lower than normal.  I topped it off and all is well.  I had a lot of activity in the aquarium.  I saw many of Rotifers and Stentors clumped together, almost in what looked like little colonies.  The Rotifers are a lot shyer than the Stentors.  The Loxophyllium, see picture in last weeks post, were everywhere today.  They seem to be multiplying at a very fast rate.  I saw some much larger than the one last week and then some very small, young ones.  They are obviously enjoying their environment.  Also, the Actinosphaerium sp. have significantly increased (or maybe I'm better at focusing!). Most of what I saw I have seen before, but the number and their increased movement is fascinating to watch.  I believe the food additive has gave them some vital nutrients they were lacking the first week.  I think the organisms are busy creating a sustainable environment.

Picture 1.  Euplotes sp. Page 124, Fig 261 (Patterson, 1996)

In addition to my regular organisms, I saw quite a few new ones.  A few Diatoms, which look like the Diatom cybella on the poster in the lab room, a nematode who looked like he was tangled in some mold hyphae, but Dr. McFarland stated that was the way they investigate their surroundings, and what looked like a family of Euplotes sp.  (Patterson, 1996).  Watching the way this group of four moved around each other and through the water was interesting.  These little guys are Protist with motor cilia in a line from the front of the cell to the cytostome (Patterson 1996).  It still amazes me that I can see through their "bodies" and see what's going on inside and under it.  I didn't take any pictures this week, it was late and I as ready to call it a day.  I took a picture of Figure 261, Euplotes, from Patterson's book "Free-living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide."  Some other organisms that Dr. McFarland found were an Amoeba, which he state just "oozes" around, and a Difflugia, which is an ugly gritty looking Amoeba (Patterson, 1996), nothing like the pretty ooze Dr. McFarland found almost immediately after finding this one.  That's about it for today's viewing.  I hope to take a picture of the nematode next week, until then!

Bibliography:
Patterson DJ. 1996. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide. Washington DC: ASM Press. 19 and 124 p.