micro aquarium blog post 4

In my micro aquarium i used water source #6 which was spring water. I added Fontinalis moss that was collected from the Holston River. I also used Amblestegium barium Lindberg (Hedwig) which was collected in a natural spring. My aquarium was rather void of organisms due to the large carnivores that inhabit it. I did find some algae including this Amphora.

G. W. Prescott Ph.D. 1954. How to Know The Fresh Water Algae. Dubugue (Iowa): WM. C. Brown Company Publishers . 234 p.

I also discovered a Pleurotaenium, a type of desmid.

Ward Henry Bawldwin. Whipple George Chandler. 1918. Fresh Water Biology. Boston (MA): Stanbope Press. 80 p.

These were the only non carnivorous organisms that I discovered in my research. I had several cyclops and Aeososoma Ehrenberg's along with some insect larvae. One would have to believe that the carnivores are the reason for the lack of other smaller organisms. Here is a photo of an immature cyclops or nauplius.

Pennak Robert Ph.D. 1953. Fresh Water Invertebrates of the United States. New York (NY): The Ronald Press Company. 388 p.

Here is photo of one of the large insect larvae's tail that I discovered. The insect larvae is called a Chironomus and was very huge compared to anything else in the aquarium. I did not find a source for this picture.