My Omnipotence: Week 1

On 10/16/2013 I created my own MicroAquarium™. I started with a clean MicroAquarium™ and first applied a series of identification tags to the upper right corner. These identifications will allow me to distinguish my MicroAquarium™ from the plethora of others that surround it. I was allowed to choose from 12 different water sources collected by our lab professor. I selected water source sample #7. The details of this water sample are listed below:

Third Creek at Tyson Park. Knox Co. Knoxville TN Partial shade exposure. N30 57 13.53 W83 56 32.37 824 ft. 10/14/2013 (Mcfarland, 2013)

 I used a pipette to suction samples from the bottom, middle, and surface of water source sample #7. I then carefully added this suctioned water to my MicroAquarium™ until it was about 1/3 inch from the top. One settled, my MicroAquarium™ had a few cm of debris on the bottom and the remaining water above was relatively clear. 

I then added two mosses and one plant. The details of each are listed below:

 Amblestegium varium (Hedwig) Lindberg. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/13/2013
(Mcfarland, 2013)

Fontinalis sp. Moss.  Collected from: 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 10/13/2013
(Mcfarland, 2013)

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. 10/13/2013
(Mcfarland, 2013)

Small portions of vegetation were clipped and then directly submerged into the MicroAquarium™.

I immediately placed the MicroAquarium™ onto the stage of a compound microscope and searched my new ecosystem at 40x. I found multiple organisms of similar species. They had one "eye" centered on their head and used a tail-like structure to move at a surprisingly quick pace. They had four "tentacle" structures protruding from around their heads. I'm not sure if these help with movement or assisted with sensory or eating. They had a vibrant purple core that was visible through their bodies. They appeared to be feeding on the debris at the bottom of the tank. As they consumed particles around them you could see small dots of purple travel from their mouth area to the centralized purple core visible in their bodies. It was crazy.

I will continue to monitor my MicroAquarium™ on a weekly basis. My findings will be posted to this blog along with photos and possibly videos. I feel more and more powerful as the days go by.