Upon first gazing into my aquarium, I immediately noticed that algae have really made themselves at home. They are all over the place. Mostly a round, green algae that I am unable to indentify. Some are flagellated and move, but most just stand still. Here is a closeup of one of the algae the pictures are huge, sorry:

There was also a incredible explosion or micro-animals, though I did not notice any new species other then the Gastrotrich and Philodina, a type of rotifer. The gastrotrich zips around really fast and is hard to get a good shot of. Rotifers feed by twirling this structure on their head and engulfing all the living algae and bacteria that pass by. I got awesome closeup pictures of both these creatures, and they are shown in the previous order.

I also noticed a new species of cyanobacteria, which I identified as a type of Nostoc. Also seen in the picture are several diatoms. These photosynthetic creatures provide a lot of food for the other organisms:

One more interesting organism is a Paramecium. They are weird blob shaped organisms that move around by very tiny cilia all around their body.

As you can see from the pictures, my acquarium has quite a bit of diversity. In addition to the photographed organisms, the midge is also there, though it is nearly impossible to get a picture of him since he hides in the mud. It appears that he has eaten quite a bit of the much for nutrients, as there is noticeably less in the water now. I also have observed him eating it. Next week, I hope to observe some interaction between organisms, as well as maybe some more feeding patterns. I also hope to discover some new types of life. This project is really awesome, the mirco-life is fascinating.

Works Cited

Rainis, Kenneth G. and Bruce J. Russel. Guide to Microlife. 1996.

http://islandwood.org/kids/stream_health/macros/Phantom_midge_larva.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrotrich