Setting Up the Aquariums

This week in lab, we began our plant aquarium project. Each student was given a three-piece aquarium apparatus and some plant samples. Colored stickers were placed on the aquariums for identification. Students then filled the aquariums with a water sample of their choice provided from several different locations. These samples were placed into the aquariums by different layers such as bottom, middle, and top. I chose a sample from the Fountain City Duck Pond. The duck pond is a spring fed pond with full sun exposure. It is located just west of Broadway at Cedar Lane. After placing the water sample in the aquariums, two separate plant masses were introduced into the aquariums.  The first plant was Amblestegium. It is a moss that was collected from a natural spring at Carter Mill Park in Knox County. The second plant was Utricularia gibba.  It is a flowering, carnivorous plant that was originally collected from the south shore of Spain Lake in White County and then grown in water tanks outside of the Hesler Biology Building on UT's main campus. When everything was in place, the aquariums were placed under a microscope for observation. As I brought my slide into focus, I immediately saw movement in the mud layer of the sample. Several different organisms were visible through the 10x lens on the microscope. Aside from the moving organisms, there were also small blue green algae particles as well. After making notes of the observations, the aquariums were moved into a different room and placed under a light source. They will remain there while students make further observations. The lab went smoothly and I am interested in what we will see growing in these aquariums throughout the rest of the semester.