Introduction and Set-Up Observations

Welcome to Takusan, where plants photosynthesize...a lot!

To be entirely straightforward, the purpose of this blog is to publicly record observations on a MicroAquarium of pond life over the course of several weeks.

This MicroAquarium was set up on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at roughly 2:30 p.m. I chose bottom-level water and sediment from dishes 5 and 6, while the middle and top layers of water were from only dish 6. I also inserted pieces of plants A and B. When observed under the microscope, I believe I saw diatoms, algae, an anthropod, some protozoa, and plant life.

I will be updating with fuller, better, and more accurate data as the lab progresses, so check by later for some exciting gossip from this pond life!

UPDATED 10/24/08:
Dish 5, which is part of the sediment-level of my aquarium, was taken from "Holston River along John Sevier Hwy under I 40 Bridge," with "partial shade exposure Holston River water Shed N36 00.527 W83 49.549 823 ft 10/12/2008" (according to http://botany1112008.blogspot.com/)

Dish 6, which makes up all levels of my aquarium, has the following description from the same URL as above: "Meads Quarry, Island Home Ave, Knox Co. Tennessee Partial shade exposure Rock Quarry N35 57.162 W83 51.960 880 10/12/2008"

Updated 10/31/08:
The plants inserted (this information also taken from the same blog mentioned above) were:

A: Amblystegium varium (Hedw.) Lindb. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. Fountain City Park west of Broadway at Hotel Ave. Knox Co. Knoxville TN. Partial shade exposure. N 36o02' 15.18" W083o55' 59.95"988 ft. 10/13/2008

B: Utricularia vulgaris L. Flowering Plant. A carnivous plant. Collection from: Greenhouse in White Ave Biology Annex. The University of Tennessee. 1400 White Ave. Knox Co. Knoxville TN.Partial shade exposure N 35o57' 33.45" W083o55' 42.01". 932 ft 10/13/2008