My final observation of the microaquarium revealed that much of the organisms had died off, especially some of the larger ones. The water looked filmy in some areas, with new growths around plant parts that used to be green, supporting my idea that things died off. However, some of the larger organisms must have been waiting to come out or in a stage of life that prevented them from coming out to feed before, because I saw some new ones this time around.
First, I saw a repeat of many previously identified organisms: gastrotrich, vorticella, epistylus, cyanobacteria, Angel, and the trichotria (which I named Spike). There were of course the multitude of diatoms and other algae forms and other small protozoa to see.
New, however, were what I believe were some ostracods, "seed shrimp." I saw one type on the moss plant (though this one mgiht also be a cypricerus or Darwinula - I'll look into it), and another of these microscopic crustaceans in the top of the sediment level. This one was huge, and kept ducking half into the sand, half out while it ate things around, using its little pincers and swimmerettes (? term check).
That about concludes the blog for today, but I've posted some videos of previous blog observations (actually, only from Observation 3).
Gastrotrich 1 (which may include some narration by Dr. McFarland and I - which I didn't know was recorded)
Gastrotrich 2
Halterias near the moss rhizoids
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