Starting our aquariums

During Wednesday's botany lab, we set up our MicroAquariums and chose our aquarium's water source. I chose water from a spring in Dean's Woods, because I thought it was a really lovely place when I visited it during last year's field trip. The Botany blog (URL at the end of this post) describes the water source as, "Spring Creek off Woodson Dr. running through Dean's Woods Road frontage., Knox Co. Tennessee. Partial shade exposure. Tennessee River water Shed N35 55.274 W083 56.888 848 ft. 10/10/2010." We also placed into the aquarium a bit of two plants.

The two plants we added (these descriptions also from the Botany blog):

Plant A . Fontinalis sp. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/10/2010

Plant B. 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.

In other words, one plant to feed the micro organisms in our aquarium, and a plant to eat them. The carnivorous plant has little "bladders" along it that apparently eat the squiggly things squirming about our tanks. Very exciting stuff.

"Plant B" (carnivorous, flowering plant with the bladders) on the right, "Plant A" (moss) on the left. Unfortunately, my little darter friend (mentioned below) isn't visible in this pic, that I can tell.

When I was examining my aquarium, I noticed a little green thing darting about, though it was far too quick for me to get a good look at it under the microscope. From what little I did see of it, it was light green, and extremely small. It reminded me of an itty-bitty tadpole.


Source:
http://botany1112010.blogspot.com/