Today, I observed my microaquarium for the second time. There was much more movement within the aquarium than the inital observation and I also recognized many of the different type of organisms I observed.
One of the first changes that I noticed in my microaquarium was there were many diatoms. Diatoms are brown cells with symmetrical silica shells which have distinctive patterns. The pattern for this particular diatom was a rectangle divided into sections; some of the diatoms had more than one of them attached together and some were just individual rectangles. They were unmoving and spread sporadically throughout the bottom half of my microaquarium.
I also recognized many cilia and cyphoderia. However, the most common moving organsim that I observed was a type of euglenoid called the Phacus. Its body resembled a tadpole, having an oval body with a small tail. Many of these organisms were infested in the bottom later of the soil, swiftly weaving throughout feeding on the soil and plants.
The most interesting specimen I saw in my observation today was an insect larvae called midge. I followed it through the microaquarium as it glided in and out of the plants. The midge had a worm-like body with a tail and it appeared as though it had small hands and feet that had some sort of feelers on them so that it could feel its way through its environment. Also, it had antennas and a small mouth. While I was observing it, the midge would weave and tangle itself within the plants that were in the top half of my microaquarium. I could see it with my naked eye, however it just looked like a small white string.
Overall, the observation was much more productive than the initial observation. Many more organisms were apparent and moving around and I also gave a name to the specimens I observed rather than only describing them.
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