Critters of the Week (week #4)

 

After adding the Beta food pellet last week there has been somewhat of a population explosion (as one would expect) in my micro-aquarium.  The variety of organisms has stayed about the same, but the density of several types of organisms has definitely increased.  I didn't try to identify a specific type, but diatoms were everywhere.

 

 

There were all different shapes and sizes of diatoms and personally, I think their silica shells are interesting to look at.

 

Another organism that I found in my micro-aquarium was Cyclidium.  Literally, I found dozens of these little guys, so I'm assuming that they really like Beta food pellets. Unlike many of the other critters in my micro-aquarium, Cyclidium is actually pretty easy to photograph.  It will sit still for a few moments, then move in a "jumping" type movement, then it will sit still again for a while.  It's hard to make out, but the Cyclidium is covered with cilia and has one caudal cilia which is longer than the others.  This organism is quite common in lakes and ponds.    

 

This organism was identified using the book Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa, A colour Guide by D.J. Patterson, page 149, figures 331 and 332.

 

From what I was told by Dr. MacFarland, the Beta food pellet has probably already been consumed by the denizens of my micro-aquarium, so I would expect things to slow down a little by next weeks observation period.  I guess we'll see.