Observation 2

During the week a pellet of "Atison's Betta Food"* was added to the aquarium.

I do not notice much change in the sample, though.

There are still many of the same microorganisms, now identified as Rotifer Philodenas. According to Berkeley's website on Rotifer Philodinas, they are found in many freshwater environments, including lakes and birdbaths, as well as rivers, streams, mosses, lichens, rain gutters, puddles, mushrooms and many other places.

They are multi-cellular, with specialized organ systems and a complete digestive tract that are visible in the picture below. They have a crown of cilia at their heads that create a vortex to pull water and thus food into their digestive tracts; this movement looks like the spinning of a wheel. Their method of movement is due to the fact that their bodies are telescopic and extendable (they move like inchworms) and may be related to arthropods and roundworms.

They eat decomposing organic matter, unicellular algae, and phytoplankton (they are omnivorous).

The Berkeley website gives a lot more information, which I'm not going to post here. The website is http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/rotifera/rotifera.html.

Thanks to Dr. McFarland for taking this picture.

*Atison's Betta Food info: It is made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%.