Setting Up the MicroAquarium

Last Wednesday, we set up our aquariums using the glass tank, a stand holder, and a lid. We put our initials on multicolored dots that matched our seat and table number. We then extracted water from a water source of our choice, mine was from Tommy Schumpert Pond at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge. There is partial shade at this pond and there is some sheet runoff around the sinkhole. The coordinates for this pond are N35 57.256, W83 41.503. The plants that I added to my aquarium are Amblestegium varium from a spring at Carter's Mill Park, Fontinalis sp. from the Holston River along Sevier Highway under the I-40 bridge, and Ultracularia gibba from the south shore of Spain Lake. The only organisms that I could find were some fleas, water bugs, and a few other arthropods. Nothing was very distinct and I expect to see more movement as this project moves forward.