Initial Set-up and Observations

       This is my first blog post and I will be describing what I did to set up the MicroAquarium and what I observed on our first day of the MicroAquarium project.  First, to create the MicroAquarium, I had to obtain my materials. I collected a thin glass tank, a stand, and lid.   After that I proceeded to choose a water source with which I would fill my MicroAquarium.  I decided on the water obtained from the French Broad River at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge.  The area from which the water was taken was in partial shade.  I figured that water taken from such a large natural water source would provide a diverse population of organisms for me to observe.  After deciding on that water, I used a pipet to extract water from the bottom of the large sample container and filled my MicroAquariom 1/3 up.  Then for my next 1/3 of the MicroAquarium, I transferred water from the middle of the sample container.  And then I filled my MicroAquarium up to a quarter inch from the top with water from the surface of the sample container.  I then added plant samples from the Plant A container and Plant B container to my MicroAquarium.  Once I had completed the MicroAquarium set up, I proceeded to place it under the microscope and begin my observations.  While I did not have much time left to observe, I was able to see a few organisms.  I witnessed small greenish single celled organisms swimming around quicker than a larger greenish organism that was floating around. I also saw a large purplish organism swimming around.  So that was my first day of making and quickly observing my MicroAquarium, but I hope to observe and identify the populations of organisms in my MicroAquarium more extensively in the next session.