Botany lab week 3

This week life still thrived in my micro aquarium, and it appears that the effects of the food pill that was added to it last week is still effecting the ecosystem. The insectivorous species of plant which i placed in the micro aquarium appears to be dying off, which follows the pattern of decay it has undergone since the beginning of this ecological ecosystem three weeks ago. Small projections from the plant now appear brown or dark blue rather than its original green color. The photosynthetic plant appears to be thriving this week, despite fluctuations in its health. Now it almost entirely consists of green plant matter probably due to the introduction of the food pill, and fresh oxygen due to the fact that the seal atop the micro aquarium fell off while i was not attending it. There was a large increase in the number of nematodes in the aquarium and many of them ventured outside of the muck at the bottom of the tank, finding their way up plant stalks and along the side of the tank. Perhaps the most astounding discovery of the week was an enormous Midge which was a leviathan in comparison to all the aquatic ecosystem's other organisms. Midges, or Aquatic Diptera are the most dominant insects in most small aquatic ecosystems and made up 40 percent of all aquatic insects (pg. 624, Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates). After witnessing the size of this large red organism, it is difficult to believe that smaller organisms can exist is such a confined space with such a vevacious predator; the midge is obviously the most domminant consumer in my micro aquarium. This week provided many unusual supprises, i am becoming enthralled by the varying organisms encountered in this ecosystem.