Small Ciliates amid Bacteria as a Biofilm Forms

[DonSchaeffer]

My grass culture is entering a terminal stage again. There are lots of protozoan cysts and a dead rotifer or two. However there are very small protozoans which seem to move happily among the bacteria.

grass1biofilmsmallciliates.jpg (198.01 KiB) Viewed 1673 times

deadrotifer.jpg (109.37 KiB) Viewed 1673 times

grass4cysts.jpg (249.28 KiB) Viewed 1673 times

grass5cyst.jpg (153.79 KiB) Viewed 1673 times

[KD Arvidsson]

Very interesting, I often find bacteria in my samples already after two days. Then I usually throw away my samples! Is there any trick to being able to have the samples for a longer period of time? //KD

[DonSchaeffer]

I don't know. I just keep the sample as long as ciliates survive in it.