A ciliate from a lake

[microplan]

Hello.

For a long time I have been keeping water from a suburban lake in a large jar.
And from it I take samples for my observations.
I have the impression that the diversity of microorganisms in the jar is noticeably decreasing.
I will have to go on an expedition to replenish my water supplies.
I just don't know if it's too late due to the time of year.
We'll see.
Another ciliate today

Regards
Maciej

https://youtu.be/rA6xh2jKmeA

[WWWW]

Hello,

I think it's a water flea

[Hoolf]

I have jars of pond water samples as well, and I noticed the same thing happening - a decrease in the abundance of life within the jar. In a pond, there is always large exposure to the air and wind which will provide aeration. I acquired a very small pump and some aquarium hoses with air stones, then I put them into the jars and set the pump on a timer - a power strip with a clockwork timer. The reason I don't run them all the time is because there are delicate structures at the surface of these samples that would not form if the stones were constantly bubbling. This makes it necessary to replace the air stones every month or so because they become clogged with detritus when not always running.

[DonSchaeffer]

You can get interesting samples just by taking tap water and putting some grass or leaves in it (put in a fair number of pieces--one-quarter of the jar perhaps). Let it sit for one or two weeks and see.

[Hoolf]

Don that is good stuff! I have some Timothy grass - you are to boil it for four minutes then steep in the tap water, all manner of little critters appear after a week or so! Mostly nematodes.

[DonSchaeffer]

Why boil it? Just throw it in water.

[Hoolf]

From what I have learned boiling the grass helps to break down the proteins faster, not that they wouldn't eventually break down on their own. If I recall correctly, I heard about it somewhere in the MicrobeHunter videos

[DonSchaeffer]

But you kill all the organisms that are living on the vegetation--you sterilize it.