The Swamp was set-up in the autumn of 2020. This is year three.
I. General visual inspection
The jar is closed and exchanges with the exterior are minimal. I open it to collect samples and bait the inhabitants with food when I assess their situation.
The jar has been completely filled with some sort of algae / water weed that seems to be thriving in almost constant light and steady 22-24°C temperatures. It fills the whole volume of water.
The bottom is divided in three clearly defined strata: the loose, top layer is made out of green particles that I believe to be waste from ostracods, the middle layer is of a lighter colour and is made out of larger, harder grains, while the dark, bottom layer is where I believe nematodes dwell.
Looking through a magnifying glass (a 30mm 1.4 objective) I saw the ever-present uncontested masters of the swamp – the spotted ostracods – as well as those reddish-brown bugs that I’d seen before and resemble ticks. I was glad to see cyclops buzzing around and there are also nematodes.
Everything Geek 