Naked Amoeba

Associated Plant Conditions

Naked amoebas thrive in young sludge age environment with high free bacteria and particulates. Free amoebas indicate relatively healthy plant conditions.

Treatment

Naked amoebas are indicators of relatively healthy plant conditions and young sludge age. If you are concerned about your plant conditions contact a technical rep for information and recommendations.

Under the Microscope and in Your Plant

If naked amoebas are observed in a wastewater plant it is usually indicative of a younger sludge age and/or shock loads of BOD. Naked amoebas prefer younger sludge due to the high concentration of free bacteria, their main food source.

Naked amoebas produce waves of cytoplasmic movement as their gut contents flow. This is referred to as pseudopodia or “false feet” movement. As the amoeba moves, their cytoplasm changes from a fluid state to a solid-state and then back to a fluid state. They also use their pseudopodia to surround and capture bacteria and algae for consumption. Naked amoebas can be identified under 100x magnification.

Amoeba (n.d.) Retrieved from https://science.jrank.org/pages/301/Amoeba.html