Procedure to view dinos under a microscope

[exnisstech]

Ok this may be a dumb question but my science skills are severely lacking. How do I go about viewing dinos under a microscope? I assume I need glass slides? How do I prepare the sample to place it on the slide? I have searched for this and just keep going in circles showing dinos under a microscope but not how to actually go about viewing them.

 

[Nick Steele]

There’s a few ways.

Easiest would be just to put a drop of water containing Dino’s onto the slide and view them. Might make hard to see as they will be free and can move quickly.

Another way would be to take a sample like above but then put another glass slide ontop of it to compress them. Won’t crush or kill but will limit movement somewhat.

I’ll grab a few pics in a second for you.

 

[dwest]

I always sucked up a “dino area” with a disposable pipet. Then placed a couple drops on the bottom side, then placed the top slide on.

 

[exnisstech]

Thanks. Slides should be here today so I'll give it a go. Tried last night with no slides and it was a flop. Haven't used a microscope since 7th grade but the memory came back "hey you need slides". At 61 that one was buried deep in the memory banks

 

[J1a]

If the suspect dino is on the sand bed, I would scoop up some of the sand, put them in a small container with some tank water, and shake it a few times. Then I would draw the liquid, and observe under microscope.

Use a blotting paper to draw out some water between the slide and the cover glass, having a thinner liquid can makes focusing easier.

 

[taricha]

to add to what's already been advised. Drop of brown matter on the slide, small amount you can see is great. Drop slide cover down onto the droplet, but don't press it down. That'll deform the cells and make it hard to figure what you are seeing.

 

[nano reef]

I sort of remember the last time I had them I couldnt tell with the microscope. I have seen you tubes of these dinos that are swimming around and some are pear shaped ect.

I couldnt get anything to look like that so I remember thinking it was the microscope and bought another and still couldn't tell what was going on. Yet I had red stringy weblike stuff on sand bed ect.

This time I go to use one of my scopes and ones has the eye piece broken and the other has no slides!

I bought two uv stelizers as well and both arent working! UGHH Very bad luck So I just went ahead and bought another uv and sand looks good now but scared to do a waterchange because the essential minerals could fuel them and dont want to come back!

How long should I wait to do a waterchange? Its been a month so getting worried and my corals dont look so happy!

Looks like I might be getting in other tank but its not on the sand in that one. I just see some stringy stuff hanging off my gorgonian. I also have a few bubbles here and there so I want to take out the uv from the othertank!

Do oyu think I should do a waterchange and see how it goes and if it dosnt look like its coming back then I take the uv out and put in other tank? Makes me wonder if its a different kind though and uv wont help! I dont have good luck with microscope viewing so I dont know whether to spend the money on a microscope again!

Yikes this an expensive hobby not to mention all the corals I bought lately and have some on hold!

Smooth sailing for years untill I added new corals! Could they come in on corals frags or could I have spread it from one tank to another?

I cant find any info online about that. I had just changed gfo and po4 bottomed out in first tank but no reason for it in the second tank! Unless I caused it from overdosing mb7 and wasnt needed in second tank! I noticed some red sand and the person I got frags from put them on new plugs and they were covered in red in no time so I got nervous I was getting them!

Sorry so much info! I am about to pull my hair out! LOL

 

[taricha]

I remember thinking it was the microscope and bought another and still couldn't tell what was going on. Yet I had red stringy weblike stuff on sand bed ect.

Give us some white light tank pics of the nuisance areas. We can usually tell if you're barking up the wrong tree.