Help purchasing a microscope

[BCSreef]

I've actually asked a couple folks about this, but would also like to hear an opinions on Darkfield vs Phase contrast. I've looked at both

Most of my work with a scope is looking at live cells in tissue culture (inverted scope) and immuno-fluorescent microscopy. Phase contrast is what I and most others in the field use. Dark field works, but I think you can see more detail/texture with phase contrast. I think phase contrast would be best for reef micro-critters. Just my preference!

Bob

 

[jason2459]

It is what I'm looking forward to upgrading my scope with next. Phase contrast. Think I mentioned that earlier. I'd love to get into Fluorescent and DIC as well sometime.

 

[alanbetiger]

Just like others have said. Dissection microscope for looking down on something and a compound microscope to look through something so needs to be thin enough for light to penetrate through it.
Phase contrast makes it sooooo much easier to see things, make sure you read the instructions and can properly set it up.

 

[bh750]

Okay so dumb question but...does this scope have phase contrast?

http://www.amscope.com/40x-2000x-3w...ield-and-brightfield-compound-microscope.html

 

[jason2459]

Okay so dumb question but...does this scope have phase contrast?

http://www.amscope.com/40x-2000x-3w...ield-and-brightfield-compound-microscope.html

No it includes a dry darkfield condenser. You can buy a phase contrast kit for that microscope though.
http://www.amscope.com/accessories/phase-contrast-kit.html

 

[bh750]

No it includes a dry darkfield condenser. You can buy a phase contrast kit for that microscope though.
http://www.amscope.com/accessories/phase-contrast-kit.html

Ok thanks. Wow still so much to learn. So the scope arrived last night and I have yet to put it together. Took alot of will power to leave it alone until I get home from work today. Ive read up on manuals a bit yesterday and more today so will give it a shot tonight. I'm desperate to identify just what this red stuff is growing in my tank. Thought it was Cyano but thinking it might not be. If all goes well later tonight I'll be posting an "Help ID this" thread

 

[jason2459]

Link to the thread when you do. My guess is you will find not a single organism but many. Most likely a mix of cyano (multiple types including spirulina), ciliates, diatoms, dinos, sponge, etc.

 

[bh750]

Link to the thread when you do. My guess is you will find not a single organism but many. Most likely a mix of cyano (multiple types including spirulina), ciliates, diatoms, dinos, sponge, etc.

That would be ideal! Really can't wait to see and learn about what's in my tank. I'm hoping I find alot and really understand my system. I have a feeling it might be spirulina. Twice I've dosed the tank with two weeks of H2O2 and the stuff on my stand didn't do anyway. I'll post a link to the thread here. Might take me some time to actually get something on the slide that's visible.

 

[bh750]

Just realized I need something to clean my lenses. I thought I could wait awhile and it was only unless I touched them. But reading now about using oil on the higher lenses and will need to clean then right after use?

How does this look for a kit?
https://www.amazon.com/LS-Photograp...1&keywords=microscope+cleaning+kit+for+lenses

 

[bh750]

Or this in the short term?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nice-n-C...35&wl11=local&wl12=31955163&wl13=3565&veh=sem

 

[alanbetiger]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong. But typically you use the Oil Objective on fixed slides. Meaning not slides with cover slips. If you are looking at samples of tank water with a cover slip then you would not use that objective. You'd need to dry out your slides and possibly stain them depending on what you are looking for, which gets more complicated. You can't add a drop of oil to a water sample and use the oil objective either. Also the salt crytals from the dried sample will make interpretation harder.

 

[BCSreef]

Others will correct me if I'm wrong. But typically you use the Oil Objective on fixed slides. Meaning not slides with cover slips. If you are looking at samples of tank water with a cover slip then you would not use that objective. You'd need to dry out your slides and possibly stain them depending on what you are looking for, which gets more complicated. You can't add a drop of oil to a water sample and use the oil objective either. Also the salt crytals from the dried sample will make interpretation harder.

Correct. Normally the 100X oil is used on fixed and stained slides with no cloverslip. I normally only used the 100X oil for bacteria (Gram stain) and not much else. Many coverslips (not all) are too thick for an oil objective to focus through. You really won't use the 1000X much for the types of "bugs" we all want to see in a reef tank.

Bob

 

[jason2459]

I use 100x all the time on wet mounted coverslips and will require oil to focus properly.

ONLY use oil on an objective that states it is an oil objective. If you do apply oil and then use an objective on it like a 40 or 60x that is spring only you can ruin that objective. So, if you've put a drop of oil on the cover slip so you can properly use the 100x objective lens then do not switch back to another spring lens like the 40x. You can move to one that will not touch the cover slip like the 10x then back to the 100x.

And yes you want to clean up the oil off the oil lens after use. You do not want it to dry. A standard camera lens cleaning paper will do which can be found locally.

 

[BCSreef]

I'm not saying you can't use the 100X oil for reef bugs and with wet mounts. You may want to get a close look at a diatom or cyano. You will just need to figure out how to prepare, fix (stick to the slide), possibly stain the specimen. You can do wet mounts with the thinnest coverslips, but your water layer has to be really thin and the 100X will be really close to the coverslip and still maybe still too far to focus.

 

[jason2459]

I'm not saying you can't use the 100X oil for reef bugs and with wet mounts. You may want to get a close look at a diatom or cyano. You will just need to figure out how to prepare, fix (stick to the slide), possibly stain the specimen. You can do wet mounts with the thinnest coverslips, but your water layer has to be really thin and the 100X will be really close to the coverslip and still maybe still too far to focus.

No true at all.

All through out this thread I start at 4x and work my way to using 100x. Pictures shows of most all of the samples I've looked at and how it's mounted.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/our-tanks-biology-up-close.239838/

 

[bh750]

Since I have almost zero experience I'll be interested to see what I can view with say 40x and 400x. With that said, this is what I read on the Amscope website regarding the use of oil and coverslip:

"Place one drop of oil between the coverslip of the slide and the objective lens. You may slowly add more until the oil fills the air gap between the objective lens and the slide."

Tonight my goal is to try to determine if the red mat on my sandbed is cyano or spirulina or what. And look at stuff thats either diatoms or dinos. Will I need the higher powered objectives for that?

 

[jason2459]

A pipette is how I've "grabbed" majority of all my samples besides the xenia and aiptasia in that thread above.

Sucking in with the pipette will help preserve everything in that spot sampled.

Then I will point the pipette down and let what's inside settle down. I will even swirl slowly to help things down. Then gently place a drop of two one the slide and gently cover with a slip.

 

[jason2459]

With LED you'll have a good hour or more before the water between the slide the slip evaporate. And remember. Once you drop the oil do not move back to the 40x spring objective.

 

[bh750]

A pipette is how I've "grabbed" majority of all my samples besides the xenia and aiptasia in that thread above.

Sucking in with the pipette will help preserve everything in that spot sampled.

Then I will point the pipette down and let what's inside settle down. I will even swirl slowly to help things down. Then gently place a drop of two one the slide and gently cover with a slip.

You read my mind . I've been having trouble getting a good sample b/c its on my sandbed and my tank is 30" deep. I'd gently scoop some up but it would always get covered with sand. I have pipettes so will give this a try. Bob also sent me some videos, one of which shows how to do a wet mount -

With LED you'll have a good hour or more before the water between the slide the slip evaporate. And remember. Once you drop the oil do not move back to the 40x spring objective.

Nice. Ok thanks for the tip.

 

[jason2459]

Good video. I always were nitrile gloves during prep and creation of the slide.

The pipette I use for this is 3ml as it has a decent sized opening to pulling in a good sample. I pull right from the source. I don't scoop anything.

Can see the pipette samples here on this page. I don't drop the entire water volume on the slide...
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/our-tanks-biology-up-close.239838/page-12#post-3099763