Things to look for with a microscope

[Pazernaker]

Hey guys!

Really dumb question, but as a newcomer in this hobby, I wanted to start looking at things under a microscope and identifying what's in my tank. Short of just throwing some water on a slide and looking at things and identifying individual micro organisms, I'm not really sure what I should be looking for. Is there a guide somewhere for making initial observations, things you should be looking for, etc.? Also as a heads up, I have a decent chemistry background, but haven't taken a biology class in 20 years...

 

[MnFish1]

Here are a series of videos on 'reef-tank microscopy'. I only posted the first one - but there are multiple episodes. Hope this helps and welcome to the site!!