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Microscope?

2K views 26 replies 9 participants last post by  AdamTill 
#1 ·
So this is a bit of an unusual question, but does anyone here know microscopes? I'm thinking I'd like to get a not too expensive microscope with which to examine the very smallest inhabitants of my tank.


Thinking about this one:


https://www.amscope.com/student-mic...scope-50pc-blank-slides-100pc-coverslips.html


or this one:


https://www.amscope.com/special-mic...-binocular-darkfield-compound-microscope.html


The darkfield capability is appealing. But I'd rather have a decent brightfield microscope than a mediocre brightfield/darkfield microscope. And you can't really get 2000x magnification with a light microscrope, so I find that claim slightly offputting.
 
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#7 ·
I work with light (widefield, bright, dark, DIC, phase, scanning/spinning disc confocal, super resolution) and electron microscopes for a living (but applying them to biological problems).

For algae, as mentioned a high magnification is not particularly required.

For bacteria, you'll ideally want 1000x (10x ocular, 100x objective). Staining will be required, but with a dark field capable microscope, you can skip that extra step.

That being said, larger considerations are the numerical aperture of the lenses, and whether you want a water or an oil immersion lens for the higher magnification objectives.
 
#10 ·
I work with light (widefield, bright, dark, DIC, phase, scanning/spinning disc confocal, super resolution) and electron microscopes for a living (but applying them to biological problems).

For algae, as mentioned a high magnification is not particularly required.

For bacteria, you'll ideally want 1000x (10x ocular, 100x objective). Staining will be required, but with a dark field capable microscope, you can skip that extra step.

That being said, larger considerations are the numerical aperture of the lenses, and whether you want a water or an oil immersion lens for the higher magnification objectives.

you are making me jealous..I've played w/ scopes since I was 12..
Crazy fun at times..

Setting up Kohler illumination on a DIY scale was quite challenging.. but worth it..
Antique Leitz


https://www.olympus-lifescience.com/en/microscope-resource/primer/anatomy/kohler/
 
#8 ·
I've been toying with this idea as well. I've been hoping to find a microscope with the ability to send an image to my laptop so I can build up a library for reference and to be able to share. It seems that the microscopes with this feature have opted for low-resolution image sensors. Have you come across anything promising?
 
#11 ·
I'm kind of recapturing my childhood here. I had a (fairly lousy) microscope as a kid: It arrived with one objective already cracked (but, oddly, still usable), one objective that had obvious astigmatism, and a high power lens that really needed to be oil immersion but wasn't. Had hours of fun with it anyway. Looking forward to doing that at a much higher level. (Enough that I don't mind my wife making slight fun of me.)
 
#13 ·
Microscope bodies are still fairly affordable (in the range of 3-5k, for a decent one).

It's the objectives that are scary. I've seen a high NA (1.3 or 1.4?) 100x oil immersion that was a Plan-APOChromat, around 15,000 dollars :eek:
 
#15 ·
Scope and slides arrived. I spent an hour looking at some filter scum. A rotifer, two nematodes, a gastrotrich, a couple of colpoda, and a large pink blepharisma that my wife (the professional biologist in the family) had to identify. And of course lots of algae, including a few lovely freshwater diatoms. Zoomed in on one narrow strand of green algae (I think) that looked like a hollow tube studded with green cells or chloroplasts. And what looked like a dead mite of some kind.

Oh, I know, I'm geeking out here.

Dark field works nicely. Did not try the oil immersion lens, or at least not with oil. Overall impression is that this is a serious microscope worth every dollar I paid for it. Would recommend to fellow geeks sharing my interest in amateur microscopy.

I feel almost like Ralphie with his Red Ryder B-B gun.
 
#18 ·
Snow delay at work this morning. Looking at a tuft of green algae from the tank. Yeah, it's the same algae I saw a single strand of yesterday. Lots of freshwater diatoms, all one species so far as I can tell; tended to clump on the older algae strands. Oddly, not a single moving critter in this sample: A forest without animals. Well, except for Brownian motion, which I could never make out with my toy microscope as a kid.

Probably ought to move this to my blog, since it's not really about planted aquariums (though the best samples so far have been from my planted aquarium.)
 
#20 ·
Alas, I did not buy the eyepiece camera with the scope. I've had enough fun with the scope that I think that may be a future purchase.

I spent a good hour last Sunday watching an amoeba do its thing. I've never seen a live one before.

It's been interesting sampling microenvironments in the tank. Bits of decaying vegetation yield tons of rotifers and Vorticella. Filter scum likewise plus large numbers of diatoms and the amoeba; this particular species of diatom looks like sets of curved bars, with obvious nuclei. Green brush algae looks like hollow tubes crusted with green. Algae picked off some driftwood was remarkably devoid of other microorganisms, and there are practically none floating free in the water; I am pleased to see I have a pretty clean tank. Water from the substrate also was surprisingly clean. I see a few ciliates in most environments other than open water.

Bacteria are fun in the dark field; little specks, some wiggling around. I pulled out a bit of sweet potato I'd blanched for the otos and found that the plant cells were remarkably intact, but the sample was just swarming with highly motile rod bacteria. I suspect they're tasty seasoning so far as the otos are concerned.

Some flagellated protozoa as well.

And some mysteries. In the dark field, I've spotted something that looks for all the world like a tiny metal spring. It's thin enough to be a spirochete, but the coils are much larger than I would have expected. perhaps an unusual algae.

Great fun. Gotta get that eyepiece camera.
 
#21 ·
Is your scope a trinocular, or do you have to switch between the ocular/camera port?

In the meantime (until you get a proper camera); you can always try to take photos through the ocular with a camera/cell phone! :)
 
#23 ·
I've found I can indeed take crude photographs through the eyepiece with my point and shoot. The trick is getting them to post here; for some reason, the IMG tag isnt' working for me. I'll just have to post links.

Magnification varies from photo to photo.

An amoeba : http://kgbudge.com/fish/amoeba.JPG

A thread of green brush algae: http://kgbudge.com/fish/green_brush_algae.JPG

A rotifer: http://kgbudge.com/fish/rotifer.JPG

A euglena? http://kgbudge.com/fish/euglena.JPG

Not sure what this is, but there were several all having the same shape. A fungus ascus,maybe? http://kgbudge.com/fish/ascus.JPG

Diatom. http://kgbudge.com/fish/diatom.JPG

Some kind of groovy ciliate that had cilia just on one side; looked almost like a tiny ladybug: http://kgbudge.com/fish/ciliate.JPG

Some other ciliate: http://kgbudge.com/fish/ciliate2.JPG

Another of the buggy ciliate: http://kgbudge.com/fish/ciliate3.JPG

Wish I could figure out by IMG isn't working for me. Possibly hotlink protection at my host site, but I can't find where to turn that off.
 
#24 ·
Wish I could figure out by IMG isn't working for me. Possibly hotlink protection at my host site, but I can't find where to turn that off.

your address isn't "secured".. This site, AFAICT won't accept http: addresses for images
https: only and I can't get some formats to post either like png's (not your issue, the http thing is).
HTTPS is basically an HTTP protocol with additional security. ... But in addition to adding that extra layer of security, HTTPS is also secured via TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol.
 
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