Using a microscope

[DaveB]

hello everyone. I have been using a microscope for quite a few years and in all that time I have never come across either chilodonella or costia. I have even tried a gill biopsy nothing.Is this possible, can I be so lucky and never had either of these parasites. In the past I have managed to find white spot, gill and skin flukes and tricodina. All easy enough at 100x magnification.I must admit I have a problem focusing at 400x I don,t know wether I am doing something wrong or could it just be my eyesight failing me. I was wondering if I could see these smaller critters at 200x as the light seems to be much better at that magnification. Any tips would be appreciated

[greg]

Dave,

That is pretty much what I do.

I systematically check the slides in x100 - all the edges first then horizontally check in a overlapping fashion the whole slide. Close the Microscope down to x200 and then repeat. The movement is usually enough to then prompt me to go to x400 to confirm.

Costia - your looking for "jumping beans" for want of a better expression. Or Very active comma type shapes usually in the water rivulets of the mucus.

Chilodonella - never had this myself of at least never found it. But i understand it move tumbling in its movement and larger than costia.

Good news is while they are fairly dangerous. So easy to treat one pass of PP will take care of costia and one pass of MG&F will take care of Chilodonella.

I tend not to even bother looking for costis if i find Trichondina - same treatment!

Same with Chilodonella if i find Whitespot - same treatment!

[DaveB]

Thaks Greg. yes I usully check the edges of the mucus sample and in any rivelets of water and found zilch. In the past if I find nothing and yet the koi are still flicking a lot I have usually give them a dose of pp. Tough wood nothing yet has developed into anything serious. However one day I would really like to find something at 400x manification. Just to confirm that I am doing it right. If you know what I mean.

[BUMBLE]

Hi Dave,

Your not the only one mate i never seem to find anything with the scope other than frustration!

It always has me wondering if i'm using it correctly?

Regards.....Martin.

[Geoff9]

Hi Dave
When I had a problem with the Lidl microscope at 400,someone suggested I see if there was a cover on the 100 octave and sure enough there was,not too sure why the only put a cover on the 100 and not the 10 or 40 but they did so might be worth checking.

Regards Geoff

[DaveB]

My microscope does not come with 100 octave. only 40,10 & a 4. eypieces 10 and 20. I sometimes use the 20 and 10 together which gives 200. I did check that there was no protective film over the lense, so thankyou anyway

[Gazza]

Hi Dave,

I am useless with a scope and always have struggled so i tend to take it very slow and work over the scrape nice and slowly and methodically as i can. I have a PC bit that i can plug into my laptop as well and found that a bit easier on my eyes.

Sounds like a few of us could do with a few microscope lessons to make us a bit more knowledgeable on what we are doing

[greg]

I personally have found that if you have the object light to bright this can make the job VERY difficult as it seems to "white out" the parasites. Mine I pretty much turn it down as far as I can and this leaves the mucus a grey looking shade and then I seem to be able to spot parasites better. The big thing I am looking for on my first pass is movement as parasites are very rarely still. Then if I see anything I cannot make out correctly in the layers of the mucus I adjust the focus to scan through the layers.

The guy at Brunel gave me a great tip for setting slides up too. Use a human hair between the slide and the cover slip as this gives the right kind of gap between them and also can give you a central focus point if you lose focus on the slide as your scanning.

[DaveB]

I personally have found that if you have the object light to bright this can make the job VERY difficult as it seems to "white out" the parasites. Mine I pretty much turn it down as far as I can and this leaves the mucus a grey looking shade and then I seem to be able to spot parasites better. The big thing I am looking for on my first pass is movement as parasites are very rarely still. Then if I see anything I cannot make out correctly in the layers of the mucus I adjust the focus to scan through the layers.

The guy at Brunel gave me a great tip for setting slides up too. Use a human hair between the slide and the cover slip as this gives the right kind of gap between them and also can give you a central focus point if you lose focus on the slide as your scanning.

Some Great tips Greg I will try them out with my nest scrape

[kingfisher]

The guy at Brunel gave me a great tip for setting slides up too. Use a human hair between the slide and the cover slip as this gives the right kind of gap between them and also can give you a central focus point if you lose focus on the slide as your scanning.

Just tried that, excellent, thank you.

kingfisher

[kimr]

I hope no-one minds me bringing this post back up but can anyone suggest how best to clean a microscope. I lent it out and it has come back and all the lens are filthy, I have tried a couple of things but all they seem to do is leave things on the lens.

[kingfisher]

I use this sites advice http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... clean.html.

kingfisher