Just got a microscope

[Steve G]

So my wife buys my son a microscope for his sixth birthday and it turns out to be an awesome gift... for me.

 

First thing I did was look at some aiptasia. You kill them to mount it on a slide but you can see the tentacle particles still moving and the main body ejecting cells. Individual cells. This thing is so cool. What should I look at next???

 

I'll try to figure out how to take pictures through the eyepiece so I can share with WAMAS buds.

 

Steve

[Charlie]

Is it one of the USB microscopes?

[Steve G]

Is it one of the USB microscopes?

 

Since I don't understand the question I'll say probably no.

[jason the filter freak]

USB microscopes can be plugged into your computer like you would a microphone, web cam, etc just using as another fun perephrial (sp?) if you can find one look at a spagetti worm, and or a bristle worm

[Charlie]

Next time that you cut your finger, take the time to look at your blood.

[treesprite]

LOL. I have a couple of "kids" microscopes, picked up used just to fool around looking at aquarium stuff. Never got around to looking at anything.... one of these days....

[jason the filter freak]

You can also try smooshing a zoanthid polyp (depending on where the light source is), some different kinds of pods, pretty much anything strange you find in your fuge

[Sharkey18]

I use mine to identify algae in my tank.

 

It's really cool!

 

Laura

[OUsnakebyte]

If you have a slide that has a well, cut off one of the aptasia tentacles with a razor blade, and fill the well with a few drops of DI water. Then, watch the cnidocytes fire as the fresh water diffuses in via osmosis. If you only have a regular, flat slide it should still work. Basically, you'll see these little "threads" shoot out - at the blink of an eye - as the cap of the cnidocyte ruptures and the nematocyst fires.

 

Also, if it is a small enough aptasia, you should also be able to keep it alive without a cover slip in a drop of water. Light won't pass all the way through it, so it will be a dark blob. But eventually, you'll see it stretch back out. Put a few, 2-3, newly-hatched brine shrimp in with it and watch as the anemone snatches and consumes them.

 

Have fun,

Mike

[Happyfeet]

If you have a slide that has a well, cut off one of the aptasia tentacles with a razor blade, and fill the well with a few drops of DI water. Then, watch the cnidocytes fire as the fresh water diffuses in via osmosis. If you only have a regular, flat slide it should still work. Basically, you'll see these little "threads" shoot out - at the blink of an eye - as the cap of the cnidocyte ruptures and the nematocyst fires.

 

Also, if it is a small enough aptasia, you should also be able to keep it alive without a cover slip in a drop of water. Light won't pass all the way through it, so it will be a dark blob. But eventually, you'll see it stretch back out. Put a few, 2-3, newly-hatched brine shrimp in with it and watch as the anemone snatches and consumes them.

 

Have fun,

Mike

 

Excuse me while I go get my microscope...

[L8 2 RISE]

Excuse me while I go get my microscope...

 

lol, I did the same thing... then I realized I don't have any aptaisia . For the first time, I wish I had some nuisance stuff.

[trott]

Who makes the microscope? Can you connect it to a computer?

[Glenn]

lol, I did the same thing... then I realized I don't have any aptaisia . For the first time, I wish I had some nuisance stuff.

 

come on up to my house .. I have a few (bazillion) that I'll give you

[encideought]

I used to work in a lab with a lot of nice dissecting scopes. I took these pictures of a peanut worm when I was very new and didn't know they were nice critters. The pics are pretty cool, but I feel bad about ripping it out of my tank.