The close-up of close-ups...aquariums under the microscope!

Amphiprionocellaris · 07/01/2008, 05:00 PM

Hey everyone!

I've recently taken a job in a lab which is equipped with a number of imaging scopes, and it was only a matter of time before I decided to have some fun with my tanks

. I still need some practice taking pictures of the more mobile animals, but here is the first batch.

Enjoy!

A copepod at 100x

A spicule at 400x

Hair algae at 100x

Some diatoms at 200x

A lone diatom at 400x

Another diatom at 200x

Finally, a mat of cyanobacteria at 400x...you can see that's it not as solid as it looks!

There's plenty of down time in the lab, so look for more super-close-ups in the future

.

P.S. For the curious, I just used an eyedropper to grab samples from my 10 gallon tank and place them on slides.

kar93 · 07/01/2008, 05:33 PM

Interesting pics, Thanks for sharing.

TitusvileSurfer · 07/01/2008, 05:42 PM

Great Job! I can only imagine what these things must look like alive and swimming around.

Amphiprionocellaris · 07/01/2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TitusvileSurfer
Great Job! I can only imagine what these things must look like alive and swimming around.

Thanks! It's actually pretty amazing to see...and the pictures only represent the slower animals. There's so much stuff zooming around that it was a little overwhelming at first. Hopefully I'll be able to refine my technique enough to get shots of those, too.

Letmegrow · 07/02/2008, 12:32 AM

If you can get some of the medusa sage of Hydroids they are amazing to look at and easy to catch when they settle on the glass.

kactusficus · 07/02/2008, 03:17 AM

Very interesting!

The cyano looks very delicate and beautiful, lol, not the pest I thought it was!

Amphiprionocellaris · 07/02/2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Letmegrow
If you can get some of the medusa sage of Hydroids they are amazing to look at and easy to catch when they settle on the glass.

We actually get live hydra as part of our zoology course, and they're definitely on the list of things to get images of

!

fatrip · 07/02/2008, 10:55 AM

very cool. thanks for sharing....looking foward to seeing more.

Amphiprionocellaris · 07/02/2008, 03:30 PM

I took some new samples today, this time from one of my 140 gallon reefs. It's a more mature tank than the nano, and the microscopic community is very different! Tomorrow I'm going to try getting samples from my predator tank and my ten year old reef.

To start things off, some bubble algae [not so delicately smashed] at 100x

A top-down view of a copepod at 100x...and you can see how they got the common name "cyclops".

And I thought my water was clean...this 100x view of a drop collected from my refugium begs to differ...

Some more diatoms at 200x

A red flatworm at 40x...the green dots are chloroplasts and a clue to why the population exploded under metal halides.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on here...those projections are either part of the hair algae or diatoms living on its surface...100x.

A very wild-looking segmented worm, or possibly an arthropod

...40x.

Some beautiful red algae at 200x.

red13miller · 07/02/2008, 04:37 PM

very cool

sassafrass · 07/03/2008, 09:22 PM

Love those pics more! more!
Lee

ClarionAngel · 07/03/2008, 10:07 PM

Very nice and interesting pictures.

brad2048 · 07/03/2008, 11:04 PM

very cool!

Jeff cousteau · 07/03/2008, 11:22 PM

wicked job man

kinda scares me a bit tho.... really gonna start washing my hands a ltille better after I'm done working on/in my tank

footbagger311 · 07/05/2008, 06:42 PM

That is pretty tight. I wonder what some coralline would look like.

stdreb27 · 07/07/2008, 02:16 PM

That is awesome, keep em coming!

crvz · 07/07/2008, 04:27 PM

great pictures, thanks for sharing!

spline9 · 07/09/2008, 07:30 PM

Kinda makes you think twice about starting a siphon with your mouth again, huh?

melev · 07/10/2008, 02:00 AM

Cool beans! PM sent.

kactusficus · 07/10/2008, 05:22 AM

Wow, that's definitely makes me want to get a microscope for next christmas!! Beautiful images, and it must be very thrilling to see all this life moving under your eye!!
thanks a lot for sharing!

this is me · 07/11/2008, 02:15 PM

These are pretty neat. Thanks for sharing.

nrike · 07/15/2008, 08:25 PM

great pictures, lets see more.

hatfielj · 07/15/2008, 09:13 PM

Great thread! This is exactly why I've always wanted to buy a nice microscope. There's so much more life in our tanks that we don't even see on a day to day basis. Thanks for sharing!

Nick Fr. · 07/17/2008, 10:36 AM

wow great pics

Nick Fr. · 07/17/2008, 10:36 AM

wow great pics

07/01/2008, 05:00 PM	#1
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 511	The close-up of close-ups...aquariums under the microscope! Hey everyone! I've recently taken a job in a lab which is equipped with a number of imaging scopes, and it was only a matter of time before I decided to have some fun with my tanks. I still need some practice taking pictures of the more mobile animals, but here is the first batch. Enjoy! A copepod at 100x A spicule at 400x Hair algae at 100x Some diatoms at 200x A lone diatom at 400x Another diatom at 200x Finally, a mat of cyanobacteria at 400x...you can see that's it not as solid as it looks! There's plenty of down time in the lab, so look for more super-close-ups in the future. P.S. For the curious, I just used an eyedropper to grab samples from my 10 gallon tank and place them on slides. __________________ Proud member of the Scientific Inquisition: pointing out bad science at all times, especially when it really doesn't matter. Current Tank Info: none right now (moved to grad school); 1 40 gallon reef in the works

07/01/2008, 05:42 PM	#3
TitusvileSurfer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Titusville, FL Posts: 2,965	Great Job! I can only imagine what these things must look like alive and swimming around. __________________ The ocean is the pinnacle of reef tanks. Someone up there is keeping up with his PH and Phosphates to.

07/02/2008, 12:32 AM	#5
Letmegrow Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: The Hill Posts: 4,743	If you can get some of the medusa sage of Hydroids they are amazing to look at and easy to catch when they settle on the glass. __________________ I'll be just fine pretending I'm not. Understand, Contempt born of clear perception is a birthright to those who channel it toward progression.

07/02/2008, 03:17 AM	#6
kactusficus Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nice, France Posts: 185	Very interesting! The cyano looks very delicate and beautiful, lol, not the pest I thought it was! __________________ Colours Patterns Shapes Behaviors... mind-blowing hobby! News and tons of pics: access my blog clicking the red house button over the messages. Current Tank Info: full, colorful, lively 100 gal reef tank. LPS lover!

07/02/2008, 10:55 AM	#8
fatrip Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: binghamton, ny Posts: 3,294	very cool. thanks for sharing....looking foward to seeing more. __________________ Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything. Current Tank Info: 22g CAD

07/01/2008, 05:33 PM	#2
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,522	Interesting pics, Thanks for sharing.

07/02/2008, 03:30 PM	#9
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 511	Next batch I took some new samples today, this time from one of my 140 gallon reefs. It's a more mature tank than the nano, and the microscopic community is very different! Tomorrow I'm going to try getting samples from my predator tank and my ten year old reef. To start things off, some bubble algae [not so delicately smashed] at 100x A top-down view of a copepod at 100x...and you can see how they got the common name "cyclops". And I thought my water was clean...this 100x view of a drop collected from my refugium begs to differ... Some more diatoms at 200x A red flatworm at 40x...the green dots are chloroplasts and a clue to why the population exploded under metal halides. I'm not entirely sure what's going on here...those projections are either part of the hair algae or diatoms living on its surface...100x. A very wild-looking segmented worm, or possibly an arthropod...40x. Some beautiful red algae at 200x. __________________ Proud member of the Scientific Inquisition: pointing out bad science at all times, especially when it really doesn't matter. Current Tank Info: none right now (moved to grad school); 1 40 gallon reef in the works

07/02/2008, 04:37 PM	#10
red13miller Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 202	very cool __________________ Rock Chalk Jayhawk

07/03/2008, 09:22 PM	#11
sassafrass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: capitola ca Posts: 1,729	Love those pics more! more! Lee

07/03/2008, 10:07 PM	#12
ClarionAngel Moved On Join Date: May 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 34	Very nice and interesting pictures.

07/03/2008, 11:04 PM	#13
brad2048 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: st. petersburg, fl Posts: 223	very cool!

07/03/2008, 11:22 PM	#14
Jeff cousteau Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Truro,Nova Scotia,Canada Posts: 232	wicked job man kinda scares me a bit tho.... really gonna start washing my hands a ltille better after I'm done working on/in my tank

07/05/2008, 06:42 PM	#15
footbagger311 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Charleston, SC Posts: 365	That is pretty tight. I wonder what some coralline would look like. __________________ "Stay Positive and Love Your Life" Current Tank Info: I'm re-building my 125.

07/07/2008, 02:16 PM	#16
stdreb27 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: the Anthill, Houston, tx Posts: 502	That is awesome, keep em coming!

07/07/2008, 04:27 PM	#17
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 6,218	great pictures, thanks for sharing! __________________ You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

07/09/2008, 07:30 PM	#18
spline9 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ventura County Posts: 809	Kinda makes you think twice about starting a siphon with your mouth again, huh?

07/10/2008, 02:00 AM	#19
melev Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,447	Cool beans! PM sent. __________________ Marc Today's avatar is of a section of my reef. (70/365) Current Tank Info: The 14 day 280g Starfire reef - 150g custom sump & Refugium, Euro-Reef 12-2 Protein Skimmer, Calcium Reactor, 900w MH & 320w VHO, Lumenbrights, and more...

07/10/2008, 05:22 AM	#20
kactusficus Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nice, France Posts: 185	Wow, that's definitely makes me want to get a microscope for next christmas!! Beautiful images, and it must be very thrilling to see all this life moving under your eye!! thanks a lot for sharing! __________________ Colours Patterns Shapes Behaviors... mind-blowing hobby! News and tons of pics: access my blog clicking the red house button over the messages. Current Tank Info: full, colorful, lively 100 gal reef tank. LPS lover!

07/11/2008, 02:15 PM	#21
this is me Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: MA Posts: 2,232	These are pretty neat. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Nick When a man talks dirty to a woman, it's sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man, it's $4.95 per minute. Current Tank Info: Elos System 70 w/Elos Planet II

07/15/2008, 08:25 PM	#22
nrike Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: cerritos ca Posts: 200	great pictures, lets see more.

07/15/2008, 09:13 PM	#23
hatfielj Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 1,074	Great thread! This is exactly why I've always wanted to buy a nice microscope. There's so much more life in our tanks that we don't even see on a day to day basis. Thanks for sharing!

07/17/2008, 10:36 AM	#24
Nick Fr. Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 67	wow great pics