Hello,
I’m planning on ordering a 20-200 ul micropipette for protists and was wondering which tip size to buy for it, a 10 ul tip or a 200 ul tip? They look very similar in size on the website.
Thanks, Harry
What tip size for micropipette
Re: What tip size for micropipette
This old post (Oct 4, 2018) by "Question for Pipette users" by forum member 75RR, and response #23, might help.
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Thanks, I had read that thread but it didn’t really tell me what size to get, unless I missed it.
Another source told me to order the 200 ul size which I suppose makes sense. Guess I’ll find out when the stuff arrives.
Harry
Another source told me to order the 200 ul size which I suppose makes sense. Guess I’ll find out when the stuff arrives.
Harry
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Buy the tips for the maximum capacity, in your case 200 μl.
They look all the same on web pictures but are very different in real size. A 10 μl tip would not fit mechanically on your pipette.
They look all the same on web pictures but are very different in real size. A 10 μl tip would not fit mechanically on your pipette.
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Yes, 200 ul. Exactly what Alexander said.
About 30 ul of water is enough to spread under regular 22mm cover slips without being too thick, if I remember correctly.
You can always cut the tip of 200 ul, if you consider the tip too sharp (sometimes pipetting too hard with sharp tips will generate too much shear force to hurt fragile eukaryotic cells). But once you cut the tip off a 200ul tip, its accuracy at 20ul will be messed up (no worries though, for most hobbyist work).
I would suggest buying a cheap used micropipette from eBay for hobbyist work. Precision laboratory pipette are likely overkill; it is their precision that commands high cost.
A 20-200 ul pipette is a good choice.
About 30 ul of water is enough to spread under regular 22mm cover slips without being too thick, if I remember correctly.
You can always cut the tip of 200 ul, if you consider the tip too sharp (sometimes pipetting too hard with sharp tips will generate too much shear force to hurt fragile eukaryotic cells). But once you cut the tip off a 200ul tip, its accuracy at 20ul will be messed up (no worries though, for most hobbyist work).
I would suggest buying a cheap used micropipette from eBay for hobbyist work. Precision laboratory pipette are likely overkill; it is their precision that commands high cost.
A 20-200 ul pipette is a good choice.
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Thanks for the comments and suggestions! Looks like I made the right choice and chopping off tips to ease a protist’s journey to the slide will become part of the work flow.
Harry
Harry
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Hi, harry, I came late to this thread. You already made your purchase, congrats and hope it 'works for you'.
My suggestion is (for pond life live wet mount slide microscopy) that your are the active collector of initial water sample collection sites..you sample specific microhabitats collected to different collection plastic wide-mouth jars.
Bottom sediments with interesting algal colonies, and of course bottom fallen leaves host Gammerus crusteaceans, surface plant matts and their 'diatom cities', their variety of protists and meiofauna, etc., etc. . You make the choices.
You choose microhabitats on your collection hikes...similarly you might choose target organisms for your microscopy observations...rather than just plopping a rather large /highly calibrated device into a water sample ( and hoping for good
target organisms to observe in that calibrated instruments slurp of waters)...please consider : 4X, even 10X scan of an elongated water droplet on a slide with no cover slip , scan this slide to hunt for fascinating targets (rotifers, water bears,
water fleas, hydras, and delightful protists, desmids, diatoms, filamentous algae..and all the rest target organisms...and with an observed fascinating target organism..you then choose to slurp that target up for transfer to the slide you will
commit a coverslip to.
This slide you will commit a coverslip to ( eventually, after you 'stocked this droplet with several targets you fancy to observe')..will have benefitted from all your ( you, the hunter microscopist) choices of targets before you plop the
coverslip.
Calibrated pipet instruments are tricky to work while viewing with a 10X objective on your microscope..4X objectives offer more 'working distance to roam under the objective' with your pipet-device...but I sense it is the
process of choices ( initial field sample microhabitat collections, hunt for target organisms of keen interest at your bench with an elongated water droplet on a microscope slide, then choice of pipet device to slurp/capture these target objects
to the wet mount slide you will commit to a coverslip. There are a lot of threads with images of this very simple/ low cost procedure to 'corral, to round up' on a wetmount slide, target organisms for terrific microscopy world views.
Sorry I came late to this thread, my family enjoys Canada ( and St.Lawrence river fishing for large mouth bass, walleyes, and muskies). greetings to all, charlie guevara/ fingerlakes, US
My suggestion is (for pond life live wet mount slide microscopy) that your are the active collector of initial water sample collection sites..you sample specific microhabitats collected to different collection plastic wide-mouth jars.
Bottom sediments with interesting algal colonies, and of course bottom fallen leaves host Gammerus crusteaceans, surface plant matts and their 'diatom cities', their variety of protists and meiofauna, etc., etc. . You make the choices.
You choose microhabitats on your collection hikes...similarly you might choose target organisms for your microscopy observations...rather than just plopping a rather large /highly calibrated device into a water sample ( and hoping for good
target organisms to observe in that calibrated instruments slurp of waters)...please consider : 4X, even 10X scan of an elongated water droplet on a slide with no cover slip , scan this slide to hunt for fascinating targets (rotifers, water bears,
water fleas, hydras, and delightful protists, desmids, diatoms, filamentous algae..and all the rest target organisms...and with an observed fascinating target organism..you then choose to slurp that target up for transfer to the slide you will
commit a coverslip to.
This slide you will commit a coverslip to ( eventually, after you 'stocked this droplet with several targets you fancy to observe')..will have benefitted from all your ( you, the hunter microscopist) choices of targets before you plop the
coverslip.
Calibrated pipet instruments are tricky to work while viewing with a 10X objective on your microscope..4X objectives offer more 'working distance to roam under the objective' with your pipet-device...but I sense it is the
process of choices ( initial field sample microhabitat collections, hunt for target organisms of keen interest at your bench with an elongated water droplet on a microscope slide, then choice of pipet device to slurp/capture these target objects
to the wet mount slide you will commit to a coverslip. There are a lot of threads with images of this very simple/ low cost procedure to 'corral, to round up' on a wetmount slide, target organisms for terrific microscopy world views.
Sorry I came late to this thread, my family enjoys Canada ( and St.Lawrence river fishing for large mouth bass, walleyes, and muskies). greetings to all, charlie guevara/ fingerlakes, US
Re: What tip size for micropipette
Thanks for your comments and suggestions Charlie, much to reflect on in your post.
I had read about your technique of examining an elongated water sample on a slide with low powers in another thread and have tried it the last few days. Works great and will now become part of my microscopy bag of tricks.
I also like your idea of searching for specimens in varied micro habitats and will attempt to work that into my collection forays. I’m lucky enough to live on a river that has many different collection possibilities; low flows, algal blooms, some fast water and silty bottoms.
As a fly fisher for almost 60 years, I’m now trying to catch as many Manitoba fish species on a fly as I can. This now has me micro fishing with flies as small as many of the specimens I enjoy under a stereoscope.
Of course this type of fishing dovetails perfectly with specimen collection and I can see a few collection bottles becoming a part of my fly fishing vest.
Harry
I had read about your technique of examining an elongated water sample on a slide with low powers in another thread and have tried it the last few days. Works great and will now become part of my microscopy bag of tricks.
I also like your idea of searching for specimens in varied micro habitats and will attempt to work that into my collection forays. I’m lucky enough to live on a river that has many different collection possibilities; low flows, algal blooms, some fast water and silty bottoms.
As a fly fisher for almost 60 years, I’m now trying to catch as many Manitoba fish species on a fly as I can. This now has me micro fishing with flies as small as many of the specimens I enjoy under a stereoscope.
Of course this type of fishing dovetails perfectly with specimen collection and I can see a few collection bottles becoming a part of my fly fishing vest.
Harry