Newbie basics

[Judge]

Newbie questions:
1) I save specimens in a Petri dish. Should I keep the cover on or cover off so there is enough oxygen?
2) Should I keep the specimens (Ciliates, Crustaceans, etc.) in the dark or under a “grow lite)?
3) I sometimes get sand when collecting specimens from a pond. How can I filter the sand out while keeping the specimens.? I tried coffee filters, cloth, paper towels, etc.
Thank you in advance.

[Greg Howald]

1. What are the specimens. If they are pond water type, leave the cover on the help prevent evaporation and don't worry about oxygen.. Mine are always in sealed jars.

2. These are best kept where they get some light, but the window sill might be too much to just be left there all the time.

3. Collect enough water in a deep enough vessel to allow sand to settle in a few days.

If you want to feed such things they would love just a few drops of milk in the water, and maybe a few grains of cooked white rice. The milky water will clear in a day or two, just before it starts to have an odor. Thus, the sealed jars.

Others are bound to chime in here with tons of suggestions and they will be more helpful and may give great specifics.
This should at least get you started. Enjoy.it.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

You might try experimenting with several alternates to see if conditions give rise to different mixes of organisms