Cover slip selection live subjects

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coominya
Posts: 279
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2018 11:33 am
Location: Brisbane Aust

Cover slip selection live subjects

#1 Post by coominya » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:06 pm

I am using cover-slips but need to order some more and have discovered there are varying thicknesses recommended for different uses. To date I've used very thin square ones (perhaps No. 0 size) and some large rectangles of thickness 0.17mm.

This wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_slip recommends the 1.7mm ones for biological use but I find them very heavy and they squeeze out all the water. Because they are as wide as the slide itself this water tends to run onto the stage too.

I would be interested to know what other protist researchers are using and any information anyone considers valuable on the subject of preparing slides for live observation.
My slides are glass, 75mm x 25mm
Thanks.

clengman
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Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:22 pm

Re: Cover slip selection live subjects

#2 Post by clengman » Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:47 pm

I like 24x50, #1.5 coverslips for live samples. Objectives sometimes have a marking with a recommended coverslip thickness. The most common is 0.17mm, roughly the thickness of a #1.5.

If you are getting too much water flowing out around the edge of your slide, try starting with less water. You can always add a little more sample or distilled water at the edge of the coverslip after it is mounted.

Having a thin water layer is not a bad thing. It restricts the vertical movement of your wee beasties. You'll get a nicer view, too if the animal is as close as possible to the coverslip.

Hobbyst46
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Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Cover slip selection live subjects

#3 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:54 pm

There are slides with wells. Normal thickness slide (1-1.2mm) with a shallow well in the center. They hold more liquid than an ordinary slide. They are costlier so I do not regard them as disposable. There are also much thicker slides - several mm thickness - with deeper wells, but I have never used them so cannot tell.

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coominya
Posts: 279
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2018 11:33 am
Location: Brisbane Aust

Re: Cover slip selection live subjects

#4 Post by coominya » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:11 pm

Thanks, I ordered so US made ones to avoid that frosty look the chinese ones have. At least the chinese one I bought have.
I got some with the depression too though I have no desire to make prepared slides just yet.

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