Beautiful observation - Obertrumia Aurea?

[Javier]

I had a beautiful observation a colorful ciliate. I like a lot the last part of the footage a 400 x, it's a slow flow of beauty. It's too bad that some seemingly oil droplets from the coverslip showed on the video.

I don't know which ciliate this is. I thought of Obertrumia Aurea, but it is not showing their characteristic oral cavity. I would appreciate some help with the ID.

My equipment is the usual: iPhone 5s mounted on Amscope C120 b. Dark field @ 100 and 200 x, Oblique at 200 x and Bright Field at 400 x.

Hope you like it!

[PeteM]

Beautiful images, Javier, with a minimum of equipment. Bravo.

[Javier]

Thank you, Pete. I'm very happy with the footage.

The equipment is minimum, but there is nothing like being familiarized and knowing the tricks of your gear.

[Dennis]

Your equipment is pretty good (not sure that sounds right outside USA) means fairly great.

I am just wondering what that looks like all plain like my scope might see it.

One time I really sat staring at one of those single round microbes for a long time. (I don't know too much YET on names and types)

It is just amazing how basic it is, yet it has life !!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Dennis

[Javier]

Thank you, Dennis, I'm amazed too about this kind of life.

I found the oral basket, I think I can confirm Obertrumia Aurea!

[J_WISC]

Wow. Beautiful video. I’m inspired to continue to work on an iPhone setup. It is good to know it is possible. Thank you for sharing.

[Javier]

Wow. Beautiful video. I’m inspired to continue to work on an iPhone setup. It is good to know it is possible. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you!

I will take a good phone camera over a cheap microscope camera every time. Not that I have it, but the i-lab adapter for iPhone seems to work like a charm for this task.

[Tom Jones]

Nicely done!

[Javier]

Thank you, Tom!

[DonSchaeffer]

I agree. The photography is wonderful.

[Bruce Taylor]

Obertrumia aurea lacks trichocysts. If the size of the cell is right (155-320 μm), this prickly fellow is almost certainly Nassula ornata.

[Javier]

Obertrumia aurea lacks trichocysts. If the size of the cell is right (155-320 μm), this prickly fellow is almost certainly Nassula ornata.

Thanks, Bruce!

I was tricked by the color of the digested algae. So, those prickles seen on the video are the Trichocysts?

[xioz]

Beautiful shots of the interior of the cell, and inspiring to know what is possible with that setup.
I am hoping my Olympus CHB and phone setup might be equivalent in capabilities and I can get similar shots once I have finished modifying the scope setup and improving my technique.

[Javier]

Beautiful shots of the interior of the cell, and inspiring to know what is possible with that setup.
I am hoping my Olympus CHB and phone setup might be equivalent in capabilities and I can get similar shots once I have finished modifying the scope setup and improving my technique.

Thank you! I'm sure an Olympus scope will deliver much better images than my Amscope. I still consider myself a newbie to microscopy, but I have learned a couple of things during this time...

1) The preparation of the sample is the key. I have always had the best results with very thin and clean samples with little organic debris and residues on the water. I have been lately doing a trick to find and isolate large ciliates without a micro pipette. I'll share this trick here on the next days.
2) It's very important to learn how to use the diaphragm aperture in bright field to not lose resolution. We beginners tend to close way to much the aperture, and the result are diffraction artifacts and sub optimal resolution. Learn from the aesthetics of the great microscopists that post around here. Note that they don't hesitate to use a minimal depth of field to keep the resolution. I'm still struggling with this issue and minor changes lead to quite different results.
3) Wait for the right moment and be patient: pond water microorganisms tend to move around a lot, but eventually they will calm down and you will get your chance. For that who is watching your video, it is not a pleasent experience to see you chasing around a microorganism like crazy, try to anticipate its movement and let it drift or move on your frame. I take a lot of short videos (for this footage maybe 30) and only a handful of them will be usable.
4) Do not overexpose your dark fields. In my experience, the image should not reach pure white in the brighter zones. You can always add brightness and contrast with software, but once your image is burned, there is nothing to do with it (I'm attaching a frame of the original dark field, I think I over-processed it a bit on the video).
5) Learn how to process your videos. There are plenty of tools that will enhance your images, learn how to do some basics routines on a powerful software. Ultimately, it is a matter of taste, but it is nice to have options and not to be stuck with the original video or image.

Good luck!

[xioz]

1) The preparation of the sample is the key. I have always had the best results with very thin and clean samples with little organic debris and residues on the water. I have been lately doing a trick to find and isolate large ciliates without a micro pipette. I'll share this trick here on the next days.
2) It's very important to learn how to use the diaphragm aperture in bright field to not lose resolution. We beginners tend to close way to much the aperture, and the result are diffraction artifacts and sub optimal resolution. Learn from the aesthetics of the great microscopists that post around here. Note that they don't hesitate to use a minimal depth of field to keep the resolution. I'm still struggling with this issue and minor changes lead to quite different results.
3) Wait for the right moment and be patient: pond water microorganisms tend to move around a lot, but eventually they will calm down and you will get your chance. For that who is watching your video, it is not a pleasent experience to see you chasing around a microorganism like crazy, try to anticipate its movement and let it drift or move on your frame. I take a lot of short videos (for this footage maybe 30) and only a handful of them will be usable.
4) Do not overexpose your dark fields. In my experience, the image should not reach pure white in the brighter zones. You can always add brightness and contrast with software, but once your image is burned, there is nothing to do with it (I'm attaching a frame of the original dark field, I think I over-process it a bit on the video).
5) Learn how to process your videos. There are plenty of tools that will enhance your images, learn how to do some basics routines on a powerful software. Ultimately, it is a matter of taste, but it is nice to have options and not to be stuck with the original video or image.

1) Be great to see your future post. I haven't seen much yet on slide preparation and equipment, so only slowly realising the importance. So what makes the 'best results' best? Because it restricts movement and squishes the organisms a bit for better shots?
2) I don't have enough experience yet to understand the trade offs much I have only observed that closing the condensor aperture gives better contrast and being too open makes organisms invisible. Might be my setup.
3) Good tips! I suspect the Journey to the Microcomos videos make it look too easy due to James's experience.
4) Noted
5) I have started doing that already, learning to use Da Vinci at the moment. I love a hobby that has so much to get into!
Thanks so much for the tips.

[Javier]

1) The preparation of the sample is the key. I have always had the best results with very thin and clean samples with little organic debris and residues on the water. I have been lately doing a trick to find and isolate large ciliates without a micro pipette. I'll share this trick here on the next days.
2) It's very important to learn how to use the diaphragm aperture in bright field to not lose resolution. We beginners tend to close way to much the aperture, and the result are diffraction artifacts and sub optimal resolution. Learn from the aesthetics of the great microscopists that post around here. Note that they don't hesitate to use a minimal depth of field to keep the resolution. I'm still struggling with this issue and minor changes lead to quite different results.
3) Wait for the right moment and be patient: pond water microorganisms tend to move around a lot, but eventually they will calm down and you will get your chance. For that who is watching your video, it is not a pleasent experience to see you chasing around a microorganism like crazy, try to anticipate its movement and let it drift or move on your frame. I take a lot of short videos (for this footage maybe 30) and only a handful of them will be usable.
4) Do not overexpose your dark fields. In my experience, the image should not reach pure white in the brighter zones. You can always add brightness and contrast with software, but once your image is burned, there is nothing to do with it (I'm attaching a frame of the original dark field, I think I over-process it a bit on the video).
5) Learn how to process your videos. There are plenty of tools that will enhance your images, learn how to do some basics routines on a powerful software. Ultimately, it is a matter of taste, but it is nice to have options and not to be stuck with the original video or image.

1) Be great to see your future post. I haven't seen much yet on slide preparation and equipment, so only slowly realising the importance. So what makes the 'best results' best? Because it restricts movement and squishes the organisms a bit for better shots?
2) I don't have enough experience yet to understand the trade offs much I have only observed that closing the condensor aperture gives better contrast and being too open makes organisms invisible. Might be my setup.
3) Good tips! I suspect the Journey to the Microcomos videos make it look too easy due to James's experience.
4) Noted
5) I have started doing that already, learning to use Da Vinci at the moment. I love a hobby that has so much to get into!
Thanks so much for the tips.

1) Debris and residues create layers on the slide and your specimen sometimes will appear blurry because it is under those layers of debis, even if you can see it and focus on it. Also, many times the specimen drifts out of focus with thicker samples.
2) Yes, adding contrast is a function of the condenser diaphragm, but only to a certain point. After that you will be losing resolution and adding artifacts. Note the the microorganims don't have black edges. Those black lines that you see once you close the diaphragm too much are diffraction artifacts. Oliver has a great video on this topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9BZc-GJrUY

3) I mean, many times you will have to chase your specimen, but improving your skills on how to do this smoothly and waiting for your opportunity is important for the final result. Lately I have noticed this drift-do not chase like crazy- trick on @tardibabe on Instagram. She is a great content creator. Many experienced microscopist use techniques to slow down the microorgansims to get details views of them. I have never done this.
5) Yeah, Davinci is amazing!

[Bruce Taylor]

So, those prickles seen on the video are the Trichocysts?

Yes. In Nassula ornata (and a few other nassulids), they are spindle-shaped and rather conspicuous. Obertrumia aurea doesn't have them.

[Wes]

wow nice catch, beautiful specimen

[Javier]

So, those prickles seen on the video are the Trichocysts?

Yes. In Nassula ornata (and a few other nassulids), they are spindle-shaped and rather conspicuous. Obertrumia aurea doesn't have them.

Thanks again! So much to learn...

wow nice catch, beautiful specimen

Thank you, Wes! It is indeed one of the coolest specimen I have found. I isolated three of them and now trying to start a culture. Will see...

[Wes]

I isolated three of them and now trying to start a culture. Will see...

What are you feeding them with?

[Javier]

I isolated three of them and now trying to start a culture. Will see...

What are you feeding them with?

I think my little experiment ended quickly and not very well this time. I isolated a couple of paramecium and three Nassulas. I left no worm predators nor Copepods in the new sample. There was very little water and I added a grain of cooked rise for the Paramecium. There were a couple of algae for the Nassulas, but I think the mainly feed on Cyanobacteria. I was hopping at least the Paramecium to divide and proliferate, but two days after I'm only finding a large amount of small ciliates. I'm taking notes to try a different method next time.