Pond life in SW FL

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Lilly Begonia
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Location: Cape Coma FL

Pond life in SW FL

#1 Post by Lilly Begonia » Wed Feb 21, 2018 5:28 pm

So yesterday while at work and out driving around I was in a gated community, and decided to get a sample of water from one of their many large ponds and see what was in it at home. I had a plastic bottle that served well, and after carefully checking for alligators I got my sample and started looking around in it this morning. At first it seemed disappointingly bereft of life, but I kept at it, and on the second slide I found this delightful organism:

Image
Image

I have no idea what it is, so for now I'm calling it VeryWeirdPondAnimal. I holds still long enough to get a shot of it and it's internal organs move around a lot, but when it moves it's really fast. Prolly a copepod.

There were also some kinds of worms tapered at each end moving around:

Image

And there were these tube organisms also, which may be the same things with the ends opened up, I don't know:

Image

Most elusive and interesting was this stinger tailed organism that moved around so fast I could not get any good shots of it close up, and I had a very good shot of it at 10/.25, but ToupLite somehow lost it. I'll try to get another one.

Image

Oh, then I found this neat rod-like organism with it's internals changing focus on me:

Image

And is this a water flea?

Image

JimT
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#2 Post by JimT » Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:57 pm

Lilly, let me suggest a few sites which will help you identify the microorganisms you collect;

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/guide/gui ... en.htm#4.2

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.h ... g.uk/pond/

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/protists/exhibition.htm

http://microlife.parvarium.com/thumbnails.html
and after carefully checking for alligators....
Good advice :)

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#3 Post by Lilly Begonia » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:05 pm

JimT wrote:Lilly, let me suggest a few sites which will help you identify the microorganisms you collect;

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/guide/gui ... en.htm#4.2

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.h ... g.uk/pond/

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/protists/exhibition.htm

http://microlife.parvarium.com/thumbnails.html
and after carefully checking for alligators....
Good advice :)
Hi Jim,

Thank you for the links. I got a PM from Josh here and a link to his own reference page, and with that I was able to identify the stinger-tailed organism I saw this morning as Colurella. I really am having such fun! This way better than Netflix or Amazon Prime video!

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#4 Post by Lilly Begonia » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:08 pm

I managed to get a decent shot of that Colurella

Image

JimT
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#5 Post by JimT » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:13 am

This way better than Netflix or Amazon Prime video!
You got that right! Way better and lots of sites on the WEB that one can search.

Looks like you are getting your camera to work better but why the rose colour?

JimT

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#6 Post by Lilly Begonia » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:21 am

JimT wrote:
This way better than Netflix or Amazon Prime video!
You got that right! Way better and lots of sites on the WEB that one can search.

Looks like you are getting your camera to work better but why the rose colour?

JimT
The color is the best I can do with ToupLite for Mac, which seems to have many issues and shortcomings. It grieves me to think I may have to buy a Windows box to get this right, and get decent video of what I see on my screen. I really hate Windows...

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Crater Eddie
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#7 Post by Crater Eddie » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:25 am

You can use a shell program to make newer Windows look like XP.
CE
Olympus BH-2 / BHTU
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Cameras: Canon T3i, Olympus E-P1 MFT, Amscope 3mp USB

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#8 Post by Lilly Begonia » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:39 am

Crater Eddie wrote:You can use a shell program to make newer Windows look like XP.
CE
I have no idea how to do that, or how to run Windows on a Mac. I tried two years ago, and failed quite miserably. I use Macs exclusively, after having been disastrously hacked and taken down on Windows in the past several times at great expense. I'm not prepared to undergo that experience again. I view Windows as an open invitation to every hacker, script kiddie,and scammer out there, and every one of them cut their teeth on Windows. I never want anything to do with Windows again.

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75RR
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#9 Post by 75RR » Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:08 pm

The color is the best I can do with ToupLite for Mac, which seems to have many issues and shortcomings.
An additional photo editor, in which you can play around with the results you are getting, might be the easiest way to go.

Here is a useful list, some are free.
https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac- ... 6-3514061/
https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac- ... s-3642413/
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

MichaelG.
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#10 Post by MichaelG. » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:31 pm

Lilly,

I've just taken the liberty of adjusting your first image a little [hope you don't mind]
IMG_1818.JPG
IMG_1818.JPG (81.98 KiB) Viewed 6365 times
This took less than 5 minutes, using the iPad whilst travelling on the 'bus.

I used 'PhotoToaster' ... But many more sohisticated tools are available.

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

charlie g
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#11 Post by charlie g » Fri Feb 23, 2018 12:36 am

Lilly...thanks for this wonderful microscopy sharing! Based on the variety of meiofauna and protists you encountered from this water sample...well I suggest for safety sake..you not collect where alligators might ambush you ( I've heard it gets worse in your warmest seasons...yikes!).

Pretty please..as quick as possible...setup your own home outdoor tank...stocked with outdoor area scoops of plants/muck/duckweeds/algae/sticks...etc. .

I live in fingerlakes/US ...where we humans are top predators to face on openlands collection hikes...please learn how to craft a blanced outdoor aquarium/wetland culture/microcosm...and stop risking 'gator ambush' at ponds you are not familiar with...just my thoughts..thanks for this enjoyable microscopy path you kindly share with us in forum.

Charlie guevara

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#12 Post by Lilly Begonia » Fri Feb 23, 2018 12:47 am

charlie g wrote:Lilly...thanks for this wonderful microscopy sharing! Based on the variety of meiofauna and protists you encountered from this water sample...well I suggest for safety sake..you not collect where alligators might ambush you ( I've heard it gets worse in your warmest seasons...yikes!).

Pretty please..as quick as possible...setup your own home outdoor tank...stocked with outdoor area scoops of plants/muck/duckweeds/algae/sticks...etc. .

I live in fingerlakes/US ...where we humans are top predators to face on openlands collection hikes...please learn how to craft a blanced outdoor aquarium/wetland culture/microcosm...and stop risking 'gator ambush' at ponds you are not familiar with...just my thoughts..thanks for this enjoyable microscopy path you kindly share with us in forum.

Charlie guevara
Hi Charlie, thank you for that. Well, it's Florida, if you have a full bathtub there's a gator in it. You just get used to living around them and learn to give them their space. Most of them aren't big enough to give you trouble, but you never know when that 12 foot guy will show up. I know how to spot them if they are around even if they are under water close to the shore. That outdoor tank does sound like a good idea though, it would be much handier.

einman
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#13 Post by einman » Fri Feb 23, 2018 3:41 am

The first one image appears to be a nauplii perhaps of a copepod.

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75RR
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#14 Post by 75RR » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:09 pm

A little off topic - but it will hopefully address the image issues you have been having (re - image quality)
Have you considered using your mobile phone?
If you have an intelligent phone, it will have an incorporated camera that is in all probability much better than your Toupcam.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art ... omicro.pdf
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

Lilly Begonia
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Location: Cape Coma FL

Re: Pond life in SW FL

#15 Post by Lilly Begonia » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:23 pm

75RR wrote:A little off topic - but it will hopefully address the image issues you have been having (re - image quality)
Have you considered using your mobile phone?
If you have an intelligent phone, it will have an incorporated camera that is in all probability much better than your Toupcam.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art ... omicro.pdf
Yes, I tried that, and my android phone cannot get any image at all through the eyepiece. Just a black blob.

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75RR
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#16 Post by 75RR » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:27 pm

Do try again. I do not think that success is tied to the operating system. With a little patience (trial and error) you should get good results.
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

Lilly Begonia
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Location: Cape Coma FL

Re: Pond life in SW FL

#17 Post by Lilly Begonia » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:37 pm

75RR wrote:Do try again. I do not think that success is tied to the operating system. With a little patience (trial and error) you should get good results.
I've quite run out of patience for that approach. It got me nothing after a LOT of trying. Moving right along....

Lilly Begonia
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#18 Post by Lilly Begonia » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:42 pm

charlie g wrote:Lilly...thanks for this wonderful microscopy sharing! Based on the variety of meiofauna and protists you encountered from this water sample...well I suggest for safety sake..you not collect where alligators might ambush you ( I've heard it gets worse in your warmest seasons...yikes!).

Pretty please..as quick as possible...setup your own home outdoor tank...stocked with outdoor area scoops of plants/muck/duckweeds/algae/sticks...etc. .

I live in fingerlakes/US ...where we humans are top predators to face on openlands collection hikes...please learn how to craft a blanced outdoor aquarium/wetland culture/microcosm...and stop risking 'gator ambush' at ponds you are not familiar with...just my thoughts..thanks for this enjoyable microscopy path you kindly share with us in forum.

Charlie guevara
Hey Charlie,

Today I got more pond water, I went into Google Earth and found ponds on Cape Coral. There was one easy to get to, so I looked around the house for containers, and had only 5 gallon buckets. Good enough. I put one in my car with a lid for it and drove to the pond. There was only one gator, and it was about 100 ft. out just lying on the surface, maybe a 7 footer. I got my bucket of pond water and brought it home. So now I'm going to have that outdoor tank you spoke of. All the pond water I'll need for a very long time.

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Jonnyvine
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Re: Pond life in SW FL

#19 Post by Jonnyvine » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:42 pm

Great findings :)

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