Hello from Denmark

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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UBH
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Denmark

Hello from Denmark

#1 Post by UBH » Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:36 am

I got my first microscope early this year, a stereo microscope bought from my local astronomy dealer, a chinese 1-4x zoom with halogen light and a trinocular head and a little pond water later i was hooked. :D
Then i bought a Brunel SP500 Infinity Trinocular Microscope compound mircoscope with a Zernike phase contrast set and a used Nikon TS100 inverted microscope, lots of books and other stuff and have been having lots of good times with mostly pond water.
i Just started a akvarium up with plants and pond water so i sure to have a permanent supply of stuff to look at i the winter time and a place to release the samples i come home with.

i have been reading here about a year now and hope i can start to contribute soon.
Ulrik

MicroBob
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Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:11 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Hello from Denmark

#2 Post by MicroBob » Sun Oct 28, 2018 12:04 pm

Hi Ulrik,
welcome to the forum!
With your pond aquarium you will probably have a lot of fun! Do you have some kind of natural or artificial oxygen supply?
If you happen to come to Hamburg you might have a look at the program of the MIKRO Hamburg before - guests are always welcome!
http://www.mikrohamburg.de/Programm.html

In Denmark there are at least two places where fossile diatoms can be found: On island Fur and somewhere near Ribe. This might be worth a trip.

Do you have a placton net or some other means to concentrate your plancton?

Bob

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UBH
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Hello from Denmark

#3 Post by UBH » Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:50 pm

Hi Bob

My Akvarium in just set up with a filter pump and light and plants for oxygen at the moment.



I was at Fur this summer 1 day with the wife and kids but did not have time to collect anything but did find a nice place there.

I dont have a placton net or any other means to concentrate my plancton yet, so far i just collect water with a bottle and what i can reach with my hands.
Attachments
Fur.jpg
Fur.jpg (508.54 KiB) Viewed 6159 times
Akvarie.jpg
Akvarie.jpg (230.23 KiB) Viewed 6159 times
Ulrik

MicroBob
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Location: Northern Germany

Re: Hello from Denmark

#4 Post by MicroBob » Sun Oct 28, 2018 3:30 pm

Hi Ulrik,

a cheap way to concentrate plancton is a homemade placton sieve. On ebay you can buy stainless steel mesh that can easily be welded with a hot spoon or nail or soldering iron onto a short piece of plastic tube of maybe 80-100mm diameter. When you put the sieve in a plastic box with lid it is even easy to carry on family outings. In clear water life in not very concentrated.
50µ is a good size:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Edelstahlsieb-E ... :rk:1:pf:0

Your pond aquarium looks very good with nice clear water and even a second floor level. It seem to be quite big which will lead to a stable climate. I'm not sure how the plancton gets along with the filter - maybe an air pump would be enough. Your plants together with the light should be able to produce enough oxygen alone at normal room temperature, but in summer when the water gets warmer this might change.
My own experience with aquariums is very limited. I started a plancton aquarium of 30l in spring this year. Its placed in a west side window and there are a lot of plants in it. In Summer the water started to turn green and I installed an air pump that ran in the warm time in the morning and evening for a couple of hours. This solved the problem with the green water. After the summer I have cut the plants back and removed the air pump. It's quite interesting to watch how the population changes with time.

Bob

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UBH
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Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Hello from Denmark

#5 Post by UBH » Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:14 am

Hi Bob

Thanks for the tip about the homemade plankton sieve, a plankton net have been on my to get list for some time but so far i had good luck getting lots to look at from the site i use to get my samples.
I think i try make one this winter or buy one.

My pond aquarium is a 54L i got used almost free at a garage sale complete with light, filter pump and heater and i have another new identical one without the second floor ready to set op when i find the space.
I turned off the filter pump i will look at getting a air pump and a little more plants to my aquarium soon.

I really look forward to watch how the population changes with time and all ready it so nice to always have a sample so close for a quick view.

Some pics of my Microscope setup.
Attachments
SP500.jpg
SP500.jpg (195.26 KiB) Viewed 6122 times
TS100+Stereo.jpg
TS100+Stereo.jpg (241.07 KiB) Viewed 6122 times
Ulrik

Tarloth
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:15 am

Re: Hello from Denmark

#6 Post by Tarloth » Mon Oct 29, 2018 12:48 pm

Ulrik, welcome!

Nice microscopes! Another alternative to make a plankton sieve it's use a coffee maker plastic filter basket, like this one

Image

or similar, works perfect for a lot of medium to big size plankton and depending on mesh, unicelular plankton.

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UBH
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Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Hello from Denmark

#7 Post by UBH » Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:57 am

Thanks Tarloth

that's an another good way to make one.
Ulrik

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IanW
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Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 2:58 pm
Location: Lancashire England

Re: Hello from Denmark

#8 Post by IanW » Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:00 pm

UBH wrote:Hi Bob

Thanks for the tip about the homemade plankton sieve, a plankton net have been on my to get list for some time but so far i had good luck getting lots to look at from the site i use to get my samples.
I think i try make one this winter or buy one.

My pond aquarium is a 54L i got used almost free at a garage sale complete with light, filter pump and heater and i have another new identical one without the second floor ready to set op when i find the space.
I turned off the filter pump i will look at getting a air pump and a little more plants to my aquarium soon.

I really look forward to watch how the population changes with time and all ready it so nice to always have a sample so close for a quick view.

Some pics of my Microscope setup.
Hello Ulrik

Welcome, and congratulations on your set up. I look forward to hearing how you get on.

regards from Lancashire, England
Zeiss Jena NF, Zeiss Standard 18 and WL

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