Keep Dry Diatom on slide
Keep Dry Diatom on slide
I saw some algae on water tray, so I sampling them on slide by wet mount. It contain some diatoms which I think it is good to keep it for a while.
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- Water Tray.jpg (306.69 KiB) Viewed 3458 times
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
But cleaning and permanent mounting them is complicate and difficult, so I let it slowly dry under cover slip in the room.
After several day, I observe it under microscope, it is still looking OK. Some way some how, when it was dry up, algae and diatoms was fix on slide under cover slip.
After several day, I observe it under microscope, it is still looking OK. Some way some how, when it was dry up, algae and diatoms was fix on slide under cover slip.
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- Diatom 01.jpg (117.88 KiB) Viewed 3457 times
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
So I use thin strip of scotch tape to fix 4 sides of the cover slip to slide. I don’t know how long it can be kept in this way. I can store this slide with algae and diatom vertically in the slide box in the same way as permanent slide.
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- Diatom Slide.jpg (97.27 KiB) Viewed 3457 times
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
Now it was more than 6 – 7 months, I still can observe diatoms sample in this slide. It look OK for me under 60X dry objective.
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- Diatom 04.jpg (88.49 KiB) Viewed 3455 times
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- Diatom 03.jpg (113.9 KiB) Viewed 3455 times
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- Diatom 02.jpg (107 KiB) Viewed 3455 times
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
But this is not for serious observation of diatoms, because diatoms was dry under cover slip which contain thin layer of air. So it is not give good result with 100X Oil objective.
I think it is a simple and easy way to keep diatoms sample for a while. It need not complicate process and high refractive index mounting medium. For amateur like myself, I think it is worth to keep it. How many years it can be keep in this way, time will tell.
Suphot.
I think it is a simple and easy way to keep diatoms sample for a while. It need not complicate process and high refractive index mounting medium. For amateur like myself, I think it is worth to keep it. How many years it can be keep in this way, time will tell.
Suphot.
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
For a simple fix, you could seal the edges with varnish or fingernail polish. That way, you wouldn't need the tape.
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
I do it stepwise: First, I put the smallest possible amount of nail polish or varnish around the coverslip, otherwise the sealant tends to crawl (by capillary) inside, under the coverslip. When it dries out (a mcouple of hours) I reinforce it with a second layer of varnish.
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
Hi Suphot,
nice and simple method! I think that most bacterial an fungal activity will take place in the first weeks so the slide should be more or less stable from now on. If you woulf like to go one step further you could clean the diatoms by incineration. I found it to be practical to put the cover slip on a 3-4mm stainless steel plate, heat from below with an alcohol burner to maybe 300-400 °C, the apply the flame on a blue flame lighter from above. This way most organic matter is burned off. The diatoms stick to the cover slip and can mounted in whatever. Air has an refractive index of 1,0 vs. the diatom's r.i. of about 1,45. This give a usable but a bit strong contrast.
Bob
nice and simple method! I think that most bacterial an fungal activity will take place in the first weeks so the slide should be more or less stable from now on. If you woulf like to go one step further you could clean the diatoms by incineration. I found it to be practical to put the cover slip on a 3-4mm stainless steel plate, heat from below with an alcohol burner to maybe 300-400 °C, the apply the flame on a blue flame lighter from above. This way most organic matter is burned off. The diatoms stick to the cover slip and can mounted in whatever. Air has an refractive index of 1,0 vs. the diatom's r.i. of about 1,45. This give a usable but a bit strong contrast.
Bob
Re: Keep Dry Diatom on slide
Thank you very much for all comments,
Charles;
I afraid to seal cover slip with vanish or finger nail polish because it may leak in to diatom and made it more difficult to see.
Hobbyst46,
Yes, it is difficult to avoid capillary effect, so I use scotch tape to fix cover slip in place.
MicroBob,
Thank you very much for your recommend technic, I will try it. It is easy to try. I am not fix it with high refractive index mountant. Beacuse it is expensive and I have not many type of diatoms to collect and fix.
Cheers,
Suphot.
Charles;
I afraid to seal cover slip with vanish or finger nail polish because it may leak in to diatom and made it more difficult to see.
Hobbyst46,
Yes, it is difficult to avoid capillary effect, so I use scotch tape to fix cover slip in place.
MicroBob,
Thank you very much for your recommend technic, I will try it. It is easy to try. I am not fix it with high refractive index mountant. Beacuse it is expensive and I have not many type of diatoms to collect and fix.
Cheers,
Suphot.