cleaning a parvo culture

[picci]

Hi,
my parvo culture has some ciliates in it. I guess it is not so much unusual and maybe even not so much dangerous. But I still have a curiosity/question: what procedure you suggest for "cleaning" the precious culture...at leat in EU parvo culture is more valuable than diamonds
Thanks for support.
Cristina Picci

[Luis A M]

I know what you mean,here they are even more difficult/valuable
Some ciliates won´t be much of a problem;rots would be!
Keep creating new cultures every time you see naups in a 2.5 ml sample.Many cultures is an insurance against crashes!

[picci]

Luis, that's a smart suggestion....think simple, keep it simple
I will filter with a 53-11micron and something will happen.

And what about the best microscope for looking at the pods? I have a monoscope Bresser biolux 10X-1280X but the damned animals move on the slide even with the overslide (not sure if this is the proper name of the small piece you put on). I clearly saw those but just as a meteora under the lens. I read you dry the larvae without damaging them. I tried with pods but I could see only crystals of salt. I tried also with acetic acid as I read somewhere that could inebriate the pods but again without great success.
I know this question has been made here and there in different forums so again if there is one already self explicative for this, just remind me that.
Cristina

[Luis A M]

Cristina,you don´t use a compound microscope nor slides with copepods.You need a dissecting microscope,sometimes called loupe,and a large well slide.You will find it useul for watching eggs and larvae.Is your birthday close?

[picci]

Uhm, a little too early for a birthday's gift it will be mid June, so plenty of time to study the best option. I searched a little.....what about the magnification?

Cristina

[Jake Levi]

Hi Cristina

Amazon.com has slides with a little 'dish' in the center, just nice for a drop. I have always tended to start new cultures about a month old, hand dipping a starter population into a clean phyto culture. Works for me. I think ciliates have wings. As precocious as rotifers.

I also opted for a binocular mic from Amazon , one that also has a nice flat viewing screen, I rarely use the optics anymore, unless I want a rare better focus. Amazon has a very good selection of microscopes.

[picci]

Hi Jaki Levi, I think I know the kind of microscope you mention. I will try with the slides, also.

Instead, sorry, but my Engish is not so good to understand the meaning of "...hand dipping a starter population into a clean phyto culture". If you please explain in other words what you make. I think that should be also interesting.

When you say that ciliates have the wings, you mean that they fly away from the culture?
I am joking, of course
Cristina