Freshwater microbes under the microscope - compilation

#biology #relaxing #microcosmos
Freshwater microorganisms are tiny organisms that live in freshwater environments, such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. These microorganisms play essential roles in the ecosystem, including nutrient cycling, decomposition, and forming the base of many aquatic food chains.
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#aquatic #satisfying #biodiversity #aquarium #microscopiclife #relaxing #zen #cell #microorganisms #small #tiny #unseen #beautiful #compoundmicroscope

[@sunnyd9884]

ive been searching everywhere, but ive been gifted a wimpy scope for kids and could only zoom in so far, but im trying to identify what looked like a worm or a stretchy ciliate that, one moment was engulfing a piece of detritus and then started convulsing, contracting, stretching and doing flips rapidly *nonstop* for around ten seconds straight on a sample i was viewing. it came from a drop of water sucked from the sponge filter in my freshwater aquarium and i feel like ive seen it before somewhere but im just stumped

[@microbesmatter999]

If you managed to take a picture of the organism, you can try google "image search," and similar pictures will be found. I also sometimes find weird organisms on my slides that resemble a worm or conjoined ciliates, and these are usually really hard to identify. I suggest finding the phylum that this worm belongs to, like: Platyhelmintes, Nematoda, and Annelida. Then, find an image on the internet or in a book that resembles a similar organism, by describing the organism's characteristics, and then you just have to comfirm that it's the same👍

[@Ashleygeneralstuff]

Sorry to ask lots of questions - just seen a second hand microscope which starts at 200x up to 5000x - do you think 200 is too HIGH as a minimum? Will I miss things that can be seen clearly with say 100x or lower?

[@microbesmatter999]

Keep in mind that they are not telling the truth often, and 5000x - 2000x for a biology microscope is a bit unrealistic. I bought a microscope with 40x - 1000x , with a mechanical stage, and yes, some cells are clearly vissible at 100x and 40x, where the quality is much better👍

[@Ashleygeneralstuff]

@microbesmatter999 Thank you for the advice I will keep looking!

[@Ashleygeneralstuff]

How long does the sample last? If I was to get a drop or two of pond water or similar how long could I keep viewing the same drops?

[@microbesmatter999]

That's a good question. I usually keep it for 1 - 2 weeks. It depends on the vegetation you collected and how fast it rots - then bacteria or other organisms take over the whole sample.👍 - if you collect just a drop or two, then there will be no oxygen left for the organisms in the water after some time - so you need more water and try adding some small plants.

[@Ashleygeneralstuff]

@microbesmatter999 Wow! Thank you for replying. It's really fascinating to see your videos, and I'm no thinking of getting a microscope. I was bought one when I was young as a present, but never really understood how I could use it other than looking at the few prepared slides that came with it - so got quickly bored. It was a basic model, with up to 250x magnification and using a small mirror to direct daylight up through the slide. Now, I kind of wish I still had it just to see what I could from the garden - it would at least be a start.

[@TuloMicroorganism-g4q]

Are there really these creatures in the water?

[@microbesmatter999]

Yes, I recorded the most common ones here, but keep in mind, that they are only found in swamps or lakes, and not in ordinary tap water that we drink👍

[@Ashleygeneralstuff]

​@microbesmatter999 On that point I was once at a business networking event and there was a water filtration specialist explaining that bacteria can start to grow in tap water within 24 hours! So leave a glass of water out for a few days and then check under a microscope. 😊