I Have A Microscope!

[nehpets81]

After attending a talk by a Tetra disease consultant and following some advice on this forum I have acquired a microscope over xmas. Next time I have a fishy death I will be performing an autopsy but for now I would like to take a sample from a guppy to finally discount the notion that I have some flukes on my guppies (something is causing them to flick).

My question is, how do I go about taking a sample with the least distress for the guppy?

 

[blinky000]

Whenever I do scrapings on anything other than a goldfish, I scoop up the fish in the net and gently scrape the cover slip over the side of the fish (since the fins are generally too fragile). If you can see anything on the slide once you've scraped, you probably have enough for a decent look for something as big as flukes. As microscopic protozoan goes, flukes are the largest. Costia are pretty hard to spot so you might want to spend some time practising with it

 

[nehpets81]

Thanks for the advice - I'm finding it quite hard to see anything! What kind of magnification is best? I take it I'm basically looking for anything moving on the slide?

 

[blinky000]

The easiest way to focus is to scroll the lens all the way to the slide and then to put your eye over it and move it slightly up. When it comes into focus, move the slide around very slightly and you should see something moving. I think flukes can be seen as little as x40. Some parasites like ich don't move but I'm sure you'd know if there was ich in the tank! Another thing you could try is putting something like a bit of a feather under it and see if you can get that into focus. I was told that putting the gunk from the filter under the scope is pretty interesting too!
This is a link to my website (it's under construction so please ignore the rest of it!). It was the only place on the internet I could find multiple pictures of parasites under microscopes.
Flukes: http/www.aquariumoddities.com/goldfish/health/flukes/
Costia: http/www.aquariumoddities.com/goldfish/health/costia/
And ich if you're interested: http/www.aquariumoddities.com/goldfish/health/ich/