The last time I recall seeing a Volvox was as a teenager in Winnipeg so I was pleasantly surprised to find one in a sample from a pond in a local park. These globe shaped spherical colonies of thousands of green algae are difficult to image effectively. I tried to collect enough images for stacking but the constant movement of the colony thwarted my best efforts. Hopefully this picture gives some idea of the shape (darkfield insert) and the individual flagellates that make up the colony. (The bright green globes inside are daughter colonies.)
Nikon Coolpix 4500
Zeiss Photomicroscope II
Leitz Periplan 10x/18 (519488)
Nikon CFN Planapo 4x/0.20 (insert)
Zeiss Plan-Neofluar multi-immersion phase 25x/0.80
Zeiss achromatic-aplanatic VZ NA 1.4 phase condenser
Electronic flash – phase contrast
Paint Shop Pro 7.0 – auto contrast
Rare find (for me)
Moderators: MacroMike, nzmacro, Ken Ramos, twebster, S. Alden
Nice Never seen one personally Ron, would like to someday soon. You did a very good job with this, stacked or not. Thanks
Site Admin.
Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.
Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.
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Congratulations and a very nice set of images!
Ron, it is worth trying to find out waters of good quality. Isn't there an institution where they observe and document the water quality near you? They might give you tips where to find special water conditions. I think nutrient poor conditions give different and perhaps contains more species than water with a lot of nutrients.
Wim
Ron, it is worth trying to find out waters of good quality. Isn't there an institution where they observe and document the water quality near you? They might give you tips where to find special water conditions. I think nutrient poor conditions give different and perhaps contains more species than water with a lot of nutrients.
Wim
I was definitely lucky to find Volvox, thanks for the feedback on the images - I would have killed to get stackable DF images!
Wim, I agree nutrient rich habitats tend to have less diversity and, in many cases, more biomass then more balanced habitats. I live in suburbia so finding a clean pond means traveling at least 30 miles or so. The local government does a bit of sampling but not enough to find suitable habitats. They are “fish driven” – ponds are not on their radar.
Wim, I agree nutrient rich habitats tend to have less diversity and, in many cases, more biomass then more balanced habitats. I live in suburbia so finding a clean pond means traveling at least 30 miles or so. The local government does a bit of sampling but not enough to find suitable habitats. They are “fish driven” – ponds are not on their radar.
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I understand, Ron,
I also live in a big city and I have to travel far too! But if you know a marsh with good water it could be worth a trip because these waters and the algae in it can be kept alive and healthy for a very long time. The acidity prevents that it decayes fast. I had a dish with Micrasterias and half a year later they were still there!
Wim
I also live in a big city and I have to travel far too! But if you know a marsh with good water it could be worth a trip because these waters and the algae in it can be kept alive and healthy for a very long time. The acidity prevents that it decayes fast. I had a dish with Micrasterias and half a year later they were still there!
Wim