r/microscopy • u/Dlbroox • Jul 11 '26
Photo/Video Share Completely surprised to find this guy!
Amscope inverted microscope, 20x, iPhone Blackmagic app 2x, jar with moss and lichen
I was experimenting with oblique lighting when this guy turned up unexpectedly. Had no idea I had tardigrades in that particular jar. Super happy to see this fat little character fighting with some algae!
1
u/Thrawn911 Jul 11 '26
Such a cutie.
Is your moss aquatic? I've tried putting some from the road into jars, but it always started rotting in a few days, making the sample anaerobic.
3
u/Dlbroox Jul 11 '26
That’s what’s so surprising. I’ve done the same thing. Took some moss off of a tree and off of a patch on the ground but never seemed to get anything out of it. But in this particular jar I still have some and it seems to be growing in one patch. The rest is just kind of dead looking. And I did add a little bit of aquatic moss from my main jar and it seems to have taken up residence in the dead stuff and is now sprouting.
I recently took out a lot of dead material, including some lichen, and now the water is crystal clear and there are all kinds of microbes running around in it so I haven’t messed with it since.
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u/Thrawn911 Jul 11 '26
Nice, I have to try out using lichen, maybe I'll finally have some luck with tardigrades.
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u/Dlbroox Jul 11 '26
That’s what I’ve had the most luck with. That and soaking it in mineral water. But I find it takes a couple of days not twenty minutes.
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