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Old 10/09/2007, 02:52 PM
Me No Nemo Me No Nemo is offline
Certified FL Aquaculture
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 1,994
Quote:
Originally posted by rwbogard
Just scrape the fish with a sterile instrument and put it on a slide. Stain with crystal violet or your choice of dye, then counterstain to scope out visible bacteria and/or parasites, if microscope does not have oil immersion. You will be able to narrow it down to parasite or bacteria (gram - or +). From this you can then identify using spread plates if handy. I can give more details on how to create your own.
I'd love more info on this. I own an LFS and we have a small lab we use to diagnose coral problems and such. I am a novice on the fish end of diagnosing problems through scrapes and such, but recently hired a UCF student who studies molecular and micro biology to work at the store so we can expand this area of knowledge. Any info or links would be greatly appreciated. Here's some of our equipment:



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"In among the branches of the corals, like birds among trees, floated many beautiful fish, radiant with metallic greens or crimsons...."
J. Beete Jukes 1842-46