By using simple chemicals and practical non expensive methods
For making permanent slides of blue green algae you can use erythrosine bluish. Prepare its 1% concentration in 100 ml absolute ethyl alcohol by dissolving one gram of stain. Use light green 0.2% for green algae.dissolve o.2 gm of satin in 100 ml of 90% alcohol.Use other gradient as following cupric sulphate +water+galcial acteic acid+ formalin. Other methods are Fast Green F.C.F., used as a 0'5 ~ solution in glacial acetic acid. This stain gives an overall blue-green colour to the material and is permanent, but any other stain soluble in glacial acetic acid may be used if preferred. (1) Starting either with fresh or fixed material, boil in conc. nitric acid until the residue becomes white. (2) Add up to 1 g NaNO3 or KNO3 crystals to complete the oxidation. Boil again. By this stage all non-siliceous matter should have been removed but more acid may be added if required. (3) Sediment diatoms and wash in several changes of water. (4) Suspend in 95 ~ alcohol. This is solely to make stage (5) quicker and can be omitted. (5) Dry a drop of diatom suspension on a slide. Care should be taken not to overcrowd the cells. (6) Mount in styrax. Unlike Euparal, this has a refractive index which is markedly different
from that of siliceous diatom frustules and makes them stand out very clearly. At stage (4) single specimens can be selected and mounted individually if required.
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