How best to take a closer look???

[tmbar19]

I love sitting watching my tank for hours. I want something to magnify small objects in the tank so that I can see them more clearly. I haven't heard any mention of a "spy glass" for looking at the tiniest things crawling around and growing in the cracks. What's available??? I tried 4X binoculars - nada. What's best, and what price am I looking at (sorry for the bad pun)??? Where do I find such an item? Thanks, Marianne

[Snappy]

I just use a magnifying glass and a clear acrylic box for a top down viewer. Sometimes when I am looking at my tank I even wear my glasses.

[Johnny Reefer]

^^ What he said. Except the glasses.

[woodcarver]

Hey Marianne
I sometimes use a head piece with lenses that you can push up over your head ( a bit like a welding hemet but with small frames not a complete mask) for fine detail carving. I wonder if that would serve your purpose ?
Lee Valley should carry them .
.....http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a.............Dave

[kwirky]

I've viewed my tank kinda the same way I've built home made macro cameras. Use two large (3"+) magnifying glasses.

Hold the first one so you get a clear image, but upside down (about 3" from the aquarium wall). Then use the second one anywhere from 6"-14" from the first one to inver the image back upright again. Now play around with the distance of the first one from your subject, and the second one from the first until you've got a super sized image.

Now you've got yourself a large sized low power microscope

I've also used the macro extension tube on my SLR digital camera to take a close up photo, then look at it enlarged on the computer monitor to see detail I couldn't see otherwise. Changing the levels in photoshop can bring things out you can't see as well.

Was able to identify a 1/8" sized coral hitch-hiker 20" from the front pane of glass this way

[Reefer Rob]

I once saw a little scope on the Internet that was for that very purpose. I've looked but I wasn't able to find it again when I wanted one