How to avoid getting a precipitate with Giemsa staining??? - (Sep/14/2005 )

I have a bottle of Giemsa stain purchased this year. I dilute it 1:1 with pH7 buffer before use to stain smears of Lepidoptera larvae infected with microsporidia. I am plagued by extensive precipitate on the slide. Washing does not remove the precipitate. The stain was filtered before use. I used Giemsa stain years ago and never had this problem. Suggestions appreciated.
bookworm14

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Does the precipitate actually affect your staining? My slides also sometimes end up purplish on the slide but the stain looks great so I don't worry about it.

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The slides generally do look good, even great. However, the precipitate often does not wash off, even after vigorous and repeated washing. And if I want to photograph portions of the slide, the precipitate is always there in abundance to spoil the shot.
bookworm14

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