For decades, formalin and mercuric chloride-based-polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) have been the two "standard" fixatives used by most laboratoriesfor preservation of helminth eggs and protozoan cysts and trophozoites infaecal specimens. Concerns about the toxicity of formalin and difficultyof disposal of PVA were powerful incentives to use alternatepreservatives. The present study evaluated different techniques for thefixation and staining of intestinal protozoa in faecal specimens. Faecalspecimens were preserved using three fixatives; sodium acetate -aceticacid formalin (SAF) which contains formalin, PVA which containsmercuric chloride and Ecofix which is formalin free and mercuricchloride free and were stained with iron haematoxylin stain, trichromestain and Ecostain respectively. Ecofix was found to be comparable toSAF and PVA for the visualization of protozoa in the direct smears and inpermanent staining.