HELP ME!!!!!!!

[coxmaster]

OK i just started a research project for my honors biology high school class. Does anybody have an idea for how to grow some common algae in a matter of days (or shorter??) I have lots of algae in my fish tank but none in my test jars. I have tried adding nutrients (miracle grow) and i have added light (a grow light) i still am not getting any algae. I even planted some algae from my tank. Is the problem air. If so how can i add air equally to each jar??

 

[pigs_fly]

hmmm, try doing some research on growing algae through google or something...im sure youll find some answers there. Good luck with your project

 

[TLH]

*laughingc We all try to avoid growing algae in general.Although some have more success than others.
Algae grows best in stagnant warm water.Excesses of nutrients from your Miracle Grow probably won't work if they're too high.Algae survives on the other things.High Nitrate levels are good I should think,as is Phosphate and high light levels preferably round the clock.Sunlight would be your best bet as it has the broadest spectrum.

Alternativly you could go and harvest some from your local polluted waterway,if you have one.Search out people who own ponds.If your near the sea Kelp is an algae as are alot of other seaweeds.

Hope I've helped some.

 

[Lotus]

If you use tankwater, you should get pretty fast results. Put the jars on a sunny windowsill, too. I don't know if you'll manage it in days, but it might work.

 

[coxmaster]

Thanks for all the help. Plus i think that the miracle grow should help because it is made up of nitrtes and phosphates. Plus i have a "grow light" which is supposed to be as close to real sunlight as possible

 

[S-kate]

When I was little I used to put leaves and sticks with water in a jar and leave it in the sun, with in a few days it would be full of algae. I would then catch snails and watch them eat it. I was a wierd kid. I used to catch toads, newts, snakes, turtles... So any way, leaves and sunlight. Always worked for me.

 

[ninamarie]

iw as going to sugest that you put water ina jar on a window cil and go from there.
Good luck let us knwo which route you chose

 

[Shaunna]

S-kate, I used to do the same thing. Not with the algae but catching stuff. Lol, I was 17 and my stepbrother and I were still goign to the river behinf =d our house catching tadpoles and snakes and stuff. WE used to secure little apartments oput of river rock for our tadpoles!!! lol, good times!

 

[cakelady204]

S-Kate and Shaunna you would have fit right in at my house when I was a child!!!!! We weren't allowed to watch TV and had to make our own fun. Nature has the best entertainment! I never grew out of it. Drives the rest of my family nuts!!!

 

[S-kate]

lol. I miss those days.

 

[ninamarie]

Imiss creek walking myself and catching pollywogs

 

[pigs_fly]

Geez, i sooooo miss being able to just take the afternoon and go "exploring", find little "dwarf villages", "hunt" around for that prize grasshopper, lol, I was one of those kids too - stupid college, messes up everything! lol

 

[ninamarie]

I used to catch Blue Belly lizard in the summer time at my cabin.
oo and also we would go crawdadding at night on the boom logs at the marina!!! Aww tobe 9 again

 

[coxmaster]

Thanks for all the help. I think i might have found the problem. I had added too much miracle grwo and that had killed the algae that had began growing. I just put 300 ML of tank water into my jars and i put some extra fish food and some algae to start growing. I'll give u guys a copy of my report when i finish!

 

[Shaunna]

Cool, yes, keep us posted. Would lvce to know some cool science fair projects. My niece is doing her's right now. Could use some tips.