Australia's Science Forum

Has anyone used the algae chlorella ? My Bio teacher is wanting to use this algae to do an experiment to estimate the rate of photosynthesis by measuring oxygen production. Southern Biological sells this culture along with culture medium, but it recommends sub-culturing every 6 weeks and the culture medium only lasts 4 weeks once it is open. So either we would have to buy a new culture every year or I was wondering if it was possible to culture it in sterile pond water? Also would another algae just taken out of a fish pond produce similar results?

Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,
I can remember doing this years ago using Elodea. I have some if you need it.
Cheers, Ellice

Are they making algae balls? We've done the experiment here for a couple of years, I scrape algae off side of pond and that works really well.

We just use algae out of a fish pond.

Kathy what are algal balls? What do you do with them? The experiment we are looking at uses a data logger to measure Oxygen and light intensity & temperature, to find a relationship between them. Is that the kind of thing you did with Elodea Elise? and with algae out of the fish pond Nicky? It would certainly be a lot easier of I could just use algae out of a fish pond ( I have plenty of that at home!)

Kathryn

Here's the algae ball prac we use.


http://www.saps.org.uk/attachments/arti ... 0balls.pdf

Just a heads up - Elodea is classified as a noxious weed and we aren't allowed to have it anymore. See attachment.
I think any pond weed should work. Our year 8's do a prac where they fill a large beaker with water, invert a funnel over some pond weed (must be completely submerged) and invert a test tube over that. The system is completely full of water. (fill the test tube with water, cover with glad wrap, then pierce the glad wrap with the top of the funnel). They are then placed somewhere safe and you can see the bubbles form on the pond weed and the gas is trapped in the test tube. The ones in the sunniest places collect more gas than the ones in shady spots. I am sure this could be modified for senior classes to use data loggers.

Hi
YAYYY I just made the algal balls. Now I'm wondering if others have made them and kept them for use at a later date? If so how did you store them. In a solution, wrapped in glad wrap? Any ideas would be most appreciated.

Hi All,

I know this is an old thread but my HOD wants me to keep some chlorella alive that she just bough until the pracs at the end of the term and next term. Any idea on how make the medium, and general care instructions. I poured off 5 ml and put it in some mineral water but I think I killed it

I just bought some clorella and the culture medium from Southern Biological. I now have a bottle of clorella (hopefully!) growing on my windowsill. If you look on the Southern Biological website there is a lot of info there on how to make a soil extract solution to grow it in. Good luck!
M

I just bought some Chorella and some Spirulina algae to grow for Algae balls and wet biomass pracs. I got the Spirulina from Spirulina Grow Company and the founder is a great help he sent me a Culture mix/ recipe to use and I grow both of the algaes well in it. I do use an aquarium air pump to bubble air threw both of them. They're growing nicely. I found that where we live its quite hot and humid and the Chorella doesn't like it that hot but the Spirulina loves it.