🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <BzH02r.7vA@ddsw1.mcs.com>, arf@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Jack Schmidling) writes:
>  
>          Winogradsky Column (Or something like that)
>  
>  Several months ago Hemant Chikarmane of Woods Hole described 
>  a fascinating sounding project for all us Mr Wizzards.
>  
>  I followed the instructions to the letter (more or less) and 
>  got exactly what I put in plus a little algae and a few 
>  emergent blades of grass.
>  
>  I seem to have lost his email address and want my money
>   back :)    Besides it is tying up a very useful graduated 
>  cylinder.
>  
>  Are you around Hermant?  Has anyone else had problems 
>  getting this going?
>  
>  js

   Yes I am still alive!  And I can certainly help you.

Some thoughts:

	1.  Try a different soil or mud sample.  Stuff from marshes (smell H2S)
     works best.  Make sure that there is plenty of decaying organic matter.
     It is possible that the soil/mud you used did not have sufficient 
     photosynthetic bacteria.

2.  Make sure the column does not dry out.  There should always be about
    3-5 cm of water above the level of the mud.

3.  Use at least a 60 W bulb to illuminate the sides of the cylinder, or keep
    in bright sunlight.

4.  A warm area (~30 C) would also help.

5.  Is there too much chlorine in your water supply?  Try adding a few
    crystals of sodium thiosulfate (photographic hypo) to get rid of chlorine.


This experiment has been done by several students over many years, and one
of them kept it going for more than a year.  Good luck.


Hemant Chikarmane                 email:  hemant@mbl.edu
Marine Biological Laboratory      Phone: (508) 548 3705
Woods Hole  MA  02543             Fax:  (508) 540-6902

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