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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #142



 
> From: George Booth <booth at hpmtlgb1_lvld.hp.com>
> Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 09:05:54 -0600
> Subject: Re: Diffusion coefficients
> 
> > I wonder if there is any way we could make use of an electric field
> > in an aquarium like maybe to pull nutrients around with?  Maybe it
> > would make the plants grow better!
> 
> As luck would have it, I have done just such an experiment.  I would
> NOT recommend that anyone try to duplicate these results at home.
> Even though I am a trained professional, there were some well known
> unfortunate consequences of the experiment when it was first performed
> 40 months ago.

> The next day, it appeared that the slime algae had disappeared but on
> closer examination noted a discoloration of the plant leaves where the
> algae had been.  They appeared to be a yellowish color.  We removed
> the plant from the tank and brushed the leaves where they were
> discolored.  The yellow color came off as a thin film with a metallic
> sheen.  As silly as this sounds, it appeared to be gold leaf.  We took
> a few of the samples down to the local assay office and are eagerly
> awaiting the results.  It looks like this hobby may finally pay off!

George...  Thanks for the shocking results.  Hope that you are really 
careful this time, 'cause I'm not sure how many lives you have left.

I actually think the gold stuff might be pyrite, aka "fool's gold", aka
FeS, the Fe being from all those dupla drops you add, and the S from the
H2S that seemed to start to stream out of my monitor when I saw this note
(again.)

Best wishes,

Craig