Cyano on the moon?

csb · 03/14/2008, 07:44 AM

Apparently scientists have figured out that cyano will grow on the moon... and you thought your tank was safe. HAH!

http://space.newscientist.com/articl...unar-soil.html

cfarrow2 · 03/14/2008, 08:39 AM

That's pretty cool. They say cyanobacteria was responsible for Earth's atmosphere. Without it, we probably wouldn't be here. How are they going to supply the water to it, though? Wouldn't that be a huge logistical problem? Water is pretty heavy to be launching into space. Is there some way to create it up on the moon? I'd love to hear one of the chemists on RC to comment.

thecichlidpleco · 03/14/2008, 09:55 AM

That cyanobacteria is not the same that grows in our tanks, red slime is an actual bacteria, while almost all cyanobacteria are green.

smoothdog · 03/14/2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by thecichlidpleco
That cyanobacteria is not the same that grows in our tanks, red slime is an actual bacteria, while almost all cyanobacteria are green.

Red slime IS cyanobacteria, this speaks to the "almost all cyanobateria are green" statement as well.

more info: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanolh.html

Azazael13 · 03/14/2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cfarrow2
That's pretty cool. They say cyanobacteria was responsible for Earth's atmosphere. Without it, we probably wouldn't be here. How are they going to supply the water to it, though? Wouldn't that be a huge logistical problem? Water is pretty heavy to be launching into space. Is there some way to create it up on the moon? I'd love to hear one of the chemists on RC to comment.

You could always freeze dry the water like they do with the astronauts food!

(yes I am kidding happy Friday).

cfarrow2 · 03/14/2008, 11:53 PM

I gotta bump. I wanna hear a take by Randy Holmes Farley. Seems to know his stuff.

reefD · 03/15/2008, 12:06 AM

i love the predictable stuff that appears in a new tank...its like a fast version of the begining of time. notice the new tanks go through an algae cycle in the begining.its important as stated above on earth it was what was needed to start life ...same in our tanks ...in the begining the algae blooms must occur to make a livable envirnment! we learn so much about life in general from our tanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · 03/15/2008, 07:57 AM

I think this statement from them puts pretty big limitations on the dramatic title of the thread:

"But experiments led by Brown show that some cyanobacteria are perfectly happy growing on lunar soil, if supplied with water, air and light."

All it says is that the soil is useful as soil and fertilizer. Heck, how many people here would even have assumed the soil wasn't suitable in the first place.

I think that scientists hold out hope that there is water ice deep in craters somewhere on the moon, but it has not been found yet. Without it, any water likely has to be brought there, and that would, as mentioned above, be a huge expense. The soil itself is incredibly dry:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...e_0301112.html

LobsterOfJustice · 03/15/2008, 08:17 AM

Forget the soil and air, seems to me cyanobacteria is perfectly happy with just water and light

03/14/2008, 07:44 AM	#1
csb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 541	Cyano on the moon? Apparently scientists have figured out that cyano will grow on the moon... and you thought your tank was safe. HAH! http://space.newscientist.com/articl...unar-soil.html __________________ Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef

03/14/2008, 08:39 AM	#2
cfarrow2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Overland Park, KS Posts: 626	That's pretty cool. They say cyanobacteria was responsible for Earth's atmosphere. Without it, we probably wouldn't be here. How are they going to supply the water to it, though? Wouldn't that be a huge logistical problem? Water is pretty heavy to be launching into space. Is there some way to create it up on the moon? I'd love to hear one of the chemists on RC to comment. __________________ Happiness is contagious. What are you spreading? Current Tank Info: 55 gal. 216 W. T5s. Wet/dry sump w/ Mag 5 return. Softies, 3 fish, shrimp, urchin. HA factory for the time being.

03/14/2008, 09:55 AM	#3
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,227	That cyanobacteria is not the same that grows in our tanks, red slime is an actual bacteria, while almost all cyanobacteria are green. __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

03/14/2008, 11:53 PM	#6
cfarrow2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Overland Park, KS Posts: 626	I gotta bump. I wanna hear a take by Randy Holmes Farley. Seems to know his stuff. __________________ Happiness is contagious. What are you spreading? Current Tank Info: 55 gal. 216 W. T5s. Wet/dry sump w/ Mag 5 return. Softies, 3 fish, shrimp, urchin. HA factory for the time being.

03/15/2008, 12:06 AM	#7
reefD Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Schenectady,New York Posts: 4,968	i love the predictable stuff that appears in a new tank...its like a fast version of the begining of time. notice the new tanks go through an algae cycle in the begining.its important as stated above on earth it was what was needed to start life ...same in our tanks ...in the begining the algae blooms must occur to make a livable envirnment! we learn so much about life in general from our tanks! __________________ DAVID Current Tank Info: it has four sides and a bottom...oh yeah and it has water in it. lol

03/15/2008, 07:57 AM	#8
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	I think this statement from them puts pretty big limitations on the dramatic title of the thread: "But experiments led by Brown show that some cyanobacteria are perfectly happy growing on lunar soil, if supplied with water, air and light." All it says is that the soil is useful as soil and fertilizer. Heck, how many people here would even have assumed the soil wasn't suitable in the first place. I think that scientists hold out hope that there is water ice deep in craters somewhere on the moon, but it has not been found yet. Without it, any water likely has to be brought there, and that would, as mentioned above, be a huge expense. The soil itself is incredibly dry: http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...e_0301112.html __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

03/15/2008, 08:17 AM	#9
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Forget the soil and air, seems to me cyanobacteria is perfectly happy with just water and light __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles