Australia's Science Forum

Hi Chemtalk family,
One of the teachers here wish to do the experiment where a funnel and a test tube is inverted over elodea placed in a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate to catch the gases. Elodea is not available around here.
Can anyone suggest an alternative water plant to use instead?
Regards,
Lou.

Hi Loopy,

We do the same experiment here every year - and I go to our local pet shop to get elodea - different plants submerged in the fish tanks.
I hope this helps.

Di

Hi Lou,
Did you check the local aquarium supplies? I am sure that I have bought elodia from from the aquarium supplies for my pet fish in the past. (mind you, that was a few years ago!)
Ian

I have a cold freshwater aquarium set up.... contains a few australian bass, and thats where I grow my elodea supplies.Buy from pet shops.

Hi All

We areabout to do this prac Tuesday. The reference is: Nature of Biology 2 Activity Manual p16.
It calls for test tubes and corks, pond water, phenol red indicator, source of Carbon dioxide gas, ammonia solution, Elodea substitute, pH paper.
Has anyone done this prac? It only needs 1-2 drops of ammonia solution in the test tubes but gives no concentration for the ammonia solution. Should I assume 'concentrate'?

Thanks
Rita

Hi All

Here on the Southern Tablelands and South Coast Elodea is a noxious weed class 4 and it cannot be progagated or knowlingly distributed. I am growing hygrophilia in my fishtank at school for that same experiment. Check with the local list of noxious weeds in your area. I hope this helps.

Laverne

What that means is that if perchance you have a mystery source of Elodia, just tip it all onto paper towel at the end of the experiment and let it dry out and die. Then bin it - rather than tipping leaves etc down the sink.

Its the same up here when cane toads mysteriously pass away and we do autopsies on them - to determine the cause of death I'm sure you all realize . If I find a female with eggs I will clean everything with paper towel and put it all in the bin, rather than wash anything down the sink JUST in case.

Hydrilla not hydrophillia

Is Hyrdophillia like the opposite of rabies?

smiley wrote:Is Hyrdophillia like the opposite of rabies?