You are going to have them. Think about these factors while choosing your growspace:
1. Cleanable surface
2. Where will spilled water go? Will it damage anything?
3. Can the cat, dog, of llama get at the cultures? (yes llamas, we have had llama related issues- its a thing)
4. Will you see it regularly? You will want to walk by it a few times a day to "give it a swirl" (algae like the attention)
5. Consider trays. In our lab we often use a cafeteria tray to keep projects organized, it makes them easy to move around together, and of course- contains the spill.

Getting shocked really sucks. Our fearless founder, Matthew, had an "experience "with a Van de Graaff generator while working at Monterey Peninsula college. It gave him a healthy respect for electricity.

These are suggestions, we are not electricians. If you think you are in a dangerous spot, consult a professional.

1. Get a GFI- Ground Fault Interrupt. This gadget shuts the power off when a short is detected. Its good if you are concerned at all that you may spill water.
2. Get a power strip. You will likely need to power a light, heater, air pump. This can add up to ~100W when they are all on at the same time. Pick your supples appropriately.
3. Organize your power cords so that in the case of a spill, the water does not run to an unprotected area.

Most algae are photosynthetic (for the weird-os look up mixotrophic or heterotrophic algae).

1. An LED bulb- they work well, place cultures 1-10cm from lamp.
2. A CFL bulb- They work well also, but put out a bit more heat than the LED, place 2-15cm from lamp.
3. LED or Fluorescent shop lights. We use both of these in our shop. You really don't need fancy grow lights (unless you want to show off to your friends).
4. An incandescent light: Ask your grandparents what an incandescent lamp is. For an incandescent lamp that is 60-100W, place the flasks 5-20cm away. They create a lot of heat and can overheat the culture and possibly melt your project or worse yet, start a fire.
5. Sunlight INSIDE of double or triple panes of glass. We do NOT recommend sunlight for most algae culture, it is too much light. Light comes in at ~2000uM Photons/m2s, but algae saturate around 100. Dim it down!
6. Direct sunlight. We do not recommend this unless the total volume of the culture is more than 40L, and the culture has a Secchi Disk Depth at least 150mm. Its too much light.

Awesome lighting for classrooms or your kitchen table. Also can be used under your fish tanks to make an entire tank light up to grow algae!

The AlgaeLight from Algae Research Supply is a submersible, LED-based lighting system engineered for efficient microalgae cultivation in aquaculture settings. Operating at 24V DC, the unit includes options for a dimmer, electrical enclosure box, and grounding wire, ensuring safe and adjustable illumination tailored to various algal growth requirements.