Cetus & BuildBuddy
Cetus
Hey, I was just looking into the genetics of bioluminescent deep‑sea organisms and thought it might be fun to see if we could harness that for a living lamp in your workshop—imagine a bio‑LED that actually glows like a jellyfish. What do you think?
BuildBuddy
Sounds fancy, but we’ll need a whole aquarium, a bio‑LED, and a lab coat. Bioluminescence takes a steady supply of oxygen, a special substrate, and those weird firefly‑like enzymes that fire up when you hit the right wavelength. If you want a “living lamp” you’ll have to keep the organism alive, feed it, and keep the light level low so it doesn’t get a sunburn. I can’t promise it’ll look like a jellyfish, but I can make sure the fixture isn’t a mess and you don’t end up with a glowing slime kitchen sink. Let me know if you want a step‑by‑step plan or just a list of what we’ll need to buy.
Cetus
Sounds doable. Here’s a quick checklist before we dive in:
- 1‑2 liters of a deep‑sea luminescent species (like some species of comb jelly or a bioluminescent shrimp);
- A small aquarium or terrarium with stable temperature (around 4‑10 °C for cold‑water species, 20‑25 °C for tropical ones);
- A recirculating pump or gentle flow to keep the water oxygenated;
- A source of the substrate that fuels the light reaction – usually a specific sugar or amino acid that the organism metabolises;
- The right wavelength light source to keep the organisms in “dark mode” so they don’t over‑excite;
- A light‑tight enclosure for the lamp, so the glow is contained;
- A small feeding routine – most bioluminescent species feed on micro‑plankton or detritus.
If you’re up for a step‑by‑step guide, let me know which organism you’re thinking of, and we can lay out the exact equipment and care schedule. If a simple list is enough, we can move straight to sourcing the stuff.
BuildBuddy
Sounds like a decent starting list. I’ll lean toward a cold‑water comb jelly—those are usually the easiest to keep quiet and they don’t demand a fancy diet. The trick is keeping the water at a steady 6 °C with a low‑flow filter that won’t suck up the jelly’s delicate arms. Make sure the tank is light‑tight; even a thin film of stray light will trigger a full‑blown glow show and mess up your “dark mode.” I’ll draw up a care schedule once you pick the exact species. If you’re up for the work, let me know and we’ll tackle the setup step by step.
Cetus
Great choice. I’m in—let’s set it up. When you have the species name, let me know and we’ll sketch the schedule and get the gear ordered. Looking forward to seeing the gentle glow.
BuildBuddy
The species we’ll target is *Aequorea victoria*, the classic green‑fluorescent jellyfish. It’s a tropical comb‑jelly, so we’ll keep the tank at 22 °C, run a gentle 5‑L per minute flow, and feed it micro‑plankton daily. I’ll draw up the daily feed, filter maintenance, and light‑cycle sheet once you confirm the species. Let me know if you’re happy with that choice.
Cetus
That’s the one I’d like—Aequorea victoria is perfect for a low‑maintenance glowing lamp. I’m happy with the plan. Let me know when the schedule is ready.
BuildBuddy
Here’s the daily rundown:
Morning (8 a.m.) – check temperature (22 °C ±0.5), verify flow at 5 L min⁻¹, add 5 mL micro‑plankton feed, record pH (7.8‑8.2).
Midday (12 p.m.) – quick water test for dissolved oxygen, add 2 mL of the glucose‑sugar mix that fuels the luciferin reaction.
Evening (6 p.m.) – gently rotate the tank to avoid settling, add a second 5 mL micro‑plankton batch, log light‑tightness check.
Night (10 p.m.) – dim any ambient lights, ensure the enclosure is sealed, note any abnormal glow.
Filter maintenance – every third day, replace the sponge media, rinse with sterile water, return to flow.
Substrate prep – keep a small reservoir of fresh glucose solution ready; replace it every other day to avoid bacterial growth. That’s it. Let me know if you want tweak on the feed volume or schedule.