12.13.14: Watching paint dry

I feel like NOTHING has changed in both columns.

I can't even make any new observations because nothing has [seemed to have] changed. 

Column #1:

Column #2:

I think MAYBE the mud level is a bit higher in column #2? If so, it's not by much:

This makes the layer of scum above the water easier to see:

Another aerial view of the scum layer in Column #2
Compared to the photos of this that I had taken previously, I guess the arrangement of gas bubbles may have changed, as some may have gone and some may have formed in a slightly different place.
I still think that the different patches of color on the scum is beautiful.

Browns and oranges and empty spaces inbetween...I think it's really pretty, and it's probably evidence that different bacteria a colonizing this scum layer. I'm sure that methanogens may still be present because the gas bubbles still exist (assuming the gas inside is methane). 

12.11.14: Why is nothing else happening?

I feel like the most exciting days of this Winogradsky column were near the beginning.
For the past week, my column has literally looked the same.

Column #1:

The mud didn't rise any higher.
The mud is still slightly orange-tinged below the red rubber band (which was speculated to be bacteria).
There is still a water layer/gab between two mud layers, more near the top of the column
There are still black-tinged spots near the bottom of the column by the gas bubbles.

Column #2:

The mud levels in column #2 never rose quite as high as they did in column #1. 

This may be due to the presence of oxygen, making it an aerobic process. I see a noticeable difference in number of gas bubbles as well, which are lesser in column #2

As a general note, there is a noticeable scum layer in column #2, but not in column #1.

Why did my water in column #2 get so turbid?

That's funny: there is still a lot of twigs and earthy plant matter in column #2. Here it is sticking out:

Ugh! Look at that scum layer resting on top of the water: 

Aerial view of the gas-bubbly scum layer, riddled with swirls and patches of copper-orange pigment.

12.9.14: An Aerial Look at Column #2's Scum Layer

The columns look the same as they did on 12.7.14, minus some minimal changes
However, I think the scum layer on Column #2 looks very interesting lately. An aerial view was taken for Column #2, but not for Column #1 (the condensation on the cellophane makes everything beneath it hard to see).

First, let's look at the notable (lack of) changes in Column #1:

I think the water layer actually dropped in level...or maybe I accidentally took the picture from a different side this time. Anyway, not much occurred besides some minimal mud-shifting. There is still some orange tinge at the top of the mud.

See the orange? And look at those gas bubbles in the pores of the mud! Wow.

Column #2 doesn't appear to have made any changes either, but here it is:

The mud levels look the same as they did two days ago, but the "scum" layer looks noticeably thicker.

See the light, frothy scum layer on top of the water layer?

Here is an aerial view of Column #2 The scum layer seems to have 2-4 noticeable gas bubbles and some discoloration. I see patches of a copper, orange-like brown color in different spots. 

12.7.14: No more changes in column

I feel like there are no more changes going on in my column...which is pretty boring.

The color is relatively the same in both columns.

Column#1:
The water segment in this photo rose to nearly the top of the column.
The mud is still porous, and the water and air pockets are almost all gone.
The cellophane is no longer bulging, so there are no more signs of gas production.

There seem to be spots that are tinges of green near the bottom of the column. I think these are green bacteria of some sort.

 Upclose view of the risen water segment:
There are spots near the top of the column that are tinted orange. Could these be new bacteria?

 Aerial view of Column #1:

Column #2:

I don't see much change in Column two, except for:

1. The mud level rose
2. The "black spots" near the top of the water level are now gone.
3. There is a scum layer on top of the water layer

One thing I have noticed between the two columns is that the mud in Column #2 is not as porous.

I also can't see any black-tinged spots in any region of Column #2.

Column #2 is exposed to oxygen because it's cap is off, so gas exchange occurs here

12.5.14: No progress...

Column #2's water layer grew much murkier than it ever was previously:

The black particles that were still present on 12.3.14 are no longer visible. There is now a layer of brown, floating particles of dirt on top of the water column. The mud has also risen considerably in Column #2, but unlike Column #1, the water column is still on top of the mud:

Column #1's water is also murkier than it was previously. No cellophane bulging. Mud is still porous. There seem to be patches of black mud/bacteria growing the mud area below the middle water layer. 

12.3.14: Rising layers in Column #1, black dots in Column #2?

Here are my two columns again! I took the cap off of Column #2 today:

Column #1's mud is really porous-looking, but that's no surprise, since it did that previously. Column #1's top water layer disappeared again. The water is distributed all along the length of the column, mostly in the middle: 

The cellophane layer on top on Column #1 isn't bulging like usual. I'm guessing the production of Methane gas stopped.

See how there is no more water layer on top of my mud?"

Column #2: Uncapped

What are these black spots on the side of this column? It looks a if it's climbing higher up the column!

12.1.14: Brought them back from Cincy and they were a bit shaken up...

Because of the transport of the columns from Cincinnati back to my apartment, my columns kinda resettled into how they looked like when I first made two columns on November 25, 2014. I virtually had no time on Monday to take a picture of my columns, but because they are similar to how they were on November 25, here is that picture again:

It was a shame that the progress that happened during Thanksgiving Break disappeared because of the car ride, but there wasn't much that could have been done.