I have already been ahead on reading and research before I started the project so I will back up and start from the beginning and log my findings and options as I go. I need good healthy cultures to grow a large amount of algae. I pan on doing fresh water, but I am still considering a salt water based system as the resistance in the fluid is lower.

We will want to most dense algae possible to improve any possible results of power generation.

The most dense are micro algae which are single cell organisms and more can fit happily together without blocking each others light.

information on  Chlorella Vulgaris sited source:

https://kundoc.com/pdf-estimation-of-chlorella-vulgaris-growth-rate-in-a-continuous-photobioreactor-.html

What is  Chlorella Vulgaris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorella_vulgaris

Chlorella vulgaris is a green microalgae mainly used as medical treatment in Japan. Alternatively, it has a big potential for biofuel production or as food additive.

Bioenergy[edit]

C. vulgaris is seen as a promising source of bioenergy. It may be a good alternative to the current biofuel crops, like soybean, corn or rapeseed, as it is more productive and do not compete with food production.^[9] It can produce large amount of lipids, up to 20 times more than crop,^[10] which have a suitable profile for biodiesel production.^[11] This microalgae also contains high amount of starch, good enough for the production of bioethanol.^[2] However, microalgal biofuels are still far from being competitive with fossil fuels, regarding their high production costs and controversial sustainability.^[2]