Thread replies: 6
Thread images: 1
Thread images: 1
File: ff18d77e8f6a86b71f1264d6d8d07f7c.jpg (74KB, 595x502px) Image search:
[Google]
74KB, 595x502px
The concept of a self-contained ecosystem/terrarium is one I've always found fascinating. The furthest I've ever seen the concept taken though is a closed plant terrarium (which is just plants, and isn't that fun), or a "natural" aquarium, where a liberal planting of aquatic plants means filtration and feeding don't have to be done as much as possible, but that's not entirely self-contained.
Have there been any attempts to introduce animals (things like worms and such) and try to create a contained ecosystem with things more complex than plants? Any reading or such on the subject?
>>
>>2353168
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7XZWlywDJ8
he made a glass box with algae ad brine shrimp in it and sealed it off. its been self sustained for a while now and the shrimp i think are mating.
>>
You can't really make a closed ecosystem in the strictest sense of the world. Even a bottle garden is still semi-closed. The big problem with self contained and aquariums is DO. Without any system in place to oxygenate the water it'll become anoxic in a gradient toward the bottom of the tank and this compromises the viability of higher life. Neither plants nor algae will help against this.
The closest you can get is creating an algae farm and seeding it with zooplankton and gastropods. You can do this with an algal culture, or you can go to a pond in your local area that you know has been subject to algal blooms in the summer and scoop a bit of sediment + water into a jar. This is the same process for creating a winogradsky column but without any additives like sulfur or calcium. Depending on how much organic matter you take with your sediment sample, you can cultivate a rich community of cyano + algae in some months. This can then be seeded with zooplankton from your local aquarium store or (my favored solution) taking some water from a local lake.
Sealing it off completely is a bad idea. You want gas exchange, or bad things can happen in the long term like your vessel exploding. Algae produce a LOT of excess oxygen that quickly floats to the surface.
>>
>>2353168
>Have there been any attempts to introduce animals (things like worms and such) and try to create a contained ecosystem with things more complex than plants?
What you're looking for OP is called a "Vivarium"
Which is a terrarium with animals in it.
At a minimum they normally have plants, a decomposer like springtails, and something like dart frogs.
They aren't entirely self-contained though. You'll always need to keep adding water and additional food for the animals.
>>
>>2353192
https://eco-sphere.com/
As long as it has light, it lives.
>>
>>2353239
Ecospheres only really have a 3-10 year lifespan depending on when the shrimp die off. You'd be better off with a mason jar and some coral.
Thread posts: 6
Thread images: 1
Thread images: 1