ecosphere ideas and help?

Question

ok i want to make an ecosphere(for those of you who dont know what that is, its a self contained ecosystem that requires no care except for proper lighting) ive seen them at brookstone with shrimp in them but i wanna go a step further and add fish. the problem is that i need fish that will be able to survive and multiply slowly in a small place(i was thinking zebra danios or guppys) but then i need something to keep the population down like a top predator so it doesnt get out of hand and they all die cause that would be bad. but hen i also need something to keep the pradator in check so it doesnt kill them all. i would also add some shrimp, snails, assort. amphipods and plants. and the container would be like either a very large glass jar or i was thinking maybe a 10gal water jug but the container has to be air tight so if you guys could help with some ideas for all of this stuff then please let me know...its more of an experiment than a pet

tell me something if they dont eat how come they last anywhere from 2-10 years

im not saying the shrimp lived for 2-10 years im saying the ecosphere has lasted that long and its only 10 years because the first one that was ever created had started 10 years ago. also if you knew alot about fish tanks you would know that bacteria grows in the gravel which breaks down ammonia into nitrites and nirtates which the plant takes in along with co2. you know earth doesnt have a filter right?
granted there may not be enough bacteria or plantlife to do this successfuly but obviously its working pretty well. and i didnt say i wanted to buy one i wanted to make one... maybe you should look into something a little more before you judge me on what i KNOW(there ill put in some caps so i look special)

i know all of that i mean it was just an idea anyway i guess i wont do it cause i dont wanna kill anything and i already have a 2 fish tanks i just wanted to see how something could take care of itself and how the animals grew and multiplied and stuff like that

Answer 1

Ecospheres are NOT adequate ecosystems for any living thing. If you consider the fact that you cannot even keep a fish POND in balance without proper maintenance, you will see that there is absolutely NO truth behind the fact that you could keep a tiny, 1/3 gallon, closed off bowl. What do you think happens to the fish poop in that tiny little container? It sits there and rots. When anything rots, it is broken down into ammonia, which is highly toxic to all animals including fish and shrimp. If there is no filter for bacteria (which break down ammonia into nitrite and later, nitrate) to colonize, the ammonia sits there, damaging the fishes' tissues like gills, mouths, eyes, fins, and mucus layer, basically neutralizing their entire immune system... In a filtered tank, this would occur, but still not on a high enough level to clean the tank completely. Until you get to an extremely large, natural body of water, human cleaning will always be necessary to keep fish alive and happy.

A tiny container like that is not NEARLY enough room to keep ANY fish. With shrimp, you are really pushing it, and you still have the issue of ammonia. The company claims that the plant will provide adequate "filtration", but they decline to mention that plants produce waste too, adding to the problem... These companies will do and sell anything to make money off of unknowing customers like yourself. Save youself the trouble and buy a 5 gallon tank for $30 and buy real fish.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: Where do you come by the idea that the shrimp would live 2-10 years? No freshwater shrimp they sell lives to be 10 years old in the wild, or in a REAL tank... Also, a small container like that has ZERO means of controlling the temperature, leading to deadly swings. They sell tropical fish and inverts, so unless you can keep them above 75*, provide water changes 3 times a week, and get NO fish, it might be possible, but from the looks of it, you just want something cheap and easy that you don't really have to do anything for... that is why people paint pictures... all that is entailed is an initial purchase, and then, enjoyment.

EDIT 2: I am fully aware that bacteria colonize the substrate, but in such a small container, there will be nowhere near enough bacteria to support it. Of course Earth doesn't have a filter. Earth also doesn't have walls around each little plot of land, preventing toxic compounds to escape. Earth is MASSIVE with all of its exosystems intertwined, allowing water to filter through the soil, rocks, BILLIONS of cubic feet of bacteria, plants, animals, and cycles (nitrogen, water, and energy) that you could never support in such a small space. Also, you making a tiny container is no different than buying one. The fact that you are making it does not affect the issue of space, lack of sufficient oxygen, and toxic compounds that will inevitibly build up.

EDIT 3: If you want something very basic, try a 1+ gallon container with LOADS of fast-growing, live plants, a 10,000K spectrum light, some liquid aquatic plant fertilizers, and a few Red Cherry or Ghost Shrimp. You have to do virtually no maintenace (maybe a water change once every month or two). I have successfully kept a few Ghost Shrimp in a 1 gallon bowl with Subwassertang (similar to Liverworts) and only cleaned it once a month. Each month, before cleaning it, I tested the water, and it came out with 0 ammonia, nitrite, and 0-5 nitrate. Basically, it can be done, but it needs a very small bioload (from animals) and a very dense concentration of fast growing plants with adequate volume, and prefferably, filtration.

Answer 2

Ecosphere Brookstone

Answer 3

Ecospheres are VERY inhumane. They don't allow for the proper gas exchange (O2 for CO2) at the surface because the surface is blocked off. It also doesn't give the creatures anything to eat. It says they will eat the algae that grows on the walls, but they won't!

Your idea will not work because fish need food to survive. Danios and guppies do not eat algae, only a few other fish species eat algae. Danios and guppies also eat their young, so that idea won't work.

An ecosphere is not a very good idea, and I do not like the people that came up with the idea. It is cruel and inhumane. Your idea will not work, so you're better off with a fishtank where you can actually feed them and let them live. E-mail me for any questions.

EDIT: Where did you find out they can last 2-10 years?

ZTM

Answer 4

giggity