Project work in biology on the topic “Aquarium - artificial ecosystem” (grade 5). Closed Aquarium How to Create a Sustainable Ecosystem in an Aquarium
An aquarium is like an artificial ecosystem.
Mishustin Dmitry 3 "B"
An ecosystem is a unity of living organisms and their habitat, in which living organisms of different “professions” are able to jointly maintain the circulation of substances.
An aquarium is a model of a fresh water body, where almost all biological processes characteristic of fresh water bodies take place.
An aquarium is considered an ecosystem because it contains all its components - air, water, soil, producers, consumers, destroyers. It is considered artificial because it is created by human hands and not by nature. 
The “producers” in aquariums are plants. They can be either aquatic flowering plants (Wolfia, Duckweed, Hygrophila, Cabomba carolina) or algae (Spirogyra, Xenococcus, Cladophora). They help establish harmony in the water. If the algae take root well and correctly, then the water in the aquarium is crystal clear and transparent.
The “consumers” in aquariums are fish. Fish can be either warm-water or cold-water. They cannot be placed in the same aquarium, as they need different temperature conditions. The warm-water group includes swordtails, gambusia, callichts, gourami, guppies, zebrafish, macropods, mollienisia, and cichlids.
Cold-water aquarium species include a group of fish adapted to the life and conditions of a room, unheated aquarium. The most ancient representatives are crucian carp (goldfish), veiltail, loach, telescope.
The walls of the aquarium are gradually covered with a green coating - tiny algae. They block the light. Then the “destroyers” living in aquariums come to the rescue. They are snails that clean algae from glass. Snails also eat dead fish and the remains of live food, preventing the water from spoiling.
In addition to fish, other animals are also placed in aquariums. These are turtles and crayfish. But keeping them together with fish is not advisable, as they eat them and harm the plants. Therefore, they require special content.
The ecosystem of each aquarium is unique and depends on a huge number of factors. If you follow the simplest rules, your underwater world will turn out to be truly stable and will delight the eye for a long time. 1 Lacheva A.A.
Smirnova A.A. 1 1
Salova N.K. 1 Municipal“Secondary school of the village of Yaroslavka” NMR
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1. Introduction.
“For an enthusiastic and curious person, an aquarium is not only an aesthetic pleasure, but also an excellent opportunity to acquire knowledge from a wide range of people; it is a small window into a large, complex and amazing world living beings" (A. S. Polonsky).
The concept ecosystem is usually applied to natural objects of varying complexity and sizes: taiga or small forest, ocean or small pond. Complexly balanced natural processes operate in them. There are also biological systems created artificially. An example is the ecosystem of an aquarium, the necessary balance in which is maintained by humans. An aquarium is a small artificial ecosystem, the structure of which differs little from the natural one. The components of an ecosystem are a biotope and a biocenosis. In an aquarium, the inorganic nature (biotope) is water, soil, and their properties. It also includes the volume of space in the aquatic environment, its mobility, temperature, illumination and other parameters. The necessary properties of the environment are created and maintained by humans. He feeds the inhabitants of the aquarium and takes care of the cleanliness of the soil and water. Thus, it creates only a model of the ecosystem, and its stability depends on how well all conditions are taken into account.
Goal of the work : study the influence of environmental factors on the stability of the aquarium ecosystem.
Determine the importance of abiotic factors in a school aquarium, compare them with optimal ones;
Describe functional groups aquarium organisms, their influence on each other
Draw a conclusion about the stability of the aquarium ecosystem
The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that aquariums are widely used as an original element of the interior in apartments, institutions, and schools. At the same time, it causes a lot of trouble in caring for its inhabitants. During the classes of the Young Ecologist association, we looked at the aquarium as an ecological system and decided to find out the importance of various factors on its sustainability. Research hypothesis: if you arrange an aquarium taking into account the laws of natural ecological systems, then the balance in it will be maintained for a long time and it will require minimal care.
Research methods:
Observation
Measurement
Light microscopy
Collection of literary sources
Use of Internet resources
Equipment:
Digital microscope
Digital camera
Biological microlaboratory
Digital laboratory Relaf Late
Analytical balances
2. Main content
2.1 Abiotic factors
The preparation of the aquarium begins with the soil. Plants take root in the soil, from it they take minor nutrition, and dirt is retained on its surface. River sand and gravel are usually used as soil. Ordinary dark-colored river sand of medium or coarse grain is placed on the bottom of the aquarium in one layer 4-5 cm thick. The sand is pre-washed, stirring vigorously until the drained portions of water become transparent. We use coarse river sand and river pebbles, and always boil them for 1 hour. You can add a little clay under the layer of sand; this has a positive effect on the development of plants.
The main parameters and indicators of aquarium water quality are:
Water hardness (hD);
Hydrogen index (pH);
Availability of dissolved oxygen
Temperature
The hardness of aquarium water (hD) is due to the presence of calcium and magnesium carbonates and bicarbonates in it. Their concentration makes up the total hardness, which can be divided into temporary (KH) and permanent (GH). Temporary hardness of aquarium water (KH) is the concentration of carbon dioxide salts of calcium and magnesium. This hardness can change throughout the day and depends on the intensity of photosynthesis. The permanent hardness of aquarium water (GH) is the amount of dissolved sulfates and chlorides of calcium and magnesium. When such water is boiled, the concentrations of these cations and anions practically do not change - hence the name “constant hardness”. Water hardness is essential for the life of aquarium fish, since calcium and magnesium salts are used to build the skeleton. For different types of aquarium fish, water hardness indicators are different, most feel comfortable at a hardness of 3-15° hD, changing it in one direction or another can lead to a deterioration in the well-being of the fish, to disruption of the function of reproduction and fertilization of eggs.
The general hardness of aquarium water is measured in German degrees (hD). 1° hD is 10 mg of calcium oxide in 1 liter of water.
Aquarium water with hardness parameters:
from 1 to 4° hD - very soft;
from 4 to 8° hD - soft;
from 8 to 12° hD - medium hardness;
from 12 to 30° hD - very hard;
In the village of Yaroslavka, the water is very hard, we reduce it by filtration, using an Argo filter and settling for 1-2 days. Measuring the total hardness of aquarium water by titration with a soap solution shows water hardness in the range of 7-8 hD.
(Measurements were carried out 2 times a month for five months). The hydrogen index of water (pH) determines the neutral, acidic and alkaline reaction of water. Aquarium water with pH parameters: - from 1 to 3 - strongly acidic; - from 3-5 sour; - from 5-6 slightly acidic; - 7 neutral; - 7-8 slightly alkaline; - 10-14 highly alkaline. Most aquarium fish prefer a pH between 5.5 and 7.8. If necessary, the acidity of the water can be changed: if it is necessary to reduce it, acidify the water with peat infusion; if you need to increase it, use baking soda. We check the acidity of aquarium water using the pH indicator of the Relab Lite digital laboratory; it is 7.76 (at the time of measurement on 02/05/18) and ranges from 7.3-7.8.
Oxygen is necessary for the life of all inhabitants of the aquarium. There are scientific calculations showing that oxygen molecules from the air bordering the surface of the water can only deepen by no more than 1.86 cm per day due to the diffusion process. It's very slow. In order to dissolve enough oxygen in the water for the life of the aquarium, the aquarium water must be artificially saturated with oxygen. This is done with the help of special aquarium compressors and filters. The oxygen content in the aquarium water should be from 5 - 7 ml/l of oxygen for demanding fish, 3 - 4 ml/l for unpretentious ones. However, there is usually no urgent need to specifically test water for oxygen content. If the fish groom each other, show other forms of activity, are brightly colored and eat normally without panting (that is, without rising to the surface with heavy and frequent breathing) after eating, then everything is fine with oxygen in the aquarium. If necessary, you can find out about the lack of oxygen using 3% hydrogen peroxide from a pharmacy. If its addition to the aquarium in an amount of 15 ml per 100 liters causes a noticeable revival of the fish, lowering them into the lower layers of water where they had not swam before, then there was not enough oxygen in the aquarium. Consequently, water aeration is not ensured or the aquarium is very overcrowded. Our aquarium has an internal filter with an air pumping function; it provides an oxygen concentration of 5-6 ml/l. (calculated by the filter manufacturer for aquariums with a volume of 130 liters), this is the volume of our aquarium.
Water temperature
Fish are cold-blooded animals, the full functioning of which is ensured by the constant temperature of the water in their habitat. The body temperature of the fish exceeds the water temperature by about 1 o. Changing the temperature of the habitat directly affects the health of cold-blooded organisms. All types of fish have their own upper and lower threshold t o. Fish are sensitive to those parameters that go beyond acceptable limits. When the boundary is violated by a few degrees, the health of the fish deteriorates sharply. Frequent and sharp changes temperatures negatively affect their well-being. To support optimal mode temperatures in the aquarium, you need to know the permissible temperature conditions for warm-water and cold-water fish. For warm-water fish, water temperatures below 18-20 degrees are considered unacceptable. Aquarium fish in this category are able to survive in lower ranges for a long time. But this fish requires a lot of oxygen and space, good aeration is necessary. For cold-water fish, an unheated aquarium is suitable; 14-25 degrees is the maximum for them. They also need plenty of dissolved oxygen. A slow change of 2-4 degrees does not lead to tragic consequences. Our aquarium is multi-species, but almost all types of fish (except gold) are warm-water, so the thermometer automatically maintains a temperature of 25 degrees.
The intensity and duration of lighting affects both fish and the condition of plants, and it is much more important to them. Excessive duration and low intensity leads to the appearance of algae, which multiply very quickly and cover not only higher plants, but also the walls of the aquarium and decorative elements. Specialized fluorescent lamps are used for lighting. Comfortable aquarium lighting ranges from 0.5-0.65 W/liter. With this lighting, most plants feel comfortable, and fish acquire brighter and more contrasting colors. In our aquarium, two fluorescent lamps are fixed into the lid. When lighting an aquarium, the following rules must be observed: 1. Do not install the aquarium in a place where direct sunlight falls - this will lead to the emergence of a huge number of different microscopic planktonic algae and to water blooming.2. The duration of lighting should vary between 9-12 hours a day.
2.2 Biotic factors
2.2.1 Producers
In an aquarium, as in natural ecosystems, there must be three functional groups of organisms: producers, consumers and decomposers. The stability of the aquarium ecosystem depends on their optimal combination. The role of plants in an aquarium is enormous. They are suppliers of oxygen, which fish and plants themselves breathe, and, no less important, consumers of carbon dioxide released by both - all this occurs in different quantities depending on the time of day. Plants, especially small-leaved ones, play the role of natural filters that retain the smallest particles suspended in water. organic matter. In addition, they are necessary as shelters for small, physically weak fish and as a substrate (base) for laying eggs during the spawning of egg-laying fish. Lush soft vegetation is an irreplaceable source of natural vitamins, microelements and other biologically active substances. Using a digital microscope, we discovered single-celled algae Chlamydomonas and Chlorella in the aquarium. Chlorella has a spherical shape, its size is from 2 to 10 microns. It is an active producer of biomass with a high percentage of complete protein, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Clusters of these algae form a green coating on the walls of the aquarium and on the stones. Chlorella enriches water with oxygen and is food for some ciliates. Chlamydomonas is a unicellular algae of an oblong pear shape. Its nutrition can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic. Thus, under conditions of sufficient illumination, solar energy is absorbed during photosynthesis, and organic substances are synthesized in the algae cell. With a lack of light, the algae is able to absorb organic substances dissolved in water through the cell wall, switching to a heterotrophic type of nutrition and thus participates in the biological purification of water. Riccia liver moss floats on the surface of the water, which participates in the exchange of mineral and organic substances, creates shade, and is a good shelter for fry; Simple ciliates reproduce well in it, and this is an excellent food for small fish. The remaining plants belong to the higher ones and are divided into three groups: floating on the surface of the water (small duckweed); floating in the water column (Elodea canadensis, Elodea serratus) and those that take root in the ground (Vallisneria spiralis, Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus).
2.2.2 Consumers
The main consumers in the aquarium are fish. They are represented by the following species: black mollies, Ancistrus catfish, Tarakatum catfish, Angelfish, gold fish, Tetra, marbled gourami, Labeo. Gourami are labyrinth fish, they have a special organ - a labyrinth. He performs very important function: allows individuals to breathe atmospheric air without filtering oxygen from the water with their gills. That is why they have a high survival rate. There are a total of 20 fish in the aquarium - this is the optimal number for a 150 liter aquarium. In addition to fish, the aquarium has snails - melania, ampullaria, coils and microscopic animals:
Unicellular - Ciliates (Ciliates-Trumpeter, Spirostomum, Ciliates - slipper, Suvoiki, Stilonychia); Testate amoebas (Arcella, Nebela).
Multicellular organisms: different kinds water mites of different colors, as well as roundworms - vinegar eels.
2.2.3 Decomposers
They are represented by saprophytic bacteria; Chlamydomonas, testate amoebas, catfish, and snails feed on detrital particles.
2.3 Characteristics of feeding methods and food chains in the aquarium ecosystem
Aquarium plants feed on soil and via photosynthesis; The fish receive ready-made food; its quantity must be strictly limited, since leftover food can cause water spoilage. Among ciliates, there are species that are omnivorous (polyphagous) and those with a narrower food specialization (monophagous). Examples of polyphages include trumpeter and stilonychia, which feed on unicellular algae, bacteria, and small species of ciliates. Other ciliates prefer homogeneous food (plant or animal). For example, the slipper and suvoika feed mainly on bacteria and decay products, and stylonychia mainly eats small ciliates. Testate amoebas feed on unicellular algae, bacteria, and detritus particles; nematodes - plant foods and bacteria; Ticks are typical predators. Thus, in the aquarium there are all functional groups of organisms - producers, consumers of various orders, decomposers; they form many food chains, for example:
Algae nematodes fish Algae ciliates fish Detritus bacteria ciliates - slipper stylonychia mite Ciliates - slipper mollusks Chlamydomonas ciliates - slipper daphnia; Green algae labeo; Bacteria Daphnia neon
The food chains in the aquarium are short, since a constant supply of fish food by humans is necessary. Since it is known that only 1% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to another, the number of trophic levels that can be supplied by energy accumulated in feed is limited. And therefore, chains in aquariums are characterized by the presence of 2-4 links.
2.4 Sustainability of the aquarium ecosystem
In order for fish to live long and even bear offspring, it is necessary to maintain biological balance in the aquarium. Biological balance is understood as a state of the aquatic environment in which the waste products of fish and other inhabitants have time to break down without causing them harm, and physical properties water (transparency, color, etc.) remain almost unchanged.
Our aquarium is a sustainable ecosystem because we planned it wisely:
Correctly selected soil and equipment; - Types of plants, fish, shellfish and their quantity correspond to the conditions of abiotic factors; - All parameters of the aquatic environment are regularly monitored and adjusted if necessary.
Due to the fairly large species diversity of all the inhabitants of the aquarium, its ecosystem is very stable and requires minimal care.
3. Conclusion
While completing the project, we studied the rules for setting up an aquarium, learned how to prepare temporary microspecimens, work with digital equipment, care for the inhabitants of the aquarium and conduct observations of them, and present the results of our work.
We were very fascinated by this work, and we identified directions for further research:
Influence of environmental factors on aquarium inhabitants
Studying various forms reproduction and development of aquarium inhabitants
Bibliography
1. V.V. Sivkova. A new type of student's handbook.
2. V.F. Natalie. Zoology of invertebrates, Moscow, “Enlightenment” 1975.
3. K. Willie. Biology, Moscow "Mir", 1974.
4. Life of Animals, volume 1, Moscow, “Enlightenment”, 1987 (edited by Yu.I. Polyansky).
5. V.P. Gerasimov. Invertebrate animals (study at school). M., Education, 1978.
6. M.A. Kozlov, I.M. Oliger. School Atlas-identifier of invertebrates.
M. "Enlightenment", 1991.
Internet resources:
http://ru/wikipedia.org
http://www.aqa.ru/fo...
Annex 1
Appendix 2
"Aquarium plants"
Chlorella Chlamydomonas
Vallisneria Elodea
Riccia Echinodorus
Cryptocoryne Duckweed
Appendix 3
Microorganisms
Trumpeter Spirostomum
Suvoiki Stylokhiniya
Nebella Water Mite
Arcella ciliate slipper
Appendix 4
Black Mollies Marbled Gourami
Catfish Tarakatum Goldfish
Catfish Ancistrus Labeo
If someone wants to make something bright for themselves and their children visual material about sea life and environment, we will have to start creating a self-sustaining aquatic ecosystem. It will function independently without any external intervention. In addition, this is a stunning decorative element that will decorate any room.
Shrimp feed on algae, which in turn use shrimp waste products as food. The water for the project is best taken from a pond or river, as it contains enough algae and other beneficial microorganisms. The ecosystem will function better with a vent. This will ensure gas exchange with external environment. With proper ventilation, the ecosystem can function for ten years or even longer!
Step 1. Gathering the necessary materials.
Glass jar with anti-corrosion lid;
- pebbles or sand for an aquarium;
- fresh water from the pond;
- plants for breeding and sheltering shrimp.
shrimp and/or snails, good choice There will be species such as Ghost Shrimp, Cherry Shrimp and Japanese Algae-eater.
Advice. If pond water is not available, then regular tap water can be used instead, but a jar of water must be prepared at least a day in advance so that the water purifies itself. For nutrition, shrimp need either algae from pond water or a special algae base before the plants produce it themselves.
Step 2: Drill a hole in the lid of the jar for better ventilation
You need to be careful, drilling into glass can be very dangerous. Use a special glass drill and glasses to protect your eyes.
Step 3: Washing the jar
Step 4. Bottom of the jar
Place 5 cm of pebbles, sand or gravel at the bottom of the jar. The thickness of the soil layer should be sufficient to plant plants in it.
Step 5: Fill the jar with water
Collect fresh water from a pond or river.
Step 6. Water in a jar
Fill the jar halfway with water.
Advice. If there is no water from a pond or river, then use filtered water or regular tap water. However, in this case, place 1 or 2 special “pads” of algae base on the bottom of the jar, which can be purchased at any pet store. The number of bases depends on the size of the jar. Keep the jar open for 24 hours to allow all the chlorine to evaporate.
Step 7. Immerse the bag of shrimp and/or snails in the jar for 15-30 minutes
This will allow the temperature in the bag to adjust to the temperature of the water in the jar, minimizing the stress on the shrimp caused by sudden changes in temperature.
Step 8. Planting plants in the ground
Step 9: Place the Shrimp in the Jar
Using a net, remove the shrimp from the bag and carefully place them in the jar.
Step 10: Filling the Jar with Water
Fill the jar with pond water, leaving it about 2 cm short of the top.
Do not leave too much air space in the jar as this will cause white deposits to appear on the jar. internal walls banks.
Step 11: Enjoy the Ecosystem!
Keep the jar in the house at room temperature and the ecosystem will exist for several years.
Advice. Avoid exposing the jar to direct sunlight, which can cause excessive algae growth. There is no need to feed the shrimp at all, as they feed on algae. If you do not allow direct contact with the can sun rays, then you won’t have to add water to it.
If there is excessive algae growth, add another shrimp or snails to the jar. Over time, the ecosystem will reach a balanced state in which waste from one organism can be used as food for another. This great way Show children how the larger ecosystem processes nutrients. Plants convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into oxygen, and bacteria turn waste into nutritious soil for plants. Humans and animals, in turn, breathe oxygen and eat plants, and these nutrients are absorbed into the tissues.
For those for whom the volume of the jar is not enough, we suggest having an aquarium, and the larger the better. It will allow you to engage in amazing art whose beauty simply takes your breath away.
Ministry of Education of the Penza Region
GAPOU PA "Penza Agro-Industrial College"
Individual project
"Aquarium is a closed ecosystem"
Specialties: “Land and property relations”
Kulazhenkova Elizaveta
Head: ecology teacher
Voronkova S.V.
Penza, 2017
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………4
Theoretical part ……………………………………………………………...5
Types of closed ecosystems........................................................................ ....................5
1.2 Florarium………………………………………………………................................. ..........6Practical part ……………………………………………………….………9
2.1Aquarium with a closed ecosystem……………………………….……....13
2.2Aquaponics……………………………………………………….…......15
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….…….....17
Literature and sources ……………….……………………………….…….....18
Introduction
How great it is to watch fish swimming peacefully in your home aquarium in the evenings. It's so relaxing. However, how unbearable it is to constantly monitor the cleanliness of this reservoir! How annoying the smell of fish food can sometimes be, especially for people with allergies! How much financial resources do you need to spend to maintain the “reservoir” in your apartment in decent condition! To a similar " headache“Not all nature lovers agree. American residents also seem to be against it. It is not for nothing that a closed aquarium was recently invented in America.
A closed aquarium does not require any maintenance. This alone makes you smile and think that inviting sea creatures into your home is not a bad idea at all. Further more. Closed aquariums are small in size, approximately 30 cm in diameter. They are an excellent interior decoration. Aquaworld can be placed in the house on a shelf or in the office on a desktop. An enclosed aquarium will look great in a children's room. There is no need to be afraid that children will accidentally break the product. Aquamir is absolutely sealed and durable.
You are probably wondering what is in this miniature water world? In fact, the aquaworld is a copy of the biosystem of our planet, or rather, it is an ecosystem that lives according to the laws of the biosphere. Nothing gets into it and nothing leaves the aisles of the aquaworld. All the necessary processes necessary for the existence of the inhabitants of a confined space take place inside it.
Goal of the work: design and create a miniature ecosystem.
Tasks:
1.Study the history of the creation of closed ecosystems.
2.Develop and create your own miniature ecosystem.
Subject of study: closed ecosystems.
Relevance: Currently, the world is actively searching for opportunities to reduce the anthropogenic impact on the natural environment and preserve its integrity for future generations. One of the main ways to solve this issue is the creation of highly productive food production technologies that will reduce the load on natural ecosystems. In many countries, aquaculture, especially integrated fish farming, plays a prominent role in food production. One of the technologies of the future, designed to provide the population with natural, environmentally friendly food without harmful effects to nature, is aquaponics. Aquaponics is an integrated technology for the joint cultivation of valuable species of fish and cultivated plants. Commercial development of aquaponics systems requires large initial investments, which are necessary for the construction of greenhouses and ponds. But the profitability of the method is also great. Considering that environmentally friendly products are becoming increasingly popular and the demand for them is constantly growing.
Theoretical part
1.1 Types of closed ecosystems
An ecosystem is a collection of living organisms that different types in a certain area of the biosphere, which are connected not only with each other, but also with the components of inanimate nature through the cycle of substances and energy conversion. It can be natural and artificial.
Natural ecosystems (forests, steppes, savannas, lakes, seas and others) are a self-regulating structure.
Artificial ecosystems (florarium, aquariums, aquaponics and others) are created and maintained by humans.
Fig.1 florarium Fig. 2 aquarium with shrimps
Fig. 3 aquaponics
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1. 2Florarium
This is a miniature ecological system in the house.
A closed transparent container in which the main inhabitants are plants.
The earliest prototype of a modern florarium was created in 1830,and it happened completely by accident.Subsequent experiments showed that many plantsare able to grow and develop excellently in closed glass containers.
Fig.4 David Latimer
Pensioner David Latimer from England has been growing a garden in a bottle for 53 years!The last time he watered it was no less than 40 years ago.
Florariums can be different not only in shape and size, but also placed in the form of compositions of several vessels with plants in one place. Such terrariums are made from solid And - both by the factory method and with the help of improvised means and utensils: broken incandescent lamps, decorative vases and laboratory or spherical . The opening of the container at the top is narrowed or closed. There are also florariums that visually resemble aquariums. Inside, plant compositions are created that resemble natural landscapes in appearance. Florariums come in tabletop, floor, wall and hanging varieties.
An important condition for florariums is to maintain a certain constant temperature and humidity inside. Additional lighting and heating are provided by specialized equipment.
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Rice. 5 terrarium from household dishes Fig.6 hanging florarium
Fig.7 florarium from an incandescent lamp
7
Many people enjoy not only contemplation, but also the process of caring for their green pet. London designer Samuel Wilkinson is also a proponent of this activity. But old-fashioned watering cans and pots open ground got tired and he found hisan interesting way to grow house plants - a digital terrarium
Rice. 8 Digital Terrarium BiomeA closed ecosystem with regulated conditions has been created inside it. The terrarium connects remotely to a tablet or laptop. All parameters inside the flask are displayed on a convenient interface, and with just one click of a buttonyou can adjust the light, water, or add nutrients to the soil.But in reality everything is much simpler!
Practical part
To create an ecosystem in a sealed vessel you will need:
1. Plants
What to choose? The most suitable options are moss, tradescantia, small sprouts of chlorophytum and fern. You can use other plants, the main selection criteria are slow growth, unpretentiousness and compatibility of plants with each other. For example, cactus and moss are unlikely to get along in the same vessel.
My option: moss, clover and a couple of small sprouts of knotweed dug up in the park (purely as an experiment), as well as soleirolia bought in a store, which also loves moist air and does not favor direct sunlight.
2.Vessels
It all depends only on your imagination and capabilities. You can choose anything from the notorious light bulbs to huge bottles. I even saw a version with a two-liter bottle online plastic bottle. The main thing is that it can be sealed. For these purposes, I took a 500 ml chemical flask and a kitchen jar for bulk products.
3. Soil and drainage
The soil can be used universally for indoor plants, or, if you only take plants from the street, dig up the soil in which they originally grew. I dug up the clover along with a piece of earth into which the roots had sprouted.
Drainage - expanded clay, fine gravel or crushed stone, pieces of ceramics. In general, any material that does not rot and does not retain water. Sand is optional.
4. Stopper/cap and sealant
If your vessel is sealed with a stopper, then no sealant is needed.
Again, whatever suits your taste. The main thing is not to rot.
Now about the manufacturing process.
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Next we fill in the soil. The layer depends on the type of plant. Moss, for example, does not require a lot of soil, but plants with a developed root system will need a layer depending on their size. In my case, 1 cm was quite enough for a jar (there will be clover with its own soil and moss) and about 1.5 cm for a flask (in addition to moss, I will plant saltwort there).
I placed a few more pebbles on top of the soil just like that. Wide neck - less problems.
Now you can plant the plants. We simply place the moss on the ground and press it lightly; for other plants we make holes in the ground, place the roots in it and cover it with soil. You can compact the soil on top a little, but only a little. For vessels with a narrow neck, long tweezers or a pair of chopsticks and the skill of eating sushi will be very useful.
The contents of the flask seemed too dull to me, so I decided to dilute the landscape with a homemade sign made of polymer clay (the “plates” are made of polymer and glued with superglue to a toothpick, everything is painted with acrylic, this will be sufficient moisture insulation for the toothpick
Next, the whole thing needs to be watered. The amount of water can only be determined experimentally, and this is perhaps the most difficult moment. So that such an ecosystem makes you happy for a long time, the amount of water should be sufficient for plant life, but not too much so that the contents do not turn into a swamp. I would advise you to keep your plants unclogged for a day after the first watering, then close the lid tightly and leave for another 12 hours. After that, look at the situation inside.
For example, for moss: if the inside walls are very foggy (a dense fog formed in my jar the next morning after sealing, and there was a layer of water on the stones), you need to open the lid again and let the water evaporate; If the walls are not fogged up at all, you need to water a little more. During experiments with water, by the way, it will become clear whether your plants have taken root
When you decide that you have selected the optimal amount of water, the vessel can be sealed completely. To do this, the lid or plug can be coated with sealant or hot melt adhesive.
That's all, actually.
2.1Aquarium with a closed ecosystem
Using the example of our planet, which is a closed system with living organisms, miniature biosystems were created based on the results of space and bioexperiments of the former Soviet Union and the United States. Consider an aquarium with a closed ecosystem.
The ball, comparable in size to an orange, was filled with sea shrimp. The atmosphere of the ocean floor is recreated there, using ocean sand, shells, and pebbles. The ball is sealed. The supply of air, water, and feed is excluded. Microalgae release oxygen when exposed to light (photosynthesis). Particles of these plants serve as food for shrimp.Shrimp produce carbon dioxide, which is necessary for algae; their waste products fertilize aquatic plants. Analogues of such aquariums participated in experiments on the American Shuttle and the Russian space station Mir. In an aquarium with a closed aqua system, you can see the movements of shrimp, their walking and feeding, nipping at their own kind, as well as the transfer of small grains of sand by shrimp! They react to outside disturbance by temporarily losing their red color, changing color to match their environment.
Over time, having calmed down, the shrimp return to their natural red light. It has been noticed that some shrimp exhibit constant colorlessness, while they feel quite comfortable. Conditions for reproduction in such aquariums have not been created, so cases of reproduction are extremely rare. You should not buy an aquarium with a closed ecosystem in which there are more than two shrimp, they will not be able to live long, since the self-cleaning system is not designed for more than that.In such an aquarium, shrimp are freed from enemies and live up to about ten years. It happens that the ecosystem lives up to 12 years. The lifespan of this closed ecosystem is determined by the life expectancy of the shrimp. Shrimp in an aquarium of different ages, therefore, with the death of one, the other will also die
2.2 Aquaponics
In some countries in last years a new type of agricultural enterprises are being created - farms of the future, which use new method organizations Agriculture- aquaponics - a unified system for growing freshwater animals and agricultural crops
The essence of the method isthe complete absence of natural soil on aquafarms,and used to feed green plant matterwaste products from various freshwater animals: fish, shrimp and others.
In addition, using waste products as food aquatic organisms, plants purify water from contaminants and saturate it with oxygen.
In the British city of Bristol, an aquaponics farm has been operating for several years, growing various vitamin-rich greens: lettuce, parsley, dill. Specialists in it work according to a closed scheme:
feeding fish - caring for beds - harvesting
An aquaponics system involves two containers: one for breeding fish, and the other, installed directly above the first, serves directly for growing plants on artificial soil.
Fish waste products are an ideal fertilizer for many plants: vegetables, flowers and herbs.
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In the process of aquaponics important role play bacteria that purify water for animals from toxic substances, processing them into fertilizers necessary for feeding vegetation.
Aquaponicsmade it possible to free ourselves from the use of herbicides and pesticides, harmful to the life of bacteria and animals.
At the aqua farm, there is a constant circulation of water, which is constantly pumped using pumps from a container with fish to a container for plants, and then, once purified, is returned to the fish again.
The most commonly grown animals on agricultural farms are carp, common crayfish and edible frogs.
Aquaponics - a unified system for growing freshwater animals and agricultural crops - attracts the attention of agricultural specialists around the world.
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Conclusion
Self-created closed ecosystems are great tutorial for the development of observation and attention, which is the basis for solving various problems.
Environmental problem in modern society remains relevant to this day. The need to create closed ecosystems now represents not only a purely scientific, but also a vital problem.
