Q&A for How to Create an Ecosystem in a Bottle

There are a lot of freshwater snails available at local pet or aquarium stores. Good options include Gold Inca Snails, Ivory Snails, Japanese Trapdoor Snails, Mystery Snails, Nerite Snails, and Trumpet Snails.

It's best not to use land plants. Since land plants grow best in soil, they'll likely die in your aquatic ecosystem. You'll have better results if you stick to aquatic plants.

Yes. Algae spores are present, and exposure to the sun may cause algae bloom.

They're just giving you three different options. Some of them are easier to make than others.

Fish ecosystems are hard to make because fish need to live in clean water. A sealed ecosystem won't allow you to change the water as you would in a fish tank. They do make terrariums with plants that grow out of the top using the fish waste as nutrients, but I don't know how self sufficient they are.

No, this is much too small of a habitat for a fish.

It's there to prevent algae buildup.

Too much direct light, too little indirect light, overheating or too much cold.

No, you shouldn't put a shrimp in a bottle. There is not enough space and it would quickly run out of food. It would be a better idea to use small aquatic creature such as snails, sea slugs, or a sucker fish. All of them clean their own environment and are very small.

No, you can use any small plants that will fit in a bottle. Grass is just used as an example.

Yes, you can. These can be added, it is completely your choice. You could also add pulses or cereal grains if you like.

It needs at least 5-6 hours of sunlight. Different plants need different qualities of light. Desert terrariums need least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight, like their natural desert environment.

Tadpoles help in maintaining ecosystem of freshwater streams. Tadpoles, larvae of a frog or a toad, may help in maintaining the ecosystem of freshwater streams.

If your bottle is a party size soda bottle you could put one cherry shrimp in there. But if it's a small water bottle, then it's best not to put any fish or shrimp in there.

Yes, you certainly can. The seeds are there to become plants just make sure you plant them right.

Probably not. Fish tend not to do well in closed ecosystems, and even if they survive, they won't be very healthy. In some cases you can add invertebrates like small shrimp, though, if you want something colorful.

Yes, they prevent algae buildup. The snails eat the algae so they stop the algae from continuously growing.

For the last step, wait 24 hours to let everything settle. After a full day, it says you can screw the lid on then.

Charcoal isn't a necessity if you only plan on keeping your ecosystem for a short time, such as, say, for a school project. However, if you plan on keeping it, activated charcoal is one of the necessities.

Depends on the type of bug. Some, like ants, are capable of thriving very easily, while others, like beetles, may not cope with the environment.