Low-budge aquarium in a jar
- Sep 01, 2024
- Anshika Mishra
- 46 0 0
In this article, we will make a low-budget aquarium in an Aqua jar or Jarrarium. It will be a freshwater setup for snails and shrimp. Pick a 5-liter cookie jar you can easily find in the supermarket for this project. For the substrate, we use organic compost. You can also use soil from your garden or just regular potting soil.
This is the dirted-tank method, also known as the Walstad method, which Diana Walstand scientifically explains in her book Ecology of the Planted Aquarium.
Benefits of Sand Capping
The soil has to be capped with a thick layer of sand, which will act as a barrier between the substrate and the water column and prevent it from getting messy.
Sand locks all the organic nutrients taken up by plants using their roots. Compared to other substrates like gravel, sand also more effectively supports the colonization of beneficial bacteria on its surface.
Hardscape with Stones and Pebbles
Pick up stones from a local garden store and arrange them in a simple formation. Add more sands behind and on the sides to lock them in place. You can also add some smaller pebbles around the stone to create a transition into the foreground.
They were brushed around until the visual was satisfactory to your eyes.
Filling with the Water
With the hardscaping now in place, fill the jar with water. Use a bubble sheet to prevent the sand from stirring up while the water is being poured. The next day, drain out the water.
Planting
Now comes the planting. Start with a small Microsorum Petropus. Tie it with a stone and place it behind the rocks. It's an epiphyte and, hence, need not be planted deep in the substrate.
Place some Hydrocotyle Tripartita in a cup. Next, plant some Sagittaria grass followed by a few stems of Limnophula, an easy plant that grows very well in aquatic setup.
If you have some cuttings of Bacopa Caroliniana, plant them on the right side of the escape. This plant often emerges from the water and bears small, beautiful flowers. Finally, plant some Vallisneria in the background to fill up the space.
Fill the jar with water to complete the Aqua jar setup. Leave it for a couple of weeks, and the plants will begin to grow.
Aquarium Residents and Microfauna
You can add the following to your jar aquarium:
- Orange and Cherry Shrimp
- Horn Nerite Snails
- Pond Snails
- Ostracods
Water Changes
Conduct partial water changes twice a week. Algae growth at this stage will be minimal. Heavy planting coupled with moderate lighting will help to keep it under control.
For feeding, you must add some shrimp pellets and algae wafers for the residents.
Testing
This is the perfect opportunity to conduct a few water tests to understand how this simple ecosystem performs. If you have a testing kit, check all the parameters, including pH, Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrite. With that, your low-budge aquarium in a jar is ready.
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