Just curious where you go about obtaining the animals for your eco spheres. Specially things like leeches and the like. I don’t have any spheres so enjoy my snails and shrimp
Local ponds / lakes but I go more for the “scoop and see what you get” hobby à la LifeInJars
perky_python
I scooped up some muck, weeds, and water from the nearby pond into an old goldfish bowl. Put a piece of plexiglass on top, seal it with a generous amount of caulk, and watched to see what showed up. There is more life than many people would expect in your local pond/swamp/ditch/canal.
Actias_Loonie
All my stuff comes from the local river, except for the Java fern I got from a shop. I have a terrarium shop just down the street, I’m so lucky.
Nomi_Bomi
You really don’t have to do much. Nature is simply teeming with life. All I’ve done is scoop up some pond slop, and I’ve gotten loads of critters. What you get can be pretty random, though. I have three freshwater ecospheres, and only one of them has leeches. The one that has leeches didn’t have any snails, while both of the other ones do. If you’re looking for specific animals, you might need to catch them yourself.
You can find critters in any non-treated source of water, even puddles of rainwater on the sidewalk or in your gutter. You’ll almost always get some copepods and ostracods. The best way to get a variety of critters is to scoop up some muck and water from a pond or river, particularly during the spring. And throw in a rotten leaf or two.
Some people do buy animals online, but you don’t have to unless you want something specific and fancy.
Also, your aquarium looks very pretty (: I love the colors of those critters!
4 Comments
Local ponds / lakes but I go more for the “scoop and see what you get” hobby à la LifeInJars
I scooped up some muck, weeds, and water from the nearby pond into an old goldfish bowl. Put a piece of plexiglass on top, seal it with a generous amount of caulk, and watched to see what showed up. There is more life than many people would expect in your local pond/swamp/ditch/canal.
All my stuff comes from the local river, except for the Java fern I got from a shop. I have a terrarium shop just down the street, I’m so lucky.
You really don’t have to do much. Nature is simply teeming with life. All I’ve done is scoop up some pond slop, and I’ve gotten loads of critters. What you get can be pretty random, though. I have three freshwater ecospheres, and only one of them has leeches. The one that has leeches didn’t have any snails, while both of the other ones do. If you’re looking for specific animals, you might need to catch them yourself.
You can find critters in any non-treated source of water, even puddles of rainwater on the sidewalk or in your gutter. You’ll almost always get some copepods and ostracods. The best way to get a variety of critters is to scoop up some muck and water from a pond or river, particularly during the spring. And throw in a rotten leaf or two.
Some people do buy animals online, but you don’t have to unless you want something specific and fancy.
Also, your aquarium looks very pretty (: I love the colors of those critters!