# Closed Jar Aquarium



## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I am thinking about doing a closed jar aquarium. Basically, it would be like a closed garden, but with water plants instead of tropical plants. The jar would stay closed until I need to fill it with water (if it even needs to be) or if I put a snail in it, small water changes and feeding. It would most likely only be opened once a week. 
So here are my questions:
Could this work? 
What plants would work best besides Anubis?


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## Kadington (Apr 14, 2016)

Yes it can work. I don't understand a lot about it but you need either plant die off or a creature producing waste to make it a complete closed system. Most people use shrimp because if you use a bright light you can make algae for them to eat then have a plant that takes out their nirates. It's a real steady balance. 

I would use Java moss if you want to try it. Anubis grows slow so I don't think it eats up nirates fast enough.

Here is a how to page

How to Make a Closed Aquatic Ecosystem (with Pictures)


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I was thinking about putting it in the window with a nerite. I think I could do a java moss carpet with an anubis on a rock and maybe a moss ball.


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## Kadington (Apr 14, 2016)

That seems like it would work. Good luck.


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks! I guess I just need to get more java moss, snails, and a glass jar.


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## fernielou (May 19, 2015)

I don't think it will work. A jar to fit in a windowsill is maybe 16 oz? That's not a great habitat. I tried 1 ramshorn in a 32 oz jar with a hinge lid once and even with a plant the snail was so stressed acting i couldn't keep it going more than a day.


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## Kadington (Apr 14, 2016)

The deal is to keep the jar sealed because it will keep the ammonia safe. Opening the jar will affect the chemistry of the jar turning the ammonia toxic. Also it doesn't always work the first time around. If the animals seemed stressed it's best to open and redo everything.


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I could get a taller glass though too. Or something longer, it doesn't have to be short. I probably can't find something small enough to fit on the window sill (which is 4.5 inches wide), but I have found some larger jars up to 2.5 gallons that look good. a 2.5 could even hold a betta, I wouldn't do that as a closed aquarium.


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