Bottle ecosystem

Don't let the title, DIY 2-Liter Bottle Ecosystem Project scare you. This activity is fun and intriguing for the home or a science project!

Ecosystem in a bottle

Ecosystems come in all sizes. Creating an ecosystem in a bottle can be a fun and affordable way to learn about species interactions and the basics of aquarium care. Fish are highly complex creatures making it hard to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that doesn't need extra food input or cleaning.

Our most recent science unit is an exploration of ecosystems. We learned there are 4 parts to an ecosystem: animals, plants, decomposers, and non-living things. These bottles contain all four parts including water, soil, grass, fish, snails, gravel, worms, and a water plant. Our bottles have been self sustaining. For two weeks we haven't had to feed the animals or water the plants, and everything is still alive. Take a look:

With Fall on it's way for my friends in the northern hemisphere and spring down here I thought I would share this easy experiment any one can do any time of the year. Earlier this year Sir N and I spent a delightful day out at Barwon Waste Management Education Centre where we helped in an experiment called Compost in a Bottle. This is a wonderful experiment you can do at home and watch over the year to see what happens. You will Need Strips of news paper Blood & Bone (garden fertilizer)…

In a beautiful example of a closed but functional ecosystem, David Latimer has grown a garden sealed inside of a giant glass bottle that he has only opened once since he started it almost 54 years ago. He placed some compost and a quarter pint of water into a 10-gallon glass carboy and inserted a spiderwort sprout using wires. In 1972, he opened the garden again to add a bit of water. With that one exception, the garden has remained totally sealed – all it needs is plenty of sunlight!

Ecosystem in a bottle.

Add caption It's beginning to feel like Spring in Pennsylvania, and with it comes our state tests and just beyond...my favorite teaching of the ENTIRE year...ecosystems and biomes. I just LOVE nature and last year I jumped our third graders in with both feet and we made a huge mess in my room for two days and assembled fully self-contained terrestrial and aquatic biome bottles. This project has allowed me to connect so many things I love--big projects, my aquarium past, kids, parents, plants…