Smallest Nano

[reefchick]

Sorta off topic but I wanted to share.

 

9 years ago this Christmas, a co-worker and fellow salt water hobbyist (the guy who got me into to the hobby) bought me a EcoShephere.

 

After 9 years enclosed I still have 2 live shrimp.

I started with 3 but one died off in the first year.

 

nside each EcoSphere are active micro-organisms, bright red shrimp and algae, each existing in filtered sea water. Because the EcoSphere is a self-sustaining ecosystem, you never have to feed the life within. Simply provide your EcoSphere with a source of indirect natural or artificial light and enjoy this aesthetic blend of art and science, beauty and balance.

 

I keep is out of direct sunlight - on my bookshelf in my home office.

 

http://www.eco-sphere.com/home.htm

 

Edited October 6, 2008 by reefchick

[Smoothtriqueter]

I have had one of the egg shaped ones for over 5 years now and still have all 3 shrimp that were in it. My mom trys to debate if the water level is changing at all, she doesn't understand "closed system"

[reefchick]

I wish I could clean mine. It has ditris at the bottom but that's part of the eco system - I wish wish it was out of there. I wonder what the record is on lifespan???

[L8 2 RISE]

I got mine for christmas last year, for some reason all of the shrimp died within 2 weeks, this threads kind of a coincidence because I've scheduled for the recharge ecosphere to arrive on Thursday and I have my fingers crossed on this one!!!

[reefchick]

I never heard of the recharge.

That interesting.

[Smoothtriqueter]

I wonder what the record is on lifespan???

 

That all depends on your definition of life! yeah no shrimp but everything else is alive! and who knows for how long!

 

Also the recharging is a possibility my dad told me about it when he got me mine!

 

I thought about placing mine in the bottom of a tank, think about it correct temp and lighting......but how do you clean it?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Those things are pretty neat. Marine Scene used to sell them. They may still, but I haven't been up that way in a couple of years now.

[reefchick]

Sugar Magnolia - I love your name! I use that one some boards too

 

They are very cool.

I had mine on my desk at work for a while but people kept shaking it like a snow globe so I took it home.

[SeanCallan]

I've always been interested in these, on their website under the order section it lists the replacement period. Is this the suggested replacement time frame, the "warranty" period, or what?

[reefchick]

I'm not sure Sean - mine was a gift so I never had dealing with the company directly.

[SeanCallan]

I'm not sure Sean - mine was a gift so I never had dealing with the company directly.

 

Well that's basically cheating.

 

I'd definitely want one of these, but I don't want little shrimp corpses hanging from trees in there.

 

I wonder how these things are made, they need to cover them on How It's Made...

[reefchick]

My corpse was never seen - just became part of the bio food chain so to speak.

It its not as crystal clear as the ones in the pictures - there is a lot of ditris when the water is disturbed.

[L8 2 RISE]

I know the answer to a few of these questions so here they are:

 

I never heard of the recharge.

That interesting.

I've always been interested in these, on their website under the order section it lists the replacement period. Is this the suggested replacement time frame, the "warranty" period, or what?

 

On every eco-sphere, there are replacement and recharge policies. For example, on my four inch diameter "small sphere", there was a 6 month replacement policy, that is, if all of the shrimp die within 6 months of purchase, you can send your ecosphere in to the ecosphere "headquarters" in AZ along with $20 for them to ship it back, and they'll send a new ecosphere with live shrimp back to you "fed ex priority overnight". If your shrimp die after that 6 months or you forget to send it back within that time, you can recharge it. Mine was $40 to recharge so all I did was send it in with a check for $40 along with a date I'd like it sent back and they'll send a new one with new shrimp back to you.

 

Well that's basically cheating.

 

I'd definitely want one of these, but I don't want little shrimp corpses hanging from trees in there.

 

I wonder how these things are made, they need to cover them on How It's Made...

 

They are made by:

 

#1-creating the sphere out of glass, but with a small, liped opening at the bottom

#2-putting all the stones, magnet cleaner, branch (I'm guessing it's flexible so that it can squeeze through the hole), water, and shrimp in.

#3-sealing the hole with a small glass circle and silicone.

 

It's an incredibly simple, yet ingenious idea if you ask me, and they've made lots of money off of it.

 

Also, if the shrimp die, you'll see the corpse for maybe another day before it's either decompose or eaten by the other shrimp, at least that's what happened to mine....

Edited October 8, 2008 by L8 2 RISE