Aquatic Ecological Succession - Leaving Water Outside For 2.5 Months

In this video we set up a new project. We take a look at aquatic ecological succession, by leaving a body of water outside for 2.5 months. Aquatic succession is the process by which an empty body of water slowly turns into a biodiverse ecosystem. Through the process of succession that ecosystem constantly changes, and eventually the pond turns into a swamp and later even a forest. We also take a look at the microbial community that has formed in this short period under the new microscope, with phase contrast and dark field.
Enjoy!
Merch:
bit.ly/3v7Cu83​​​​​
Patreon:
bit.ly/3vHtZAd
Patrons: Claudia Watrin, Justin Duch, Daniela Partington, Non Mea Culpa, Matilda Fiship, Axio, yumu arts
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:35 The process of aquatic succession
4:20 Succession of this project
6:40 Microscopy
9:52 The future?
Music:
Pouring out - Asher Fulero

[@theodoreluo2791]

That was a very convincing act of filling the tub

[@RankedZero]

healthy, must drink lots of water

[@carollyncheeyen]

I read heaty. Heaty, need to drink lots of water

[@liammurphy2725]

Convincing? Yes. I was convinced he has a problem with his prostate gland. He needs to get that fixed.

[@grimfpv292]

I hate it when that happens.

[@5k1nny]

Very healthy water

[@renevank]

This is the only channel that is able to keep my attention for 11 minutes, talking about a tub of water. Well done

[@LifeinJars]

Haha great

[@dennisscherpen6591]

Its a very cool tub tbh

[@EuriEuropa]

Perfect example of why context matters

[@spoopyscaryskelebones3846]

@@EuriEuropa Umm.. context isn’t real 🙄

[@piscye1806]

@@spoopyscaryskelebones3846 sus

[@shadowdemon553]

Eventually a dead tree started growing, that was quite weird, and then a Boulder grew, even weirder, lmao, love the comedy

[@MalhaIIa]

The dead tree I didn't get, but earth do push up boulders. Saying that they grow is just a twist.

[@adnan7919]

@@MalhaIIa bruh read again a *DEAD* tree *GREW* LMAO

[@lightdark00]

@@MalhaIIa Usually heavy things sink, they don't get pushed up. There's rare exceptions of course. That boulder got there in an ice age for sure.

[@James2005.]

The brief silence behind “this one looks like it might be dead” is priceless.

[@rhonemeyer4277]

Lol😂😂

[@kenji_1240]

7:43

[@hadrian.2796]

the excitement when the leaf's fall in the water

[@LifeinJars]

Boy I can't even begin to tell you how excited I got

[@_neophyte]

leaves

[@spoopyscaryskelebones3846]

@@_neophyte badumtss

[@_neophyte]

@@spoopyscaryskelebones3846 i don't understand your reply

[@Thunder-wd6tm]

@@_neophyte ok

[@blaineishere3851]

Little microbes could have entered the system through birds. They’re known to carry things from one body of water to another unintentionally.

[@Strongbadia_The_Free]

I have a little pond outside I made. I only put goldfish and a sucker fish in them. A year later I noticed I somehow acquired minnows from birds. There are a lot of ponds and rivers in my part of Florida so my assumption is that birds carried them in.

[@lucidnode]

@@Strongbadia_The_Free Are you sure some homeless man didn't make it his mission to place minnows in random ponds when no one was looking?

[@WobblesandBean]

@@Strongbadia_The_Free Birds aren't what you have to worry about. It's rats

[@WobblesandBean]

@@lucidnode I would like to be visited by these minnow fairy

[@moonboy5851]

They’ve also been known to do it quite intentionally.

[@Yippes]

This man has Spore in his backyard

[@eddvcr598]

I love these biology videos. What to most humans see as gunk and dirt are actually the lush gardens of life.

[@sneersh9107]

it gives you hope that even when humans destroy the world, life like this will survive and evolve into more and more complex life as the cycle continues

[@heykerryann]

Aww your own Malaria at Home starter kit instructions 🤣🤣🤣

[@wjdtpduqcjswo]

lmao

[@mcstudios4374]

Lol

[@tdotitan8855]

Bill Gates would like to know your location

[@goku445]

@@tdotitan8855 he knows it already if you're using windows.

[@RichieRah88]

The only issue I had with this video is the length, too short :D I could watch that with your narration for hours. so informative too. You deserve a way bigger following. Thank you!

[@Aengus42]

Seconded! Fascinating video. It was over far too quickly.

[@gregjones3660]

I second that Lionel Richie

[@TheVarkol]

You might also enjoy the channel "welcome to the microcosmos"

[@Last_Chance.]

​@@gregjones3660Lionel?

[@coolguy73283]

I love how a whole ecosystem formed out of just mostly leaves and insects.

[@thecosmics3542]

Would love to see a follow up video to this. Seeing what has come of it would be really cool

[@Shaden0040]

When it tirned brown that was due partlyto tanins from the leaves Also diatoms use silica to build their bodies and turn the water brown.

[@doxscund8821]

I don't think there were nearly enough leaves in the tub for it to turn such a deep shade of brown though. I'd be curious in a future update for taking a sample from the bottom, I wonder if it was a form of anaerobic bacteria that quickly died when the cyanabacteria colonized it

[@Danquebec01]

@@doxscund8821 I suspect an anaerobic bacteria too. When I tried to make dandelion fertilizer, the water turned brown like this and smelled really bad, like human waste.

[@BruceNJeffAreMyFlies]

@@Danquebec01 Could it not just be a brown algae?

[@Danquebec01]

​@@BruceNJeffAreMyFlies Perhaps.

[@terranovarubacha5473]

@@BruceNJeffAreMyFlies fun fact: brown algae is animal life, not plant life :)

[@janpack1569]

Loving the new microscope views and, as always, your wonderful sense of humor.

[@LifeinJars]

That's great to hear!

[@jefftan9800]

Mosquitoes in our country : "It's free real estate"

[@SockDrawerDemon]

I think I might be actually banned from copying this due to mosquito control laws!

[@tuipaopao]

Totally not recommended in tropical countries

[@frds_skce]

I can't even do this cuz i know there's gonna be bunch of larvae and mosquitoes shits in there

[@plantae420]

You could also put some leafs and water in a closed jar then you could maybe witness something similar without the mosquitos problem.

[@sandro5535]

What if you add something that will eat the larve? Such as Guppies.

[@vinny142]

"This one looks like it might be dead" *Shows a pile of gibs.*

[@con3879]

When?

[@mrkrieg1963]

@@con3879 7:44

[@Ggyhhggtyyy]

What are gibs?

[@olivevkb]

@@Ggyhhggtyyy Just the innards and guts of something, someone.

[@The_Dastardly_Dan]

The stone faced tone to the circle of life 🤣

[@bobbyhill7948]

Thanks to you I have a bunch of jars filled with dirt and water now I wanna get the microscope so I can look at the things that are in them

[@LifeinJars]

Are you blaming me or thanking me? ;)

[@ikeartfilms7783]

I read this in Bobby's voice and it's such a Bobby thing to say I love it lmao

[@djmouton251]

Damn I was waiting for a forest to grow in his tub

[@alansmithee419]

I don't know why but the "This one looks like it might be dead" with absolutely nothing else said on the matter was hilarious.

[@wataehebro1543]

look at those microoscopic shots, just amazing, I really hope your channel grow up more and more

[@LifeinJars]

Thanks!

[@Goldkeeper08]

Wow your drawing skills are perrrfect lol

[@LifeinJars]

Why thank you

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

when you are grammer is bad.

[@hellohello8934]

@@rizkyadiyanto7922 R/woooosh bait?

[@madworld.]

@@hellohello8934 maybe , but the remark is correct it's yours drawings skills not you're .... a grammar nazy bait too ? ^^

[@oranges9319]

@@hellohello8934 not an r/woooosh bait, comment isn't a joke

[@mr.etgarguy9783]

When you realize you'll probably have to wait another 2.5 months for part two

[@corsai7506]

Still waiting

[@usbgamers123]

@@corsai7506 Still waiting...

[@corsai7506]

@@usbgamers123 we really are

[@GIGACHADINDIA]

Well...

[@LifeinJars]

Joke's on you

[@floppy_hands1770]

How can you be so consistent with long term projects and upload regularly??🤯 Really love the channel

[@howardyanow2883]

Alternate title for this video: Life, uh, finds a way. Jeff Algaeblum?

[@jeevananand4810]

Jeff Algaebloom?

[@ianh1504]

Do you have a brother named good nyou?

[@ajanshark]

Ian mosscom

[@bluecat5669]

@@ianh1504 do Yanow his brother?

[@Unimportant]

That new microscope footage is so good!

[@LifeinJars]

I'm glad to hear it

[@sevenoctobers7471]

Thank you to the patrons of this channel! Those wonderful images under the microscope wouldn't have been possible without you.

[@Last_Chance.]

Thanks for watching

[@dapeep6704]

Sometimes I wish humans lived even another hundred or so more years so we could witness more of natures power over time in our lifetimes.

[@xtensioncord8775]

you are probably my favorite human

[@k2a2l2]

agree

[@theguywhoasked4235]

Agree, others are too stupid, this guy seems to have the same level of intelligence as us, we will abduct him to our space ship soon

[@DeoMachina]

He is definitely a human Of which I am also

[@theguywhoasked4235]

@@DeoMachina yes, my human friend, I ate a sandwich yesterday, like humans do

[@chairwood]

how 2 b ur favorite human

[@Aengus42]

The part of this process that interests me is how isolated bodies of fresh water become populated with fish. I think you'd need a tank large enough for water birds to land in for most vectors of fish. Do you know anyone with a swimming pool they don't use? 🐟🐠🐡

[@DJPacoRamirez]

That'll be cool. Even better. Above ground huge pool with...... a viewing panel. Right on one side.

[@Attrixine]

@@DJPacoRamirez aboveground pool with a transparent version of the liner for a window into it

[@hugebigpenis1]

It is quite interesting how remote bodies of water gain aquatic vertebrate populations. The most well known is aquatic vertabrate species surviving collection then dropping from bird species but other methods can be from flood events linking bodies together and species of aquatic vertebrates which are able to traverse between bodies and pathways of water. The last one is often only possible during the juvenile period of migratory aquatic vertebrates. Good examples which have been studied are kettle lakes which then gain populations and how those populations handle the remote and often fragile systems.

[@Aengus42]

@@hugebigpenis1 Yep, and fish eggs can stick to feathers of birds. That's another avian vector. Eels (Anguilla anguilla) can survive out of water for long periods & are known to crawl between lakes, ponds & ditches on rainy nights. You can't mention Eels without talking about their stunning migration. They live & grow in the UK but breed in the Sargasso sea in the Western Atlantic! That's an amazing swim for a little fish. Plus the getting out of a pond or ditch, finding a river, coping with salinity changes & predation by man & wildlife.

[@thesolaraquarium]

I agree. How large fresh water fish end up in isolated bodies of water (man-made bodies of water) is a real mystery to me. Also how a pool of water (a clay dam) can become dry and all the fish die and the next season when the rains come they start again. Someone told me last week that large fish species (approx 30 cm long Carp) (or their offspring?) can survive in the mud layer under the dam even though the dam looks dry for say 2 months. Amazing. Transfer by birds just does not seem feasible. I don’t believe a large fish can survive in the mud under a dam, BUT I see this fish come back every time the dam fills again? How? Even the small live bearers do the same (gambusia, mosquito fish)? How?

[@Blizo123no]

Killed me with the filling process, take my like.

[@FatherFish]

Beautiful. As an aquarist I am grateful for your continuing efforts to explain the nature of living systems.

[@DannysAquariums]

I’m excited to watch this one! Always so informative and interesting to watch. 🤩

[@LifeinJars]

Thanks, and go to bed!

[@DannysAquariums]

@@LifeinJars I was but your notification woke me up!! Jk 😩😂

[@Gooney_Tunes]

How do fish get into bodies of water naturally? Legit question, I’ve seen fish in some pretty remote bodies of water.

[@weebmelon9051]

I believe it’s actually from birds! The eggs can stick to their feathers and feet from one body of water and then they’ll transfer them to the next

[@FieryCoal]

I think the main way is temporary flooding, creating a stream in which fish can pass through. When it stops flooding it has a tide pool effect.

[@sansthefox353]

some fish have realy small eggs its not that hard to carrie

[@B_Clem]

Johnny Fishseed. Planting fish one remote pond at a time

[@bioodfox7805]

@Steven Keck I used to have a pond in my meditation area, and one day when I went to check on it, to my delight it was full of minnows! Not even frog tadpoles, honest minnows. Still have no clue how they got to such a remote place.

[@TreasureHuntingNana]

I needed you in school. The way you informed us on how the plants and animals die and build up the soil was great especially with the visual drawings too. Well done :)

[@Dcvmnaturalist]

Whoa! Thank you so much for showing the Vorticella! I took a video of one a while back and had no idea what I was seeing, so you definitely solved the mystery.

[@besacciaesteban]

If i were to try that here, the mosquito cloud generated would be detectable from the ISS XD

[@internetdinosaur8810]

Same 😅

[@FieryCoal]

When you have to go you have to go, that’s almost as much as after you go to a movie.

[@Lahsuk9891]

I have just found your channel right now. I am also subscribing to it because you cover complex topics with an air of simplicity, while talking like someone who lives just next door. I empathise with your frustration and I hope that others like me also discover your channel. Have a peaceful day ahead, LiJ.

[@TestSubjectCoco]

To be honest, your drawings you did are very pretty, and I think people would actually buy and hang it on their wall. It got real nice aesthetic about it.

[@BroBurg445]

Very interesting stuff. I'm curious if we will ever see crustaceans emerge like ostracods or copepods. Probably not, but if so the implications are that wind can cause some creatures to be incredibly prolific!

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

This experiment is unfortunately a bad idea here in Brazil, cus of Dengue and Zika mosquitoes 🦟 Edit: just saw the ending haha 😅

[@RNCHFND]

I've had dengue in the past and this triggered my fever dream memories. Not great at all

[@thecommenter578]

Put a fine mesh over it so mosquitoes won't land on the water

[@tonykristhiofan1113]

@@thecommenter578 kinda put a wrench into the whole experiment. You want biomass and animal to be able to get caught in the water, putting a mesh on top of it will block any amount of biomass to get inside like the leaves and insect in the video

[@akpsyche1299]

The mosquitoes up here in Alaska don't carry any diseases (fortunately; i probably would have caught something by now if they did), but we still have a lot of them and they're really annoying, so it's probably something I'd want to avoid as well.

[@vitorpovoa7011]

Kkkkkkkkkj sim véi

[@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006]

Been here for a while and I have a feeling it’s gonna be a crazy ride

[@slimekingmc8057]

This video was pretty interesting and the idea of seeing this murky water develop into more of an ecosystem is what finally got me to subscribe to this channel. I've been watching a lot of your videos out of mild interest but learning about aquatic succession was surprisingly entertaining. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes and hopefully you'll make another video about it in the next few months.

[@tamarrajames3590]

I love both your curiosity and your sense of humour. This is a fascinating experiment.🖤🇨🇦

[@aaronachnid]

I swear bro. One day you're gonna grow some shit in one of these tubs/jars that's gonna take over the world. you're playing with fire my friend. FIRE! (and water).

[@ralfgerritse2296]

Fellow member of the Netherlands, your accent is Amazing!

[@sofastealer0253]

Your the only guy that makes talking about a tub of water really entertaining:)

[@maxdonovan4117]

I'm SO EXCITED to see the updates for this. I'd love to follow the progression every month!

[@doifhg]

amazing how fast the algae bloomed, I was thinking it's possible some of the organisms were in the water out of the tap, water treatment is different the world over but I'm fairly certain even in the cleanest water some life exists, I wouod even wager to say that about distilled water because old piping isn't always super clean

[@Flobbled]

I am absolutely fascinated how a thriving ecosystem can form from seemingly "nothing". I subbed and hit the bell in hopes of a sequel.

[@lark7655]

I. don't think I've ever seen anyone get so excited about a tub of dirty water. and now I'm excited about it because it's not just a tub of dirty water!! It's a whole ecosystem!! I love watching videos and hearing stories from people who are very interested in a specific thing, it makes the world so much more magical and wonderful.

[@silvercatshadow]

You’re so soothing to listen to, man. It’s nice to hear you talk about something you’re so passionate about ☺️

[@cosmicblaze6353]

"This one looks like it might be dead." *proceeds to the next microbes*

[@RookwingsKirk]

Congratulations on the microscope! Almost everyone I know who has got one did the same thing the very first time they used it, including me - look at our blood. Is that what you did first? Please put a stick in the tub because I collect rainwater for my dogs [Norfolk tap water is disgusting and smells like bleach] and young birds will drink from it and I rescued one that fell in. It will also help you get the daphnia etc. faster because the birds feet carry them when they use the stick.

[@TheLastSecretGarden]

Congrats on the microscope!! I am so excited to see this channel continue to grow!!

[@towu2]

PLEASE keep updating us about this amazing project!

[@polytechnika]

Your neighbours will not be very happy about all those mosquitos stinging them :)

[@Velcraft]

I think people living in Asterdam have a lot more bodies of water to worry about than a tub on a terrace.

[@tambaloneusderpaloneus6626]

Thanks! I must have said "that's so cool!" ten times or more. Are you able to share your microscope setup with us sometime? I'd love to know how to do something similar, the tiny world is extremely fascinating!

[@microska2656]

Please please please, don't stop this series

[@docwiz]

This is why I am subscribed. Glorious way of filling the tub and well spoken with the information.

[@dewinmoonl]

nobody this man: let's breed mosquitos outside my window

[@apart-timeastronaut6530]

When are you gonna make a professional logo? Your content deserves it

[@COLDCHEMICALpresents]

I dunno, the crudeness is very on-brand for his sense of humor.

[@maxschmieder232]

Hey, Biology student (and botany nerd) here! I believe the large algae you've looked at under the microscope are indeed eukaryotic Algae and not cyanobacteria, specifically Zygnematales.

[@xrete]

im also interested in botany do you have any book recommendations? anything you found interesting lately about botany or biology in general

[@thethelperguy]

Realized I've been watching you for years, big fan! keep it up!

[@trappussi5545]

I remember this level of SPORE

[@sleepyrowdy1826]

Lol

[@AnnaWaifu]

For a second I actually thought he was peeing on the container XD

[@DarkShroom]

i enjoy your channel already but the addition of that microscope really shows you how alive stuff is, that's just brilliant

[@haggis53]

This was really interesting!! I'm seriously looking forward to updates on the tub!!

[@tragic6162]

My man almost burst his bladder Also im wondering what would happen if you put like a 4cups of salt or something

[@Error403HRD]

Man, I wish I could do this, but mosquitos love my home, as do raccoons and squirrels, so I can't imagine it would go very smoothly lol

[@ryancalvert3165]

This might be your best video yet! Keep up the awsome content!

[@Sadonyx]

Real talk man thank you for sharing your passion with us. It always really cool to watch ur videos

[@TheGuineaOfficial]

The entire tub filling skit killed me. Im crying from laughing.

[@collectaBK7]

0:48 February 34th?

[@shivaanrambally9611]

I last watched his vids like five months ago, and the improvements in his English are phenomenal!

[@alaverde4584]

Great video as always! Its amazing how interesting you make these videos!:)

[@redtsun67]

I like to imagine this is how god created the universe: just make an empty void, fill it with containers, energy, and random elements, and wait for one to fill up with stuff. Call it a day.

[@gilbertvallian559]

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened.

[@tinodethuong]

God: hey look the first gasses are being created!

[@wataehebro1543]

you should make shorts videos for tiktok, Is easy to be viral, and the things yo do are really interesting, I think doing that you will reach more people, just an idea

[@bobfels5343]

Your combination of humor and sience is perfect, thanks!

[@akaitstre3523]

It takes a special kind of talent to make over 150,000 people watch a 10 min video about a bucket of water. Props to you my friend

[@peeg275]

Fill a tub with clam juice and leave it for a month

[@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006]

Who even knows what would happen but geez that’s narly

[@bebcho5229]

Spore IRL

[@renzdevera5404]

You actually inspired me to do ecospheres! I'm doing a modular ecosphere now.

[@priyanshugupta4422]

This was the type of channel i was searching for a long time...goodd youtube recommended it !!

[@MDestron2282]

I enjoy all of your videos but this one is just really great. Keep up these awesome videos.

[@addiey9312]

Yay for new microscope! I used to take small algae samples from the beach and watch them for hours under the microscope. Fascinating.

[@remuj6457]

So this is why the buckets of water I leave outside for a long time after yard work/ outside cleaning project look so discolored. Awesome video

[@quizzically3263]

This guys commentary is so genuine and interesting he got me excited about a leaf falling into a tub of water

[@bakochoice7411]

Wonderful microscope you have ! This inter-dimensional journey was awesome !

[@pain_of_rose]

Love your videos man keep up the great great content 👍

[@g-starthefirst]

Less than 15 seconds in, and I can already say your videos are getting better and better ☺️

[@HarryGileis]

Amazing! So glad I discovered this!

[@lucycannon6732]

Although I rarely get notifications in time to watch anything live, I usually do get them within a day or so. I loved this video! There are a couple of screenshots of the string algae/cyanobacteria I may have to paint!

[@Froggsroxx]

"First dead fly" pog This is a fascinating video, please keep making update videos on the progress of the tub

[@Zerg435]

I have 110 cm water container on my balcony. It is there for 3 years now. It has a single waterlily, some sand on the bottom, duck weed and 3 goldfish. There is much to see, but the goldfish have gone to big. I have to add new duckweed every year, and guard some in spare containers as well. Every summer it's a true miracle when a lily flower surfaces. I hope to have two this year, but I only saw just one blooming on the bottom. I love your article here.

[@thomasl.seidman2223]

I love your sense of humor (as well as the love of nature).

[@MicroWorld7]

great job!!! simply amazing project

[@LifeinJars]

Thanks!

[@thcluky5547]

Been waiting for this update since this video came out

[@Tim-Kaa]

Fantastic video. Please keep this water forever and give us video updates on a monthly basis

[@1013Andrew]

You sir, have earned my like and subscription. That was pretty funny, yet informative