Creating a Rural Pond ECOSPHERE in the WINTER │ Can You Build an Ecosphere During the Winter?

In this video we visit a Rural Pond to create a new ecosphere. Although it's still winter this pond is home to a variety of organisms. I was excited to see what kinds of things were living here as I'd never visited this pond before.
I would find that this ecosphere has a variety of worm like organisms. Flatworms being one of the more dominant forms of life. There is also standard detritus worms and leeches. I don't think the leeches will do well inside this ecosphere, however I'll still be interested to see what happens.
I was very excited at the discovery of Dendrocoelum lacteum. It is a large species of flatworm that feeds on amphipods, isopods and other aquatic insects. The organism is an impressive size and dwarfs their planarian cousins. There only seems to be one individual so far and it is very illusive. I have witnessed it strike at an amphipod without success, but didn't have my camera at the time. I have no doubt in my mind it'll rule the roost if it manages to adapt to ecosphere life.
Daphnia were present at the beginning of filming this video. A day later and the Daphnia were gone... I believe the Dendrocoelum lacteum hunted them all to extinction due to them being confined to such a small space.
I also found an Alderfly Larvae within this ecosphere. It is predatory and I believe it is one of the apex predators within the jar. There are plants growing out of the waters surface so I plan to release the alderfly when it emerges as an adult. Oh I also spotted a lot of globular springtails on the surface, but forgot to include them in the video sorry!!!

[@Jartopia]

Hey guys. I wanted to do a 1 month update on this ecosystem, but I just couldn't. There is too much brown diatoms on the glass and this completely prevents filming the organisms inside. It's just impossible to film the ecosphere right now. I will upload an update on the ecosystem the moment the visibility improves.

[@ashleytippit9500]

Hi i want to do this with my kids ,do you have any pointers? And how long can you keep it for

[@static9375]

cries in jar

[@NitronNeutron]

I presume they Elderfly larvae will die when it matures?

[@Lox476Channel]

If i clean with top water or i fill with top water is the same?

[@PlatinumRmx]

What do you use to film the jars?

[@nk53nxg]

This looks like a great idea as a project with my daughter when she is old enough. Kids should be given the chance to understand the world around them in macro and micro scales. She may not be interested or she may love it and show interest, see what happens.

[@fouledanchorfarm1192]

I was saying to my wife yesterday these ecosystems can be created now for the grandkids and used for a science project. A pond and a forest floor ecosystem observed for a year or two will all but guarantee an 'A'! Grandkids being what they are, they'll lose interest after a week🤣🤣so, the jars will stay here and I'll take a picture of them once a week. Yea, I know....

[@lynndifer4163]

We actually did this in my high school biology class and it was SO interesting. We did one bottle with stuff collected from a pond and one with just some tap water and a some storebought water plants and compared them after a few weeks to see how the microorganisms changed and maintained the systems. The tap water one was overflowing with algae! Very cool and I highly recommend you do it with your daughter :)

[@teeshee18]

I did this with my kids at my childcare centre! They loved it and loved trying to spot all the different things living in it 🥰

[@partysuvius]

Shoot, start it now. Get a jar started ahead of time, and then have her make her own. She can watch the jars at different points in time. Go for the same date, maybe one on her birthday as a gift? It’ll be exciting for sure, especially if you’re coaxing her to gain a love of the environment. Also, several different magnifying glasses. She’s probably going to get easily entertained watching the little creatures going about their lives and maintaining the jars.

[@latrace1986]

Totally agree. I also find it so amazing to think that this is how life on earth started! Small organisms in a contained ecosystem that eventually grew and evolved and moved from water to land to the sky and in some cases, back into the water.

[@thea_kober]

Cold water usually has more oxygen dissolved in it than warm water, so making ecospheres in the winter can be even better than in the summer sometimes

[@alijohncristian]

I decided to collect during winter as well. My theory is, the creatures thriving at this temperature are simply hardier than the others. That being said, I left my jar outside and the entire thing froze over. I took it back in to thaw, and there's still a lot of life, even the plants. :D

[@hoidtakesopioids3223]

@@alijohncristian Wow, and here I thought it was too late to make an ecosphere. Guess I'll be going out with a shovel sometime soon!

[@hoidtakesopioids3223]

@@IdiotWithEducation There were leeches in my ecosphere. They freaked me out and I threw it away.

[@jackmemphis3203]

@@hoidtakesopioids3223 what a shame thats cool

[@lifeuncovered6188]

I’ll keep that in mind once winter comes around!

[@MrKaje72]

The skill is on par if not better than many professional productions. And you did it with a jar, and some water from your backyard. With no VO. Impressive. If you are an entomologist or zoologist you’re good at your job, if you’re just some nerd, you are what’s right about the world. Keep it up👌🏽

[@TrashPanda21]

I can only agree and also just wanted to tell you that i find your comment very wholesome :)

[@VodkaMutini413]

Me: This is really interesting to learn about and see all the different organisms living together in an ecosphere My last brain cell: DrInK tHe WaTeR

[@heusshouss7815]

🤣🤣🤣

[@SUB0SCORION]

oh noo. did you see what's in there?

[@lifeuncovered6188]

You would die 😳😳😳

[@nieznajomy7]

@@SUB0SCORION nothing that can't be eaten

[@lucassgpina]

I would love to know how many ecospheres you have up and running and how old are them! I love you videos, sometimes I wish they lasted for hours!

[@handlesrstupid123]

I was just literally asking myself this question since I just been watching ecospheres

[@based.tetovar3550]

Me too

[@Percy_Fawcett]

What question?

[@handlesrstupid123]

@@Percy_Fawcett how to create a rural pond ecosphere in winter? Literally that word for word was just thinking about this yesterday before bed.

[@WuzuuhhhDOOOD]

@@handlesrstupid123 same here 🤣🤣 my thought was since it is winter and alot of stuff is dead itd be harder but then I also thought to myself since there more dead plant life in the soil it's more nutritious to the microorganisms it might just be better?? :)) I just got into thus stuff about a month ago and gonna make my first jar today

[@nac-1]

@@WuzuuhhhDOOOD Where are you planning to make it?

[@JaesadaSrisuk]

I live in a desert where natural bodies of water are rare, so I’m always so jealous that you have such easy access to ponds and streams to make your jarrariums!

[@frowner_and_co]

You can make then with sand and no water if you want insects. You could also order stuff that you want online.

[@PeppersnGlowworms]

This could easily serve as a living illustration to an invertebrate zoology textbook. So many different taxa in one small jar! And thank you for planing on breaking containment to release the adult alderfly...

[@fouledanchorfarm1192]

I got a click beetle larva in one of my jars. I saw him in my shovel and deliberately placed him in the ecosystem to see what came out with the full intention of release. Well, then I did some research. Click beetle larva live in the ground for up to 5 years eating my crops at the roots. I don't use insecticides so if he crawls out as a mature beetle in my jar I will remove him and end him. Sucks, but there it is.

[@davedunks4647]

@@fouledanchorfarm1192 Remove and rehome. let it be outside

[@OST1350]

Life, where ever it exists, is always interesting

[@Lambda_Ovine]

This was upload on my birthday. So, I'll consider it a gift

[@Jartopia]

Hope you had a happy birthday! :)

[@aloneinthedark99]

Why doesnt your dad upload to new grounds anymore

[@Brazil-loves-you]

I want the flour terrarium update! It's been 6 month already

[@yanceybarker6411]

Who disliked this video? How can you dislike this. It is so therapeutic and helps me learn stuff I never knew that I would. I am so glad these videos exists and I am happy for this upload

[@greguhhh6474]

I disliked this

[@OnePieceOfEt]

I'm never touching any river or lake water ever again. Great channel by the way its really interesting

[@raze7x]

Well, if you think so, you should not touch anything! xD The world is full of life, at small scale.

[@brookfunk4836]

Pond water is generally much more diverse with micro stuff (less human attractive) because they're so concentrated and don't move. It's good that we don't like touching ponds cause it allows them to thrive :) rivers and lakes are a lot more human friendly though because they're big and move quite a bit!

[@something_in_the_radiator1665]

swimming in lakes and rivers is really fun though, especially if the water is clear and there are rocks to jump off of.

[@partysuvius]

Your body is teaming with bacteria. It protects you, but you have to be careful not to let bacteria from specific areas go where they aren’t supposed to be (like bacteria on your booty going on your face). Can cause some issues. Especially skin bacteria under the epidermis - can cause a nasty infection and go septic quickly.

[@than.imeiii]

@@partysuvius don’t tell me people rub their booty juice on their fwce

[@partysuvius]

Stenta are single-celled organisms! They’re huge, right? I just learned abt them and 5 others today in a video called “the 6 biggest single cell organisms” and one of them is so big, it’s as big as a good sized grape. Looks like one, too, since it has a cellulose skin. Biology is so cool, especially aquatic life.

[@hu3cat]

OMG YAY! new ecosphere! This is SO exciting!!!!!

[@simpleforever9560]

Hu3cat here, this ecosphere channel is incredible, I already thought about doing that, but I don't have any jars

[@hu3cat]

@@simpleforever9560 Buy on the internet! is not too expensive :3 I have a couple and it's super fun!

[@DannysAquariums]

@@hu3cat I know right! Always nice to see a new ecosphere. ;)

[@simpleforever9560]

@@hu3cat i will go search about it

[@chrisvinai9842]

lol i had almost exact same response when i saw on my feed!

[@ericsmith3808]

I actually made one like this back in September! Used rocks and dirt/blackened sand as a base, added more light sand at the top, and then put in a whole bunch of shells, even added a dead leaf for a more natural look. Originally just put in one little plant, but a whole bunch grew up over the past few months! Algae grew inside too! Been seeing a lot of copepods and vorticella colonies inside, as well as worms and more that I cant make out the details of. Im surprised at how much it's flourished just sitting in my window the past few months!

[@hx.4s1b3]

Did you fill it up with water too? Or did you just leave it with air

[@something_in_the_radiator1665]

i made a couple of ecospheres in August. i live in the high desert so it was difficult to locally source any aquatic plants because the river is mostly rocky and sandy so i used plants from the store. As of now my ecospheres are thriving. The plants have new growth. there are multiple snails with different shaped shells, an abundance of copepods, ostracods, and a bunch of other micro organisms that i have yet to identify. There are tubifex worms and some planarians. my favorite creatures i think would have to be the hydras. they are so cool. i see them capture micro organisms often. i hope that i happen upon some vorticella for the next project.

[@mikaya4187]

@@something_in_the_radiator1665 how did you do ? Mine hasn't been so good. Plants and animals died and everything rotted, i was forced to threw it..

[@something_in_the_radiator1665]

@@mikaya4187 i used a couple of jars. i collected a bit of water, duckweed, and some algae from the river and pond in then scooped in some mud and little bit of pebbles. the jars were about half way full at this point. i collected water and duckweed in a few bottles to finish after i put in the plants. as i mentioned i had trouble finding any locally sourced plants so i bought some from the store. i set the plants in the mud in each jar then finished filling them up. i didn't put any sort of debris or decaying matter in either of them. just mud, pebbles, the plants, and water. at first i thought they looked too plain. the copepods and ostracods were the obvious creatures. then the plants started growing. tubifex worms emerged from the mud as well as snails that have been laying eggs and reproducing and a couple planarians which i occasionally see. the hydras appeared about a month or so later. had no idea i'd collected them. i did try to make an ecosphere in a big jar after i'd made these to with all kids of sticks and leaves and algea. i thought "hell yea, this is gonna be the best one." but there was too much going on and it decayed. sometimes less is more. hope this helps.

[@mikaya4187]

@@something_in_the_radiator1665 okay this really is helping, thank you. Maybe i did put too much un there, i will try to put less :) Thank you !

[@ReddJedi]

Would love to see the zoom magnification indicated on the videos sometimes. Thanks love the vids

[@DarkDao]

8:50 "ROBERTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

[@Jonehoo]

Small jar but full on life. It's like a small universe. Great work as always! So mesmerizing..

[@m.willow11]

These little worlds are so relaxing to the mind and pleasing to the eyes. All this life in a space the size of a jar. Just imagine the planet as a whole! God is so good! Your channel has inspired me to create some 3 dimensional poetry in a jar too. 😍

[@degrinchy]

What you made? Share with us if you like :)

[@2birdstwobirds]

So beautiful little big world.....thanks for all this miracle

[@BrayLee38]

I just found your videos. They are so peaceful and interesting. Makes me want to go out and make an ecosphere myself! Subscribed! Thank you for making great content!

[@gwynyvyr]

I stumbled across your channel by accident and immediately subscribed! So fascinating and relaxing. You put so much thought into your ecoscapes (and your videos). Keep it up, these videos are brilliant!

[@AmyBarkerPhoto]

Kinda makes you rethink swimming in a pond... this is so cool though!

[@mooster2095]

Thank you for uploading 😊

[@elorawess6194]

Thank you for these moments of peace, love what you do. always love your videos

[@wrath3470]

Another amazing video, I love the music you use as well. Very relaxing AND informative to watch! keep it up!

[@phrababushkath2350]

What a SPLENDID ECOSYSTEM you have made - an ENTIRE WORLD full of WONDERFUL FORMS OF LIFE - a TOTAL PLEASURE to watch. Thank you VERY VERY VERY much for posting - I LOVE your channel!

[@noodlepoodle7097]

Omg yesss perfect timing !! Can’t wait to watch this I love your content 🥰🥰

[@mrsaraf3459]

What do you use to record the ecosphere species, I'm curious as they seem to be quite small

[@kode-man23]

Meanwhile us in Canada: "You call that winter?"

[@frogpalpeeper4249]

LOL

[@totallynotagecko3866]

Considering we just had an ice storm yesterday and the local pond froze over like 4 times already

[@Star_Stormz]

I wish we got warm weather lmao

[@knp3335]

I’m a bit south of Halifax and still no frozen lake and I have green mossy grass. It kind of does look like that lol.

[@totallynotagecko3866]

@@knp3335 I’m in southern Ontario and my lake is frozen hard enough to skate on

[@agostinosangel]

These videos are incredible! I feel like my childhood fascination with critters has reawakened 😊

[@netharious1]

Watching your videos is giving me a new inspiration/idea for a quarantine hobby, not to mention I haven't been out in nature lately or had pets for a while. Keep up the amazing work!!!

[@mikedelam]

These are amazing. Thank you for making them

[@yogiCJM152]

These videos are exactly what I need right now 😭😭 thank you for sharing. Such a peaceful way to start 2022.

[@AverageEldritchEntity]

Absolutely marvelous! I always enjoy seeing into creature's habits this closely!

[@skyrere]

You did a great job with this video. This is fascinating and awesome. Thank you.

[@eddvcr598]

11:37 I’ve never seen a daphnia poop before! Incredible video as always. This jar has incredible biodiversity filled with larger animals. I’m looking forward to future updates!

[@OriFunTime]

I love this channel. Its so chill!!!

[@ChrisFredriksson]

Early christmas gift, Thank you! :)

[@fpsfrisco8741]

I love your content so much, thank you for your videos. I’ve been fascinated by invertibrates ever since I was a little girl - I literally squealed when an opilione showed up in one of your other ecospheres! - and to see such vibrant ecospheres and learn about all these new creatures is a true joy for me. Do you have a background that lends you so much knowledge about invertibrates and plants, or are you just an enthusiastic hobbyist? Either way thank you for your lovingly crafted content. It’s truly appreciated and enjoyed.

[@yunielhernandez7208]

Congratulations!!! perfect documentary👌

[@maomucmuc4283]

Great video! Love it! I'm gonna do my own ecosphere from the nearby pond! Thanks for the idea :-))

[@Big_Jig]

Youve inspired me to start my own ecosphere :)

[@stephengray3957]

Amazing and really interesting video. I am amazed how much life there is in just that one jar of pond mud and water!

[@chadm1513]

The video quality just keeps getting better and better. Some of the photography in this vid is unbelievable. Could you quickly describe your lighting and camera setup? I'm trying to improve my underwater invertebrate videos and you've clearly cracked the code!

[@malorie1042]

These videos are great. So peaceful. I can really appreciate CC instead of talking

[@SEAKPhotog]

Very cool. Thank you!

[@donrumata1006]

good work and nice montage! thx

[@Bushido_yak]

This is beautiful!

[@panexplosivoh3113]

Do you film these videos with one of those lenses that get rid of reflections?

[@trippcox2641]

This is truly amazing and I would replicate but then I wouldn’t be able to do anything else with my life but watch it constantly 🤷‍♂️lol ! Great work !

[@billbrasky1359]

Great video as always. I don't think it's been covered, but what kind of lighting do you grow these under? I assume the setup in the videos is just for filming. It would be nice to see where the jars live most of the time.

[@stronkknight]

Nice job on the videos! Keep it up :)

[@ThePatrioticEgg]

Lol I tried this. Filled a 5L jar with a layer of pond mud (from a local nature reserve), and water from the same pond. I haven't seen ANY life in it, except duckweed on the top. (and algae). Luck of the draw? I collected around October time.

[@AntarticaFr]

I think taking some rocks and some twigs is a good way to add some living beings. I guess they hide in these structures so you might catch some of them.

[@BroBurg445]

Nice looking one, hope this one pans out. The last ecosphere I tried to make had tons of scuds and snails. It had duckweed and I later added java moss, but the ecosphere collapsed from what I think was too much animal life. I hope this one has a better balance than my scud ecosphere, and merry Christmas!

[@Meme-wq3ns]

Really love your content, cheers from Italy

[@tamiherman7855]

I started with aquariums, moved to also doing terrariums...I think I am going to have to try a water ecosystem Next!!! My grandkids love projects! If I showed any of this to my friends, they would never get into the lake again on Girls Weekend!! LOL

[@katheriner7319]

A joy to watch

[@albertourbanodelasheras5677]

Que precioso,me ha emocionado el vídeo,.........

[@stevew6138]

So very cool, thanx.

[@bgcanadianbacon6703]

I was a little nervous you had stopped uploading, glad this video popped up in my recommended

[@caliorquiz4623]

I've just discovered Jartopia and grateful for it! I'm obsessed! So engrossing!

[@Cguy212]

what camera setup do you use? it looks fantastic!

[@allysonbeaty1527]

Definitely doing this with my kids next summer!!!!

[@tinyGrim1]

This is so interesting, and educational ! Do you ever do longer ones as a sort of documentary. So relaxing and , well...pretty , actually . Thank you. Are the jar/s air tight ? I may do one in spring.

[@TK42138]

These videos are outstanding.

[@jakefields7664]

Your channel is so dope! ❤️

[@elcucuy1770]

Beautiful

[@leeow3n]

this video changed my life

[@JuuJuuism]

Omigosh +1 for the stentors, they're my favorite microorganism ❤

[@bodycountlike24boywhoplayi91]

This is very therapeutic

[@smallweed1940]

me: i subscribed to some insane man with a god complex everyone i know at school: ...

[@ffhdyedq]

Underrated comment

[@KarlosEPM]

Is "Jartopia" a guy? If so, he has some of the girliest hands ever xD. Sublime skills though, much respect.

[@josephbrady711]

@@KarlosEPM I'd guess Asian male... pure guess tho

[@stefanweinmuller9010]

I also thought about this a few days ago :D nice one :)

[@Pittigpiertje]

wow nice harvest of stentors!

[@NEOTHEGREAT6]

I've made terrariums and vavariums but never an ecosphere because of your channel I now have to do so.. I'll keep it by my woodlouse colonies 😁also had to subscribe to stay updated on everything !

[@Davenwolf]

Hi great informative video. I'm getting out in my kayak this afternoon and find a pristine creek for inhabitants for my first ecosphere.

[@bluishkitten]

Hi! I love your videos! I would really love it if you could show us how you store your ecospheres. I want to try it myself with our Swedish ecosystems, but I have so many questions. Like, do I need a light? Should I keep them in a cool place and away from sunlight? Keep up the good work! :)

[@o80y1]

Maybe the aquatic hoglouse just has a yankee with no brim on its head lol

[@GRIMREFFER420]

I love this channel

[@doomferret4750]

What camera setup are you using? Your videos are mesmerizing; great work!

[@paulkline515]

I had two jars go opaque due to algae. So when I made a third jar I put small magnets inside and out, allowing me to scrape the inside without opening the jar. For six months or so I kept a window clear that let me observe the activities by cleaning the window once a week. But I let it lapse and the algae got a grip on the inside magnet so now it won't move and the window has gotten cloudy. You can get sets of disk magnets for sticking notes to your refrigerator from Amazon for $10.00 or less depending on size. I used 12mm disks, they are flat so smaller ones might work better for smaller jars, and I stacked two on the inside and two on the outside for better holding power. Try them out on your jar with plain water to see how it works for you. Sorry I have not made any videos yet but this is an incredibly fun hobby. I kept the jar on a stand near my bed so I could check it out when I laid down at night.

[@tinyGrim1]

You could make sleep vids with these & this music 💕💕

[@FidelCastro404]

I definitely going to do this with my son.. get him interested in nature.

[@wu_dee]

I'm going try and make one in the spring, Jartopia has got me hooked.

[@BRZZ-xw4hd]

excellent vid ...peace out

[@stratigraphymajor8196]

I've got to try this !!

[@geforcegaming84]

I've just recently discovered your account and I'm obsessed with watching your videos :) Definitely going to try a water one and eventually a terrarium. I assume though that there is a lot of trial and error with trying to get the balance right

[@rplanet_ua]

an aquatic closed ecosystem is much easier to make than a terrestrial one. There is no need to select the level of humidity.

[@ErmuunErdenebaatar]

Nature maintains itself

[@lukeboston5817]

Wow amazing :) would be great if you could tell the magnification levels and/or include some shots closer to what the “naked eye” sees for scale

[@poldipstickman6790]

Lol this kind of video always fun to watch but i always ended up falling asleep mid video 😂

[@Good13man]

I wish my "winter" looked like that. 😂😂

[@koolmissionary7612]

I think i just discovered a treasure channel on KZbin. Thank you

[@ash-tv3bu]

9:12 cool hat

[@GameDragonMedia]

Really keen on to build one with my kid, it will be much better demonstration then just dry lessons in school:)

[@hormborey8233]

That what im looking for u creat daphnia u the best

[@franceslock1662]

Thank you for educating and inspiring us. We will start a collection of ecospheres, identifying all the organisms will be our challenge. Does pressure build up in the jar? I want to use large recycled coffee jars instead of mason jars.

[@gewoonwito5403]

Holy shit I made an ecosphere to and I got those leeches in to although I already thought it was somesort of leech it's nice to see that you have confirmed it know. Though you said that the leech would probably not survive without larger species present but in my ecosphere except of 2 snail these are pretty much the biggest to and they have survived for a very long time now and even seem to kind of thrive as there are a lot of them

[@viktoriagoo135]

I can remember when I've been not amused about these triangle heads in my shrimp aquarium, but here I almost like them

[@That_Alex]

God i love these videos! You gave me back that joy i had as a kid of just sitting outside and watching a trail of ants for hours. Ive even made my own little ecosphere a few months ago. It sadly died, at least i cant see any movement in it anymore. The algae are doing well at least, the whole water is essentially green, and the plants i put in there are doing amazing as well, so i cant get myself to empty it, if anything its a nice little piece of greenery (though maybe ill introduce some new dirt with hopefully news eggs in it who knows) Oh also, how do you get these great shots? im assuming youre using a good camera, but i was wondering which one. looking at my own ecosystem got a bit dull since im far sighted, and even with glasses its hard to see things THAT small.