Before I was in to plants, I kept an old cheeseball container with a crappy filter, three mollies, and some snails. The mollies weren’t happy, and it was never supposed to be permanent, but the snails really seemed fine in there.
I guess I didn’t really answer your question, but snails, at least , nerites, should work.

 

I have a 1 gallon (3.8L) jar that used to house triops with sand substrate. I also have been interested in walstad jars/tanks so I topped off the water and put some hornwort trimmings in there last week. The water cleared up in a couple days and it smells great, like fresh rain in a forest. I'm going to observe it a while longer and may add a couple shrimp if it is stable. The walstad method uses soil and plants and people seem to have great results without even doing water changes, if you haven't read up on it I recommend it, very interesting!

 

Thank you I will definely look into this, found a nice 2.5 litre jar that might work. It has a cork lid, or should I leave open top?

 

The walstad method "game" seems to be to create a sealed ecosystem that is (almost) never opened, but it unlikely that you make on your first try, or so I've read. I've also seen unsealed tanks aquascaped with the same method. It's up to you, I haven't done it myself so do your research. I'm sure you'll have fun with it!

 

I’ve definitely seen great jararium journals in the journals section.

I’m trying to run one now but it’s only about 3 weeks in. It’s cycling. Substrate is sand, I stuck one root tab in. Limno is doing as well as in my main tank. Ludwigia is doing much better without the hassle from the pond snails. R. Indica is doing a little worse than in the main tank but still fine.

This is a very temporary stage because I wanted to dry-start moss growth on the rocks for the jar and in the meantime I needed a place for some spare cuttings and then someone gave me the monstera and this whole thing happened.

Monstera will leave and some plants will budge around and the rocks will come in, with some buce and anubias, once it’s cycled because I heard buce doesn’t love to undergo the cycling process. It might end up home for minimal shrimp or fish fry if ever necessary.

 

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I’ve definitely seen great jararium journals in the journals section.

I’m trying to run one now but it’s only about 3 weeks in. It’s cycling. Substrate is sand, I stuck one root tab in. Limno is doing as well as in my main tank. Ludwigia is doing much better without the hassle from the pond snails. R. Indica is doing a little worse than in the main tank but still fine.

This is a very temporary stage because I wanted to dry-start moss growth on the rocks for the jar and in the meantime I needed a place for some spare cuttings and then someone gave me the monstera and this whole thing happened.

Monstera will leave and some plants will budge around and the rocks will come in, with some buce and anubias, once it’s cycled because I heard buce doesn’t love to undergo the cycling process. It might end up home for minimal shrimp or fish fry if ever necessary.

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This looks great! Thanks for sharing

EDIT: do you have a Journal link?

 

You would be surprised by how easy it is. I've had this one-liter vase going for almost a month now. Started it from extra materials I had laying around. I just introduced some bladder snails recently thanks to a tip from @LidijaPN. It was pretty happy before, but now with the snails, it is perfectly clear. Echinodorus has doubled in size already. Almost zero maintenance.

Watch SerpaDesign's Youtube channel. That guy will blow your mind. Great background noise while you are working too. lol

 

You would be surprised by how easy it is. I've had this one-liter vase going for almost a month now. Started it from extra materials I had laying around. I just introduced some bladder snails recently thanks to a tip from @LidijaPN. It was pretty happy before, but now with the snails, it is perfectly clear. Echinodorus has doubled in size already. Almost zero maintenance.

Watch SerpaDesign's Youtube channel. That guy will blow your mind. Great background noise while you are working too. lol



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Is that hygro pinnatifida on the chola? And.... some sort of aponogeton?

Jars are great for growing out stems because it’s easier to manipulate them.

 

My 1 gallon jar had a hatching of bladder snails from the hornwort, they are zipping around snacking. I decided to add two cherry shrimp the other day, one molted within a couple hours but now they are both climbing around the hornwort forest and moving dropped leaves around. Still no nitrite/nitrates, that hornwort seems to be sucking everything up, so far so good.

 

Sounds great, yep hornwort is the way to go I think

What do you have in the way of substrate and lighting? would lvoe to see a photo!

 

Inert sand, some crushed coral and oyster shell. I have left the dropped leaves because I read the tannins might be good for the shrimp, plus they pick them up and play around with them... probably just eating though haha. No specific lighting besides ambient yet, but I don't know if I want the hornwort to grow any faster than it already does.

 

Inert sand, some crushed coral and oyster shell. I have left the dropped leaves because I read the tannins might be good for the shrimp, plus they pick them up and play around with them... probably just eating though haha. No specific lighting besides ambient yet, but I don't know if I want the hornwort to grow any faster than it already does.

Thanks for sharing, think I am going to do this too!

 

Here's just after this one molted. Its no picklescape! But they have a lot of jungle gym to crawl around on.

 

So awesome!!! Smart having a lid!! Mine with no lid and emersed plants is a little risky for runaways, if it ever gets any life inside it

 

I have read of some people having issues with planted jars using up all nutrients in the soil and having to redo them. If this sustains long-term I plan do do one with java fern, java moss, duckweed, etc. Since they draw nutrients from the water column "changing the soil" is just a water change away so this could be viable for years, at least that's my hypothesis.

Here is my second jar on standby. Monitoring the hardness and ph with all that oyster shell. We will see how its doing in a few weeks. Only a couple bladder snail hitchikers in there, they will surely tell me if they like it by their numbers 😄

 

I have read of some people having issues with planted jars using up all nutrients in the soil and having to redo them. If this sustains long-term I plan do do one with java fern, java moss, duckweed, etc. Since they draw nutrients from the water column "changing the soil" is just a water change away so this could be viable for years, at least that's my hypothesis.

ALL aquatic plants draw nutrients from the water column regardless of whether they take it in through the roots or leaves.

 

That's cool. Any issues with a small jar and no water flow as far as nutrients dispersing to the soil? Would a thin pea gravel cap be best?

 

No, you shouldn't have too many issues getting nutrients down there, Water changes alone will move stuff around. I setup this candlestick holder (0.5 gallon) tank a while back and everything did fine.

 

What do peeps think of this 0.5 gallon jar? has a cork lid

 

That looks like a nice jar, but if I weren't recycling a container and had a choice, I would prioritize width over height for more real estate. It really depends on what YOU want though so if that matches your vision, go for it!

 

Wider would be easier to plant? But it could serve as a cool experiment to dip your toes in the water!

 

You would probably have to plant with tweezers. Ikea has some cool vase sets that have that shape but better widths.

 

Good tip! Will check them out

 

If you have or know someone with a 3d printer you could make these to plant in a narrow jar Aquarium planter by lobotomik also check you local library, here in the US many libraries have 3d print service for free/ donation.

 

I do actually know someone with a 3D printer, good idea!

 

Here's another candlestick holder I did. Just riccia, background plant, a piece of lava rock with pool filter sand. It got mostly sunlight. The light was a tiny booklight for viewing at night.

 

These are adorable. You are an artist 🤩