Little upkeep moss terrarium?

[Le Wasp]

I ran across an article of a plant being grown in a bottle for about 50 years ( http://sabeerhassan.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/garden-in-a-bottle-anyone/ and http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/biology/article3667780.ece )

I'm not sure if this story is entirely true or not, but it got me thinking about terrariums again. I've always been interested in making little sealed ecosystems, with as little upkeep necessary. Do you think this type of setup would be possible with mosses? I would think that their shorter stature would keep this type of terrarium at a good growing height.

 

[AndrewBiddar]

this is really neat my buddy was actually just talking about one of these he wanted to make would be intresting

 

[CitizenNumber9]

I have a little moss garden with mosses I collected myself. It is kept in a sterilite shoe box container. I've had it for probably two months and it is still thriving.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

My aquatic "Java mosses" produce "fairy landscapes" inside clear containers that are close enough to the nearest window(s) to let sunlight peep through.

 

[Le Wasp]

Java mosses are one of the plants I've been thinking about using for a mini ecosystem. Are they easy enough to grow without filters, pumps, etc?

If I could set up a little ecosystem, with some kind of aquatic version of a pillbug for cleanup duty, that would be great. Perhaps a small group of copepods or something similar would do the trick.

 

[lagomorphette]

Java mosses are one of the plants I've been thinking about using for a mini ecosystem. Are they easy enough to grow without filters, pumps, etc?

Yes, java mosses are very undemanding, easy aquatic plants. You can anchor them to decoration using fishing line or thread, or just let it float around. They don't need a filter or a heater, and they have low light requirements. A little sunlight or fluorescent lights in the room may be enough to sustain it.

Java fern is another great choice, btw. I keep java fern in a betta bowl that receives a little sunlight through a window & it's doing great. It is a slow grower, but very hardy. You keep it the same way as the moss: tie to a decoration or let it float free. It's roots need to be in the water column, not in the substrate.

If I could set up a little ecosystem, with some kind of aquatic version of a pillbug for cleanup duty, that would be great. Perhaps a small group of copepods or something similar would do the trick.

Snails or shrimp might be a good choice. I love cherry shrimp because they are small but bright & reproduce pretty easily with a nice set up & good-size starter population. They prefer a little heat, though...and maybe a filter. Amano shrimp/japanese algae eating shrimp make an even better clean-up crew in a plant tank. They aren't colorful like the cherries, and they don't reproduce (but they live several years, I believe).

If you have a heated set up, nerite snails are awesome algae eaters. They need brackish/salt water to reproduce (so, no babies in your freshwater set up), but, like the amanos, they have decent lifespans.
Pond snails & trumpet snails do fine in almost any water temp, filter or no filter...but they reproduce like crazy! Not sure if that'd be good or bad in an enclosed system. Ramshorn snails might be another candidate!

Whatever you choose so set up, I'd love to see pics!