/r/Jarrariums
What is a Jarrarium?
Feel free to show off your own jarrariums, as well as get advice and help others set theirs up.
If you want to make a jarrarium, this guide should help. Don't forget to post pictures of it here!
Rules
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/r/Jarrariums
134,627 Subscribers
What is this
03:41 UTC
Shrimparium: Handcrafted Open Glass – Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem with Opae Ula Shrimp
18:43 UTC
Woah / so much life on day 3! What is all this? Will any crawl out or grow wings?
01:02 UTC
What do you love so kuch about Jarriums?
I want to hear people's experiences with jariums and how they initially go into it.
05:39 UTC
My 1st attempt
Hi,
One month ago I made those 3 jars. I started with the plants and I added the shrimps and snails 1 week later. I got the soil, 5 different plants and the shrimps from a local pet store. I replaced 15% of the water after 1 week.
The large jar contains 2 shrimps and a large snail, the medium one has 2 shrimps and a small snail and the small one only has 1 shrimp. There are also plenty of small snails everywhere.
To my surprise, everyone survived and the jars look great :)
My only concern might be the lack of food since there is no visible algae and the water is really clean. Should I do something about it?
I the smallest jar, there is a build up of "white stuff" at the bottom. What is it? The shrimp in this jar seems to be apatic, is the jar too small? I am considering getting a bigger one to replace it and move some of the grass in the other 2 jars. Is it a good idea to move plants and animals between jars?
I also boiled some sea shells I collected for 20 mins, is it safe to put them in the jars?
Do you have any suggestions to improve the look and the odds of survival of my jars?
Thank you
08:20 UTC
Thriving Walstad Shrimp Jar - Day 200 Update! My Planted Yellow Cherry Shrimp Ecosphere!
My 200-day-old Walstad Method shrimp jar is really coming to life as it matures! The ecosystem is thriving, with active shrimp, healthy plants, enriched substrate, and plenty of biofilm growth. The whole setup is coming together beautifully.
The setup uses a 6.5-liter (1.7 US gallon) jar, a clip-on Hygger nano light, a topsoil substrate capped with gravel, and plants that naturally filter the water to keep the shrimp safe.
I keep yellow neocaridina shrimp in the jar because they’re hardy, easy to care for, and require minimal maintenance, making them ideal for a shrimp jar. I started with five shrimp when I set it up, and they’ve been breeding—now there are over thirty in the jar!
I plan to keep all the shrimp in the jar, taking a natural “survival of the fittest” approach, where the older shrimp outcompete the younger ones for food, naturally controlling the population over time.
The topsoil supplies micronutrients to the plants and hosts beneficial bacteria colonies. Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus convert ammonia into nitrite, while Nitrobacter and Nitrospira transform nitrite into nitrate, which the plants then use as a nutrient source. Bacillus feeds on the gunk build up to increase CO2 levels in the jar to help the plants grow.
Rotala rotundifolia serves as the primary filter for the jar, absorbing toxic ammonia and nitrite, with support from the beneficial bacteria. It also takes up various minerals from the water column, helping to manage TDS buildup that could otherwise lead to issues over time.
I add a small amount of food to the jar daily, with Hikari Mini Algae Wafers being the main food source for now since they’re nearing their expiry date. I also occasionally feed Fluval Bug Bites, Shrimp Snowflake Food, and bloodworms.
Ammonia and nitrite levels remain stable at 0ppm, with nitrate holding steady at 5ppm, all within safe ranges for neocaridina shrimp. The pH, gH, and kH are gradually increasing, which, according to Dianna Walstad’s book, is a normal byproduct of photosynthesis.
The jar uses a Hygger clip-on light, providing six hours of light each day—just enough for the plants to thrive without promoting excessive algae growth. This lighting also encourages biofilm growth, allowing the shrimp to graze on it in addition to their regular food.
This jar is very low maintenance; aside from daily feeding, I only add small amounts of water monthly to counter evaporation. I haven’t even trimmed the excess plant growth lately, allowing everything to develop naturally.
18:02 UTC
Can part of a moss turn brown in an area because it has something covering it?
My moss has had enough humidity for a while now and some light condensation on the (closed) jar. It has been doing well enough that it has several sporophytes developing. I heard that the wind traditionally distributes spores and since there's no wind in my jar I put sticks leaning against the moss so new moss could spread there. And one stick directly on top of the moss.
Today I checked my moss in my jar terrarium, and it had a line of brown directly under where the stick was covering it, including one of the sporophytes. I've moved it and put two more spritz of water in there.
I have never had brown on my moss before, I had more mold issues before reducing water to just right.
16:16 UTC
Is my freshwater jar suitable for shrimp?
I’ve had it for about less than a week now. Some dancing worms, lots of snails and other tiny little swimming creatures. I think I might need more greenery and a hide out to sustain shrimp but I’m not sure
16:02 UTC
Calling All Terrarium Lovers: What Makes You Buy?
Hey, terrarium enthusiasts! 👋 As someone who’s been collecting and buying terrariums for over a decade, I’m curious – what are your top priorities when purchasing a new terrarium?
Is it things like unique plant varieties, low maintenance, size options, or something else? And are there any features or frustrations that make or break a purchase for you?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 😊
18:24 UTC
Cute little newborn roly polys
Im afraid the plants in the terrarium arent gonna last much longer when these little guys start growing, lol
05:32 UTC
What should I do with this 3/4 gallon vase?
21:43 UTC
How I Setup My New Cherry Shrimp Jar! 🦐
This is my new room-temperature, filterless cherry shrimp jar! 🦐 Using aquasoil substrate, dragon stone hardscape, and a mix of plants, it’s surprisingly easy to set up. Let’s break down the process! 👇
Supplies for this setup: Fluval Stratum substrate, a jar, a USB light, and dragon stone. Plenty of plant options work in this type of setup, but I’ll cover my specific picks later in the thread. 🌱
I prefer 6.5L (1.7-gallon) jars—more space for plants & a larger shrimp colony! 🦐 People have been able to create similar setups in far smaller jars without issue though so don't worry if you can't find a jar of this size.
Unlike Walstad jars that need nutrient & capping layers, Fluval Stratum is ready to go right out the bag so I add 2 inches of it to the jar. It will buffer your water and lower pH but the hydrogen ions seem to wear off fast preventing this from being a long term issue.
Then I place three dragon stone pieces in the jar to create a foreground, midground, and background zone. Most #aquarium safe rocks will work and rocks like Seiryu stone can increase pH countering the buffering from the aquasoil.
Next up: Lighting! I’m using a Hygger clip-on light for this jar but most decent clip-on full spectrum lights should work well. I've even seen people use regular desk lamps as a light source for this type of shrimp tank 💡
Cycling time! Before planting, I cycle the jar using Dr. Tim’s ammonia solution, creating a safe environment for shrimp. This takes time, but it’s key for a healthy shrimp setup. A Tap Water Conditioner prevents issues with beneficial bacteria colonies forming too! 🦐
Fast forward to Day 36 and it looks like the jar has completed its cycle so it's time to add the
aquarium plants!
PLANT LIST
🌿 Limnophila Sessiliflora
🌿 Rotala Rotundifolia
🌿 Ludwigia Palustris Green
🌿 Staurogyne Repens
🌿 Eleocharis Parvula
🌿 Water Lettuce
I add Eleocharis Parvula to the foreground of the jar to act as a grazing area for my cherry shrimp. They seem to use it in a similar way to how they use java moss as a place to graze on algae and biofilm that naturally grows.
Then I add Staurogyne Repens to the midground of the jar. Baby shrimp can hide in it once it thickens out but its more for decoration as I really like the look of this plant once it's grown in and its short max height makes it perfect for shrimp jars.
Then I add Limnophila Sessiliflora, Ludwigia Palustris Green, and Rotala Rotundifolia to the background of the jar to naturally filter the toxins out of the water and maintain safe and stable water parameters for my shrimp.
I add some water lettuce floating plant to the surface to act as a temporary buffer against toxin spikes that may harm the shrimp while the jar matures. This can be left in place but it may cause problems with light penetration once it covers the surface.
I check the jars water parameters 43 days after the initial setup and everything looks good. The Nitrates are a little low for this number of plants but there's no issues with toxic nitrogen compounds that could harm the shrimp. gH, an kH look food too.
I net some shrimp out of my cherry shrimp tank and place them into the shrimp jar. The seem to settle in without issue and instantly start looking for food rather than swimming around erratically as if they are stressed or having a problem.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this shrimp jar progresses over the coming months. I started my other jar 200 days ago with 5 yellow neocaridina shrimp and they have bred up to a population of around 30.
18:07 UTC
One month old
02:30 UTC
Two months into my first Jarrarium
I'm feeling confident enough to share my first Jarrarium. Thanks to everyone on the subreddit who inspired me to take a crack at it.
23:58 UTC
Tiny “winged” creatures
Any idea what these are? There’s a bunch of them that showed up in my jar. They “flick” along the glass.
19:18 UTC
Any body know what this chain is?
This appeared in the past couple days.
00:36 UTC
Tiny aquatic jarrarium- thinking of putting daphnia in there
14:44 UTC
The « Wall of Life » in my living room is starting to earn it’s name
14:36 UTC
My New Planted Cherry Shrimp Jar A Week After Adding Plants!
Here’s my new planted cherry shrimp jar!
I used Fluval Stratum as the substrate, dragon stone for the hardscape, and planted it with:
- Limnophila Sessiliflora
- Rotala Rotundifolia
- Ludwigia Palustris Green
- Staurogyne Repens
- Eleocharis Pusilla
After adding the substrate and hardscape, I dosed a small amount of Dr. Tim’s Ammonia solution and left the jar to cycle for about five weeks. I use Fluval Stratum in a bunch of tanks and its buffering effect usually stops after a couple of months so the waiting period should help prevent problems with the shrimp too.
I added 5 red cherry shrimp into the jar a couple of days ago, and I’m curious to see how things progress as my other shrimp jar has around 30 shrimp in it now after starting with five.
This setup is unheated and unfiltered, but the plants should be able to handle any toxins in the water. I'm slightly concerned about how the Staurogyne Repens will fare as temperatures drop to around 18°C over winter, but the other plants should be just fine.
13:24 UTC
creek grass id? found flattened by the current on rocks in a creek
19:02 UTC