Disclaimer...I'm very new at this. Although there are clearly very many
variables other than size, my 1 liter sized water based sphere could not
support even one 3/4 inch diameter snail. Except that I don't wish to open
it, I am tempted to add a couple smaller snails.

Steve

On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 5:32 AM, <flip+@...<flip%2B@...>
> wrote:

>
>
> the_jon_person <no_reply@yahoogroups.com <no_reply%40yahoogroups.com>>
> writes:
> > Also, Would I be okay with only bacteria and plants in biosphere or
> >should I add a few critters to help balance out the O2 CO2 etc. levels.
>
> Remember that in the absense of light, plant cells respire. (use O2 and
> release CO2.) if you have too many plants, you can cause a pH shift in
> the system at night from excess CO2 which could be harmful to some
> higher life forms. (in large saltwater aquariums, they sometimes counter
> this by turning on the algae scrubber lights when it's dark in the tank.)
>
> As for animals, I minimally put a cleanup crew of a few snails in.
> They scrub the walls so when you do get something interesting
> in the sphere, you can see it. ;)
>
> As for quantity of plants... hard to say. I used to eyeball it.
> Couple lemma minor, some java moss, mayby java fern if it was handy.
> Probably not more than half the "volume". (counting the water space
> between the leaves as part of the plant allotment.)
>
> --
> flip
> When you see beyond yourself
> then you may find, peace of mind
> is waiting there. --George Harrison
>
>
>


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