Unlike a potted plant, a sealed bottle never loses water. Sunlight heats the air inside, causing water to evaporate from the soil. This vapor condenses on the cooler glass walls and falls back down as “rain.” You will see this as condensation—a sign your biosphere is alive and well.
Use marine salt (1.020–1.024 SG), Chaetomorpha algae, brine shrimp, and a small piece of live rock. Requires stronger light. bottle biosphere guide full
: Add a small amount of water. The soil should be moist but not saturated; you should not see a deep pool at the bottom. Unlike a potted plant, a sealed bottle never loses water
Use a large jar. Plant Drosera (sundew) or Utricularia (bladderwort) in a mix of peat moss and perlite. Use distilled water only—tap water kills carnivorous plants. Do not add springtails; the sundew eats them. Requires very bright artificial light. Use marine salt (1