FINAL ENTRY FOR THE TERRARIUM
Our terrarium's ecosystem was a pond and we chose that particular ecosystem because it is really diverse and active. Our terrarium consists of 2 different types of animals and 2 different types of plants. The animals were plecko fish and snails while the plants were water lettuce and moss. In the end, our terrarium performed as well as we expected. The animals and plants all stayed alive until the end, and all the biogeochemical cycles we predicted would happen all occurred in this terrarium. Overall, I personally think that my group's terrarium did really well because it did as well as we have expected since the beginning.
Day 10
Day 9
We didn't really do much during this session. When we checked on the aquarium, we realised that the snails were wandering around the aquarium.
Day 8
During this block time, me and my group mates checked on the condition of the terrarium and realized that the snails were hiding under the leaves and weren’t moving. We then picked them both up and both snails moved meaning it is still alive. After checking on the snails, we then looked for the plecko fish. The plecko fish also was hiding under leaves. We the removed the leaf covering the fish and it swam fast to another leaf hiding beneath it.
In the end, we just added some more leaves so that snails are able to eat and closed the lid.
In the end, we just added some more leaves so that snails are able to eat and closed the lid.
Day 7
In this period, we did crucial things that could effect the terrarium in many different ways. The first thing we did was cleaning the pond water so it wouldn’t disturb the plecko fish later on. After taking out some of the green slime that is present inside the water, we then added the plecko fish and the two snails by hand onto the terrarium. After putting down the animals, we then took out some leaves and layed it on the surface of the soil for the snails to eat.
Day 6
We didn’t really do anything to the terrarium in this block time. We still need to add the animals (plecko fish and snails) and water moss, but those things are not going to be here by probably next period so we decided to put them in the terrarium next Monday. Other than that, we opened the lid of the terrarium to see the progress that is happening inside. What me and my group mates immediately realize was the fact that the water/pond has changed colors to green which tells us that algae is present.
Day 5
We didn’t really add anything in this period because we have not received the algae we needed for the pond water. But what we did was we saw the progress of the terrarium. The water cycle still continued and the moss is now a little bit more stucked onto the soil.
Day 4
I was not actually present in this period, but the rest of my group was and they did a couple of things to the terrarium. The first thing I realized from looking at the pictures my group took were the presence of water on the sides and ceiling of the aquarium. This “rain” is happening due to the water cycle of the terrarium, from the pond, plants and eventually making “rain”. Besides that, me and my group added some moss onto the top of the soil which will be the source of food for the snail later on.
Day 3
Today was the 3rd day of making our terrarium. In this session, we didn’t do too much things but we have basically finished our terrarium. In this block time, we made sure that the soil, rocks/pebbles and sand are strong enough to be handle the water so it is not going all going to be absorbed by the soil making it too moist. After making sure things are strong, we then added the water making sure the water is able to hold the water lettuce and is liveable for the pleckofishes we are going to add next week. After adding water onto the aquarium, we then put in the water lettuces.
Day 2
Today was the 2nd day of making our terrarium. In this session, we didn’t really have much time to do anything with our terrarium since it was only a period. But in the end of the class, we actually did more than we have expected.
First, our group added more rocks into our terrarium making sure that the divider is not going to be too shallow for the water. After adding a significant amount of rock onto the terrarium and shaping it into a hill, poured over some charcoal which we have crushed previously on top of the sand layer. The charcoal is going to act as the fertile for the soil which we added after pouring the crushed charcoal.
First, our group added more rocks into our terrarium making sure that the divider is not going to be too shallow for the water. After adding a significant amount of rock onto the terrarium and shaping it into a hill, poured over some charcoal which we have crushed previously on top of the sand layer. The charcoal is going to act as the fertile for the soil which we added after pouring the crushed charcoal.
Day 1
Today was the first day we actually worked on our terrariums.. After gathering our stuff in the biology room, we all took our materials and tools and went downstairs to the 2nd floor’s lab. In the lab, me and my group mates made sure that we had already gathered all the materials we needed for the base of our terrarium. After asking for sand and pebbles from the other group, we took our terrarium over to the balcony of the lab. First, we poured over some sand inside the terrarium making sure that the whole floor of the aquarium is covered with sand. After making the base of the aquarium equal with a thin layer of sand, we started to pour over more sand and started to for a hill shape. The more it goes to the right side, the taller the sand goes.
We didnt really do much this block time because the resources our class had was not enough for everyone. But we would have more resources by the next meeting and we are expecting to have already put in the layer of soil by the end of our next meeting.
We didnt really do much this block time because the resources our class had was not enough for everyone. But we would have more resources by the next meeting and we are expecting to have already put in the layer of soil by the end of our next meeting.