Science in a Bottle

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-711 -- More Projects »
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Figure A
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Figure B
Environmental expert Michael Fritzen explains how to build an entire ecosystem (figure A) inside two soda bottles (figure B).

Materials:

two 2-liter bottles with labels removed
scissors
gravel, boiled to sanitize it
aquatic plants
water
small fish or snails
candlewick, cotton string or shoelace
drill or hammer and nail
coarse sand or pumice
soil
tape
fast-growing plant seeds such as radishes, peas or marigolds

Steps:

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Figure C
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Figure D

  1. Cut off the top and base of one of the bottles, leaving just the middle section (figure C).

  2. To create an ocean, lake or pond, cut off the top of the second bottle and add clean gravel, aquatic plants and room-temperature water to the bottle (figure D). (The plants add oxygen to the water and provide food for the snails and fish, which will be added later.)

  3. Fit the middle section from the first bottle inside the second bottle to add height, then poke holes in the sides of the added section so that air can circulate in the bottle.

  4. Add fish or snails to the water.
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Figure E
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Figure F
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Figure G
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Figure H
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Figure I
  • Soak the candlewick, string or shoelace in water for at least 20 minutes.

  • Make a hole in a bottle cap and insert the wick through the hole (figure E). Parents can drill the hole, or older children can hammer a nail through the lid to make the hole.

  • To create the earth portion of the ecosystem, screw the lid tightly onto a top section of bottle (figure F), invert the top section, add a thin layer of sand or pumice, then add soil (figure G), keeping the wick in the middle.

  • Add the top section to the ecosystem, with the wick extending down into the water (figure H). Seal the seams with tape.

  • Plant seeds in the soil of the top section (figure I). The seeds and plants will be watered by the wick.

  • Protect your ecosystem from extreme temperatures, and make sure it gets adequate sunlight.

    • Also in this Episode
    Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-711
    •Repairing Damaged Tile
    •Science in a Bottle
    •All-Natural Sweeteners
    •Smart Solution of the Day