When I was young, my older sister got sea monkeys for Christmas. I remember being so jealous and arguing the fact that, although I was just 5 years old, I had both the skills and dedication to shoulder the responsibility of a little shrimpy family of my own. I quickly disproved my point by accidently knocking over my sister’s tank within hours of her setting it up. Twenty-six years later, I feel I am just about ready to take on the challenge again, except, this time, there is no possibility of spillage thanks the EcoSphere.

The EcoSphere Ecosystem is the world’s first self-contained ecosystem with shrimp (close relative of the sea monkey) living inside an enclosed glass sphere. There are six designs to choose from: Small, Medium, Large and Extra-Large Spheres and Small or Large Pods. We received the Small Sphere which measures up at 3.5 × 3.5 × 3.25in and weighs just 0.5 lbs, which comes with three or four shrimp. We had four and immediately named them Ariel, King Titan, Sebastian and Ursula. Aside from the size and number of shrimps, all the Spheres and Pods work in the same way.

Constructed from a totally enclosed glass unit, the EcoSphere is just over halfway full of filtered sea water, there is also algae, bacteria, man-made gorgonian (a type of coral) and gravel - every part of the EcoSphere has a role. Natural or artificial light passes through the glass and together with the micro-organisms encourages the algae to grow. This produces food and oxygen for the shrimp, who in turn produce CO² and organic waste (tiny shrimp poops) which feeds the micro-organisms - it’s like a little Marxist society. There is a magnet enclosed in the sphere that can be connected to another magnet (included in the instructions) and used to clean the interior. If the algae become overgrown, then simply place the included cloth over the sphere until the algae has reduced. This cloth can also be used to clean the outside of the glass.

Aside from keeping the EcoSphere out of direct sunlight and ensuring it is at a temperature between 15˚C - 25˚C, there is little else involved with maintaining this little world and the shrimps: no feeding, pruning or check-ups at the vets. The EcoSphere is sent out via Priority Overnight shipping, marked as ‘fragile’ and packaged with heat packs to protect the Shrimp in cooler weather. If the weather is too cold for the shrimp’s survival, the order will be held until it improves.

Upon purchase you are agreeing to properly provide and care for the EcoSphere in accordance with the enclosed instructions and dutifully respect the occupants of the system as living beings, whilst the EcoSphere Associates agree to replace the EcoSphere at any time within the replacement policy period should fewer than one shrimp remain alive. The EcoSphere combines science, nature and high quality craftmanship to create a beautiful reminder of how everything in our world is connected. RRP $79.99 (for Small Sphere); prices for other sizes and shapes vary.

5 out of 5

More Info

Pros

Attractive

High quality craftmanship

Self-maintaining ecosystem

Cleaning magnet and cloth included

Six sizes available 

Replacement Policy