For this project I researched the fish and other creatures in my aquarium. I will explain how the fish and creatures interact with each other to form a working ecosystem. The definition of ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. For an ecosystem to be successful it has to have herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, decomposers, and scavengers.
EMBER TETRA: Ember tetras are a type of tetra native to that Araguaia River Basin in Brazil. Normally tetras are not the top predators in ecosystems, but in a 5 gallon aquarium, there is not enough space for anything bigger. Ember tetras normally eat small insects and worms that live in the water, but in this closed ecosystem, their main food is fish flakes and the moths and other bugs that are attracted to the tank light. Typically the niche of the tetra is around the middle of the tank.
RED CHERRY SHRIMP: Cherry shrimp are native to Taiwan. They are omnivores as well as scavengers. There main source of food in the aquarium is sinking algae wafers and dead organisms. there niche is around the bottom of the aquarium. Typically red cherry shrimp live 1-2 years, but they reproduce quickly and very often. Unfortunately, after a couple generations I am now left with only 2 male shrimps.
SNAILS: There are a couple different types of snails in my aquarium. I have common pond snails and whatever is in this picture here. They are the decomposers of the aquarium. Their diet consists of uneaten food, algae and whatever dies. In this picture, for example, the snails are finishing off a dead feeder guppy.
PLANTS: This aquarium features 3 different types of plants. The plant on the top is hornwort, the plant with the large leaves is cryptocoryne, and the small tuft of moss is dying java moss. The main purpose of these plants is to provide cover for the fish, as this tank does host a small amount of fry (baby fish). These plants also oxygenate the tank, as well as provide a surface for algae to grow on.
HOW THE ECOSYSTEM WORKS
The top of the ecosystem is the ember tetra. They live off of microorganisms and fish food. Their waste is used as fertilizer for plants and food for snails and shrimp. The tetras are the only organisms in the tank that can eliminate unwanted organisms. For example, every time I introduced a new plant to the tank there is a new group of small insects that came with the plants from the store. For the first couple days I could see them floating and swimming around, but they went away quickly, thanks to the tetra. The second in the ecosystem is the shrimp. They eat fish's waste and help regulate the algae levels in the tank. Next is the snails. The role they play is pretty much the cleanup crew. If anything dies, the snails will take care of it in a couple days. They also help with eliminating algae. Finally there is the plants. They form cover for the animals so they do not get eaten by each other. The plants of the tank also oxygenate the water.
WHAT IF THE ECOSYSTEM WAS DISRUPTED
Ecosystems are very delicate, if one thing is removed it can change and possibly ruin the entire ecosystem. If somehow, the tetras one day disappeared from the tank, there would be nothing to mitigate foreign species. This means that if a new organism found its way into the tank, it would be able to reproduce until it outnumbered everything else in the tank and ultimately over stocked the water. This would mean there would not be enough oxygen in the water to suite all of the creatures in the tank, which would mean everything dies. If shrimp were removed, the snails would be able to deal with fish waste, but they would not be able to handle the amounts of algae in the tank. Algae would eventually cover every surface of the tank. This would cover the plants and block them from any light. After the plats die, there will be no cover and nothing to oxygenate the tank. Snails are extremely crucial to the survival of the tank. If they disappeared, there would be nothing to eat the dead matter in the tank. If a fish is left dead it can become toxic and harmful to other creatures after a matter of time. A more likely problem is plant matter. When a plant grows it lets old leaves die and fall off. Normally these dead leaves are eaten by the snails and there is no problem. If there was no snails, the plant leaves would sit and rot and slowly build up. When plant matter decays in water, it releases hydroxide ions. This raises the alkalinity of the water, which lowers the water's "pH". A pH of 7.0 is ideal for fish. This is a balance of hydrogen and hydroxide. When either of these is raised by too much it becomes to toxic for any life form to exist. Plants also play an important role in the ecosystem. They provide cover for the creatures, if I haven't stated that enough. But more importantly they oxygenate the tank. When fish and other creatures breathe, they breathe in the oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. The plants use the carbon dioxide and they expel oxygen. In the tank, if plants are removed, it only means that I need to change the water more often, but in the wild, plants are the difference between life and death. Plants are the only thing that put oxygen in water.