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Ecosphere Small Sphere | Kitchen

by Ecosphere Associates

1 New starting at:

$54.95

Sales Rank:

16,616th

FEATURES

Totally enclosed ecosystems
You never have to feed the life within
Aesthetic blend of art and science
A Great Gift

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
The ecosphere is perfect for the home, classroom or office. It's easy to care for, educational and beautiful. Each ecosphere is a work of art and science that's incredible to own or to give to someone special. The Original Ecosphere is a totally enclosed ecosystem - completely self contained and self-sustaining miniature world. The ecosphere ecosystem is your own personal look into what a perfectly balanced world is like. We love it, not only because the Ecosphere is a great object lesson about our world and keeping things in balance, but also because it brings us joy. Looking at the shrimp as they swim in this peaceful tranquil surroundings is an amazing thing. Warning! Relaxation may occur! As a veteran Ecosphere retailer, we will ensure your Ecosphere arrives safely. 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed. Inside each Ecosphere are active microorganisms, bright red shrimp and algae. The microorganisms, bright red shrimp and the algae sustain each other in a clear "soup" of filtered seawater. Because the unit is a self-containing ecosystem, you never have to feed the life within. The Ecosphere is easy to care for too. Simply provide your ecosphere with a source of indirect natural (or artificial) light and enjoy this aesthetic blend of art and science, beauty and balance. Because the life within the Ecosphere utilize their resources without overpopulating or contaminating their environment, the Ecosphere requires no cleaning and only minimal care. Don't forget to order the optional Ecosphere turntable base which allows you to turn your Ecosphere without disturbing the life inside! Corporate Customers: Custom designs and larger ecosphere systems can be created for home and business use. Simply contact us for more information. Please use drop

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 16 reviews)

Ecospheres = awesome!, Some comments on sizes... by M. Campanell (Princeton, NJ)

5 Stars
March 12, 2010
I just splurged on an X-large Ecosphere and I'm hoping this review will help people who are trying to choose among the sizes. Ecospheres of all sizes are just awesome! They're delightful to look at and show friends and I never get bored with them. They're also a perfect gift for someone close. As for the pros and cons of the X-Large... Pros: Tons of action- There are shrimp swirling around the sphere in all different directions at all times. It's a spectacular sight. Longevity - I just bought it so I can't guarantee anything, but it seems intuitive that under proper conditions, the large sphere should last longer than the small one. I.e. a larger ecosystem is probably more durable, and a larger sample of shrimp should naturally have more long-living shrimp. Cons: Price - The Ecosphere prices seem to increase almost proportionally to the size/content so IMO you don't get much of a bargain for choosing the larger spheres. Space- Ecospheres have a layer of gravel on the bottom and a flat "tree branch" through the middle for the shrimp to play on. This looks perfect in the small sphere but the large sphere has a disproportionately large amount of empty space. It'd be nice if the branch was 3D or they put a second branch in there. Risks- It's a bigger loss is something goes wrong, like if you have toddlers running around or the light level/temperature was just not right and it doesn't last as long as expected. I had a small sphere when I was younger and it lasted a little more than a year. The difficulty is it's impossible to gauge exactly what light intensity is best. I had made sure to leave my shade open during the day while I was at school, but since I was in my room most of the evening with the lights on, perhaps it got too much light overall? If this is your first time, I'd suggest getting a small and see how that works out... then if you want a larger one you can apply what you learned from the small one. Dead shrimp - Since there are so many shrimp and the sphere was likely in storage for some time before shipment, there may be some dead shrimp right out of the box (mine had 4). Don't be alarmed... it's impressive that such delicate things can be mail-ordered in the first place. Overall, any size Ecopshere is great... just think about it and get whichever one you want. Note: Don't buy these directly from the manufacturer. You can find it drastically cheaper elsewhere. They are shipped just as fast and well protected from the 3rd parties. The best deal I found on the small sphere was at [...]... $64 total incl tax and they gave free shipping. The best deal for the X-large was at Med-Worldwide, for $382 total. On the Ecosphere website, the respective prices would be $104 and $540!!

Fun shrimpy shrimp by Alene M Hardin (Albuquerque, NM)

4 Stars
January 30, 2010
We got the small ecosphere for a Christmas present for our son-in-law because he has a small office that he spends a lot of time in. We wanted a fun diversion for some of those long days. While he does love his ecosphere and has already enjoyed it a lot, two of his four little shrimps have already gone the way of the dinosaurs. It seems like too much trouble to send it back, etc., so we are just watching the other two and hoping for the best! If you are looking for a clever, unique gift, this is it!

Older Ecosphere still going strong! by L. Williams

5 Stars
January 01, 2010
I received my x-large Ecosphere as a Christmas gift 8 years ago. I saw them at a nature store and just had to have one. If I remember correctly, it arrived with 18 shrimps, give or take 1 or 2. I know mine was purchased on Ebay. I simply LOVE my Ecosphere and it sits on my computer table at home. It's the perfect "aquarium" for me! No feeding, no cleaning, no mess, no fuss...and it's fascinating to watch. I even noticed little babies along the way, altho they never grew into adults. Even so, this is a great buy!! I have 2 shrimps left and they have been going strong for years. I only wish there were snails inside...would have made it even more interesting to watch. When my little shrimps (Cocktail & Jumbo) finally go to that big Ecosphere in the sky, I won't hesitate to have my Ecosphere re-charged (even tho it will cost me $150). I'm sure the smaller versions are equally as educational as my 9" version, but the larger size is really a huge plus!

I can't stop staring at it!! by C. D. McDougall

5 Stars
December 25, 2009
I recieved this as a gift (I believe it was directly ordered from Ecosphere) and I LOVE it!! I have been watching my little shrimp all day long. One of my favorite gifts I have ever received!

Cool & interesting to look at, but... by Jenn (USA)

3 Stars
November 23, 2009
I was looking around online to buy an ecosphere becuase I thought these things were cool, and then I stumbled on this site. I am still thinking of getting an ecosphere as a gift, but I thought I should post up this bit on the shrimp included in these ecospheres (to inform buyers before purchasing), and how being a part of this "self-contained" world in actually very hazardous. Do with it what you will: The Hawaiian Red Shrimp is probably one of the most amazing creatures out there. It is a shrimp of the extremes. Coming from anchialine ponds in Hawaii, it had to develop a host of abilities to survive in very hostile environments and circumstances. Hence, this shrimp became a "Super Shrimp" of sorts over its millions of years of evolution. The Opae ula (as this shrimp is called in Hawaii) can take temperature extremes, salinity extremes (from fresh water to more than full strength saltwater), environmental extremes (lack of food for months or years) and supposedly manages to live for more than 20 years if given the right conditions! Sadly, this little shrimp is currently being abused by being sold in tiny, spherical, fully sealed glass containers widely called "ecospheres." It is claimed by the companies that sell them that they are selling a fully functioning ecosystem with the shrimp and the algae keeping each other alive. However, that is a sad and devious lie, which is being propagated by these companies for the sake of profits and to the detriment of these wonderful animals. The truth is that these shrimp are slowly *starving to death*, *suffocating* and being *poisoned* in those containers, due to lack of food and oxygen, and the accumulation of shrimp waste. This kind of container would kill any other shrimp within a few days, but it takes 1-3 years for Hawaiian Red Shrimp to finally die, since it has developed such a remarkable physiology to deal with extreme situations. During this 1-3 year torture, they actually *shrink* (every time they molt) due to lack of food, which means that they are basically consuming their own body. They could perfectly well take all the other extreme conditions in those "ecospheres" (lack of air etc.), but what kills them in the end is the lack of real food over a long period of time. The little algae they find in the container lacks in nutritional value and is just not enough to keep these shrimp alive for long. It seems to be "in" and "cool" to have these tiny torture containers sitting on one's desk nowadays, but hopefully this website can contribute towards informing the general public about what is really behind those "ecospheres." It is my sincere hope that this shrimp becomes widespread in the hobby at some point in time, so that there will be no need to buy "torturespheres." Source: [...]

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