# Just for fun 5l bowl



## rolexbene (27 Apr 2012)

After finding a 5 liter bowl in a charity shop a few months ago I have been trying to find a use for it, I had previously been using it to keep my spare riccia alive and felt this was a waist of its potential. What I have done is got the left overs from my Riccia and tied it down to a CD with netting, I am also using play sand to fill the bottom. I am hoping this will create a bit of lushness whilst I sit at my desk and work, I have a beautiful chrome light courtesy of Ikea and have swapped out the incandescent light bulb with a 11w compact fluorescent which I image will do the trick at penetrating the massive 10cm of water  
I have started dosing EI at 0.5ml and plan on doing this in half measures in terms of only dosing maybe twice a week.
I know its a bit boring but it does look nicer than it did being a floating mess, and I think should create a nice mushroom effect once it gets going, I just hope it doesn't start reminding me of the Teletubbys or I might have to get rid  
I was thinking of maybe 1 or 2 small shrimp at a later date and maybe a little moss tree in the middle that should slot in nicely in to the center of the CD. The other day I managed to acquire a dead bonsai tree that I had been planning to turn in to a moss tree, although I think it might be a little too big. 
Has anyone got any tiny bits of stone that could help turn this in to something beautiful, or any advice on what you think could work when it comes to such a tiny scape?


Just for fun by rolex.bene, on Flickr


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## Sentral (27 Apr 2012)

Great idea with the CD! I love the shape of these bowls. I reckon you could get a more suited light at some point to make the whole thing look a bit less imposing, maybe have a look at some LED solutions? 

I reckon a bit of gnarly wood and moss would finish it nicely


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## spyder (27 Apr 2012)

I looked at the pic before I started reading and thought it was UG.   

Looks great, can't wait to see how it gets on.


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## Mortis (27 Apr 2012)

How about adding a crypt in the centre CD hole surrounded by just a few tiny rocks or gravel ? It will add a nice touch to it


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## rolexbene (30 Apr 2012)

Mortis said:
			
		

> How about adding a crypt in the centre CD hole surrounded by just a few tiny rocks or gravel ? It will add a nice touch to it




Took your advice and went with the crypt as I had just got a delivery of them, also got some frogbit, trumpet snails or two and some juvenile fire reds in their. Temperature is stable at beween 17-20c and I am doing a 50%  water change every few days, also dosing EI in 0.5ml amounts. Just waiting for the Riccia to grow in now


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (30 Apr 2012)

I love this Bene, Simplicity itself yet very unique. Well done.


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## pariahrob (30 Apr 2012)

Fantastic idea! I actually really like that lamp for it as well. I need something smaller on my desk. WOuld be nice to add some tranquility to my studio.


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## rolexbene (27 Jun 2012)

Just an update


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## spyder (27 Jun 2012)

Looking nice and fresh. Do I see the shrimp in that 2nd photo? How are they doing?


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## rolexbene (27 Jun 2012)

spyder said:
			
		

> Looking nice and fresh. Do I see the shrimp in that 2nd photo? How are they doing?



Yeah got a few fire red shrimp in it and they have been in since they were little, they are getting quite big now so will have to move them soon. they seem to do fine in in cooler temp ranging from about 17-23c, they just grow a little slower and don't think they would breed. I have given up on EI now and change the water every 1-2 weeks and it seems fine. successfully growing Riccia, crypt, hydrocotyle sp japan and a bit of mixed moss with no co2 very little light and few water changes. Guess you would call it a Diana Walstead bowl kind of.


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## Seagull (12 Jul 2012)

Looks really nice  If you've got breeding shrimp, you could just put the babies in there until they grow up - may be especially handy if you've got fish who may eat them.


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## rolexbene (2 Aug 2012)

Bowl by rolex.bene, on Flickr


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## Kristoph91 (2 Aug 2012)

Looking good Bene. What temp is it staying at?

Does it fluctuate much ? What's your lighting period?


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## rolexbene (2 Aug 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Looking good Bene. What temp is it staying at?
> 
> Does it fluctuate much ? What's your lighting period?



No to sure about temps, just stays at room temp I guess. I just turn the light on in the morning and off when I go to bed, and I put it on the windowsill when I go away. Seems to work ok


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## Kristoph91 (3 Aug 2012)

Simple. Working very well anyway


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## rolexbene (22 Jan 2013)

The bowl eventually ran it course, its demise came when I started using it for a shrimp holding tank following a tank leak. The little buggers cut the lawn to shreds and left me with a floating mess. So this evening after cleaning it out, I decided to go for a little Wabi-kusa experiment, In the centre I have a Anubias Bonsai that I am attempting to nurse back to health, other plants are riccia, mixed moss's and a little crypt.


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## Manrock (24 Jan 2013)

I love this - wish I had seen it before I embarked on my Walstad experiment with my class at school. So many good ideas and the bowl looks so lush. I'll show this post to my class tomorrow...I expect some rescapes!
I have some moss which I expect would do just as well on a CD?
Our School's Walstad Bowls. | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## CalebWM (17 Jun 2013)

Hi, sorry about bringing up an old thread but I'm hoping to try and recreate something similar to this and I was wondering how you attached the riccia to the CD?
Thanks, Caleb


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