Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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![I Built a Self-Sustaining Mini Pond Ecosystem Aquarium
[werbevideo] I Built a Self-Sustaining Mini Pond Ecosystem Aquarium to see whether a tiny ecosystem like this could truly thrive with minimal maintenance. More than 500 days later, it completely exceeded my expectations. In this video, I take you through the original build, show you how the ecosystem evolved over the last year and a half, and completely rebuild the aquarium while sharing everything I learned along the way.
From building a custom waterfall filter to experimenting with emersed and submerged plants, this project became one of the most rewarding miniature aquascapes Ive ever created. Some ideas worked better than I ever expected, others failed completelyβbut thats exactly what made this experiment so interesting.
If youve ever wanted to build your own mini pond, riparium, paludarium or ecosystem aquarium, I hope this video gives you plenty of inspiration and practical ideas for your next project.
βΆοΈ Watch the original Mini Pond build series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjrSUis1A8I&t=828s
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Chapters
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00:00 Intro
00:34 Building the Mini Pond
00:54 DIY Waterfall Filter
01:03 Building the Hardscape
03:25 Adding the Plants
05:18 Day 1 Complete
05:40 500 Days Later
07:00 Removing the Peace Lily
07:48 Cleaning & Dismantling
11:30 Rebuilding the Hardscape
14:45 Replanting the Aquarium
17:05 Final Result & What I Learned
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Aquarium
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* UNS 5S Shallow Aquarium
* Dimensions: 14.17 Γ 8.66 Γ 5.91 in (36 Γ 22 Γ 15 cm)
* Volume: 16.8 L / 4.4 US gal
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Hardscape & Materials
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* WIO Titan Stone
* Juniper Wood
* La Plata Sand
* WIO Elderly Gravel
* WIO Sable Gravel
* Tropica Aquarium Soil
* Acrylic tubing
* Hydraulic push-fit connectors
* USB water pump
* Filter sponge
* ARKA Poly Glue
* ARKA Gel Super Glue
* ARKA Ultra Liquid Super Glue
* Dry aquasoil powder (for invisible hardscape repairs)
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Plants
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Aquatic Plants
* Marsilea hirsuta
* Eleocharis acicularis Mini
* Anubias barteri Mini Coin
* Hydrocotyle tripartita
* Riccardia chamedryfolia (Coral Moss)
* Bolbitis heudelotii
* Hygrophila pinnatifida
* Hygrophila lancea Araguaia
* Myriophyllum matogrossense
Emersed Plants
* Dwarf Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
* Decorative Asparagus Fern
* Various pond plants
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Livestock
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* Red Sakura Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
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Brands & Products Used
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* Tropica Aquarium Plants
* ARKA Biotechnologie
* UNS
* WIO
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Follow me
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πΈ Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/juri_js
πΏ MossCotton
https://www.mosscotton.com
π₯ Subscribe for more aquascaping videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@JurijsJutjajevs
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#Aquascape #MiniPond #EcosystemAquarium #NatureAquarium #Aquascaping #Riparium #Paludarium #UNS #ShrimpTank #WIO I Built a Self-Sustaining Mini Pond Ecosystem Aquarium](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cwIElxQSc-A/mqdefault.jpg)



