Eco-column Project – Organism Guide
Directions: You and your partner will be required to purchase and bring in an aquatic organism and a terrestrial
organism for your eco-column project. This guide will help you to pick the organisms that will survive best in the
eco-column.
General Tips:
1) Most pet stores (Petsmart, Petco, etc.) require you to be 18 years old to purchase fish or other organisms.
It might be smart to bring a parent with you if you aren’t already 18.
2) Fish won’t survive very long in the transport containers/bags that are given to you at the pet store. Try to
purchase your fish either the night before or the day that the project starts.
3) DO NOT bring in a family pet to put in your eco-column!
4) The more organisms that you put in your eco-column, the more difficult survival will be. Try to limit
yourself to 1 or 2 organisms in each half of your eco-column.
Terrestrial Organism:
Organism Name:
Price:
Pros:
Cons:
1) Small Cricket
~ 10-11 ¢
each
(should
purchase
several)
- Cheap
- Easy to transport
- Short survival time
2) Large Cricket
~ 12-15 ¢
each
(should
purchase
several)
- Cheap
- Easy to transport
- Longer survival time
than small crickets
- Chirping is annoying
3) Earthworms
~ 3-5$ per
dozen
- Easy to transport
- Easy to buy in bulk
- More expensive than
crickets
- Tend to rot/smell when
they decompose in the
eco-column
4) Superworms (large
mealworms)
~ 4$ per
dozen
- Easy to transport
- Easy to buy in bulk
- Longer survival time
than earthworms
- Very active
- Kill all grass & other
terrestrial organisms in
the eco-column
5) Hermit Crab
~ 3-5$
- Fun to
purchase/watch!
6) Fiddler Crab
~ 4$
- Fun to
purchase/watch!
- Usually bury themselves
in the dirt and do not get
enough water
- Don’t tend to survive
the length of the project
- Shorter survival time
than Hermit Crabs
- Have specific water
requirements which are
difficult to achieve
Picture:
1
Aquatic Organism:
Organism Name:
Price:
Pros:
Cons:
1) Freshwater Snails
~ 2-3$
- Usually survive
project
- Clean aquarium &
help fish to survive
- Do not usually survive if
multiple snails are put into
the same eco-column
2) Betta Fish
~ 5-7$
- Pretty fish
- Usually survive
project
- Breathe atmospheric
air
- Large betta fish may be
cramped in the eco-column
- More expensive than
other fish
3) Small Goldfish
~ 30 ¢
(you may
want to
purchase
more than
one)
~ 3-5$
- Cheap
- Tend to last longer
with a snail in the
aquarium
- Multiple fun colors
(orange/white)
- Short survival time
5) Telescope Eye
Gold Fish
~7$
- Fun to
purchase/watch!
- Very active!
- Eco-column is typically
not a big enough habitat
for these fish
- Expensive
6) Guppy
- Long survival time
- Can easily fit more
than one guppy in the
aquarium
- Multiple fun colors
- Small in size
7) Zebra Danio
~3$
(you may
want to
purchase
more than
one)
~2-3$
- Very active!
- Not picky eaters
- Short survival time
(comparable to small
goldfish)
8) GloFish
~3$
- Multiple fluorescent
colors (genetically
engineered fish)
- Can fit more than
one GloFish in the
aquarium
- Easy to care for
- GloFish have never been
tried in the eco-column
project before.
- Purchase at your own
risk!
4) Large Goldfish
Picture:
- INCREDIBLY short
survival time (not likely to
last one day)
- Not recommended for
this project
*** Word to the wise: The smaller the fish, the more likely it is to survive!!!
2