These tiny red larvae might become the next bridge between ecosystems in miniBIOTA.

Tempted to add an Eastern Lubber to miniBIOTA, but it may be too big for the ecosystem.

The food web begins to form within the lakeshore biome.

After eight months, cracks start showing in the tide system.

The snail that ate all its rivals.

The original Black Widow is finally leaving miniBIOTA.

A big shift ahead as I rehome the widows and rethink which spiders belong here.

miniBIOTA faces hard lessons as nature proves unpredictable once again.

I added fungi to help seed new decomposers inside the biosphere.

The next evolution begins as miniBIOTA prepares to run sealed and fully independent.

Biggest hurdle solved for a fully closed biosphere!

Stick bugs that spray a painful fluid are the newest addition to miniBIOTA.

Water Spangle is losing the fight as Primrose Willow and crayfish take over the lake biome

A Harvestman joins miniBIOTA, adding a new role to the ecosystem’s balance.

Day 2 brought more Florida wood cockroaches, plus one that may be another species

I set a roach trap for mating pairs and found a Florida wood roach and two new species

Spiderlings in miniBIOTA choose their path by riding the slow current of air

This Wi-Fi controller changes everything: 50 amps, no flicker, and full-daylight simulation

Clams are vanishing one by one as Marginella snails dominate the seagrass biome

The grass skipper’s debut in miniBIOTA became its last when the widow struck

The original black widow’s latest brood is smaller. Could this be the last wave?

Moths appeared in the lake biome and, against all odds, survived the black widow webs

The black widows thrive in the lakeshore biome while cricket numbers are falling.

Mantises are incredible predators, but in miniBIOTA even one could tip the balance

A young scorpion falls into a red house spider’s web

Young black widows are disappearing, hunted down by the regal jumping spider.

I built a DIY magnetic glass cleaner to test if it can keep miniBIOTA clear long term

Strong lights burned my water spangles, so I dropped voltage to keep them alive.

Hermit crabs clear the way, giving insects freedom to move and keeping balance intact

Slipper snails spread across miniBIOTA, while clams settle in as potential competitors

8 adults counted so far, and now a new egg sac signals the next red house spider generation.

New risks and rewards surface as miniBIOTA shifts with water bugs, scuds, and plant growth

3 cockroach species confirmed, including a newly adult Australian cockroach

Red house spiders push back black widows, but how long can they keep their territory?

The freshwater realm is shifting. Dollar weed fights & water spangles are overwhelming established

Scorpions are reproducing in miniBIOTA, challenging spiders as top predators.

The fourth generation of black widows is here, and it looks like they’re here to stay

The queen ant’s strength wasn’t enough to escape a pair of cooperating spiderlings.

Crickets risk everything for nectar, leaping into webs and feeding the black widow spiders.

Apple snails, crayfish, and roaches feast on the new plants in miniBIOTA.

Can fast-growing plants outcompete the established plant or will they go extinct in miniBIOTA?

The hunt I had been waiting to see. The regal jumping spider leaping onto its prey.

August 17, 2025

August 14, 2025

Grass is slow food, silverhead is fast food for the coastal biome.

Spiderlings are spreading in the grassland biome without their top predator to stop them

Soldier flies are emerging, and the spiders are wasting no time making them their meal

Legumes are thriving in miniBIOTA, bringing back nitrogen to the land. This changes everything.