The fish tank above is made from a glass canister that needed a purpose other than taking up space in the recycling bin. It's made a great alternative to the usual dentist office type aquariums. Click through the jump to see how it all works (for less than $30) and to hear the story behind this (unoriginally named) male Beta named Nemo!
This past summer we inherited Nemo and his neon colored tank from a nearby elementary school who was unable to take care of it. The kids at the elementary school had named him Nemo for obvious reasons. Had we of named him, it would have been something far less Disney.
Nemo was sick with a few different parasites and we volunteered to help the litte fella out. Now healthy and happy, Nemo lives near the window in our dining room to bask in the morning sun.
The brightly colored neon monster of a tank that he had before just wasn't going to cut it in our home so we set out to find something else that would work instead.
We used this jar (the largest size) to make the actual aquarium. The lid was cracked and it could no longer serve it's previous kitchen-ly duties. ($15)
After placing some smooth rocks in the bottom (Betas like to lounge on things) we attached an external thermometer to the jar. This helps us keep an eye on the water since Betas aren't too keen on temperature changes outside of 2 degrees. ($2)
A filter from Walmart and made by Tetra were attached, although there are others but since this is just one fish, we didn't need a larger one. (roughly $8)
Due to Nemo's location (near a window) we also added a heater. Also made by Tetra it's fully submersible and is a workhorse at keeping his water regulated. ($7)
The plants are cuttings from a relative that love being water logged. They are super happy and super healthy. We used cotton kitchen twine and tied it around the lip of the jar to support it's stems. First we ran a length around the circumference of the jar. Next we ran it from 12-6 and 9-3 perpendicular across the top like a grid. It does great at holding the plant up out of the water without becoming all gross and icky. (free)
Nemo is happy and healthy with regular water rotation and is always asked about by visitors who want to know "where we found such a great aquarium." A little creativity and roughly $30 ($15 if you don't count the canister we already had on hand) and we became "fish people" ourselves.
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You are about to have 700 people tell you that you are a fish abuser for keeping a fish in a jar that size.
It does look really nice though.
Honestly the fish is fine in the jar. The jar is quite large enough for one fish. BUT you need to make sure you change the water really regularly because the plant and the fish are competing for the oxygen in the water. I really love the set up though... think I should set one up!
Do dentist offices in Chicago all have aquaria, or something? That's such a non sequitur to me.
Also, Sarahrae, could you get a friend with an English degree to proofread your posts? You've got some issues with your usage and punctuation.
I've never seen fish tanks that look like dentists' offices. Do they have little dentists' chairs and big lamps and wisdom teeth and tooth brush and anxious-looking patient figurines on the bottoms of the tanks? And do the fish in these tanks have white mask-like markings around their mouths? Because that would be really cute.
Jezzebella your usage and punctuation comment is obnoxious. I checked out your blog and its quite boring. You should find a new hobby.
venus_thames- I use a turkey baster and do partial water changes 3 times a week. It helps to extract any uneaten food as well as to keep the water clean without shocking the fish by changing all the water at once!
this would make a great family project, really creative on a budget
Oh, this is neat. The plants make it extra beautiful.
Nemo looks very happy
Betas naturally live in very small pockets of water, so this jar is way more room that it needs : ) Cool idea!
Time to convince the significant other that it's time for a pet. A pet called Nemo.
Betas can survive in small pockets of water, which is not the same thing as thriving. In the wild Betas live in rice paddies, where water is generally flowing to a degree and there is lots of vegetation to absorb pollutants. But it's a myth that they live in your average mud puddles.
But that wide mouthed jar (lots of surface area for oxygen) and plant don't look cruel to me. Pretty!
I say this is a great set up for a Betta! Also, since the topic of oxygen competition between Nemo and the philodendron has been brought up - Bettas have the labyrinth organ for breathing surface air and have little need for dissolved air in the water. Yes, wild Bettas might have higher requirements for dissolved air in their rice paddies, but a fancy Betta from a store has never seen a rice paddy, but mostly jars of various size, so he is very happy with using his labyrinth organ to breath almost exclusively.
I love how people who have done no research whatsoever always think they know how much space a betta needs to be happy. Hint: It's not a jar.
aw, such a nice little set up! I recently rescued some goldfish from a carnival game, and as much as I kind of hate their 10 gallon tank, the fake plants and the basic square lines actually aren't that bad. Now I just need to find a better place for it!
I need pet so bad, it's not even funny. Until my landlord ok's a dog (he never will), I am setting up something like this with a little cute fish.
I love how people comment on the size the betta needs without checking what size the jar is. It's 2 gallons, people. Bettas need at least 1 1/2. It's fine.
K T G, I think you mean "wherever," not "where." Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. And while we're nitpicking, the use of quotations around "heard" is inappropriate, since you clearly know how to use italics. ;P
Seriously, though, I edit for a living. I'm lucky to have a job. Newspapers have been scaling down since the dot-com bust and in my current tech writing position, I often deal with people who would rather we left their documents alone. Someone higher up than Sarahrae has decided copy editors are unnecessary. Don't kill the messenger. One's own copy is rarely perfect, and the only way to fix it is to hire more eyeballs. Yes, I find the implication that fish tanks look like the dentist's office amusing, too, but I also know how hectic it can get at places where the writers are expected to be one-man bands.
I hate it when people make comments about grammar in such an informal setting as this. It's a blog.
whytephoenix, I don't like your use of commas after "Seriously" and "amusing" in the third paragraph. I don't think they're necessary (although Americans probably have different rules).
Annoying isn't it. Let's get over it people.
The DIY Beta tank is great!
Bettas --survive-- in small pockets of water when the water in their otherwise very large aquatic environment dries up periodically.
What those ignoramuses above who are bleating about small puddles clearly don't know is that many bettas die in those little pockets. The survivors manage to live by jumping from small pool to small pool as the water quickly fouls.
Bettas bred for many generation in aquariums are also nowhere near as hardy as the wild fish - I keep both, and know this for a fact.
So bettas do NOT prefer tiny, dinky deathtrap tanks. They really do not, no fish does. Most will end up sick and/or dead in short order because of it. Do your research, rather than bleating misinformation you've read on the net or heard from some equally ignorant muppet at the pet store.
2 gallons is not ideal - but is sufficient room for a betta. I'm glad to hear the water changes are regular!