I had the idea to turn an old gumball machine into a small, fun fish bowl. Here's my process.
You will need:
Various assorted screwdrivers
Drill and bits
X-acto knife
Sandpaper or sanding block
Hacksaw
A gumball machine on a stand. Do not try this with square gumball machines. They must be round, preferably glass.
Glass and glass cutters (or the phone number of a glass shop)
Silicone aquarium sealant (must be aquarium sealant, as bath sealant is not as strong and may contain chemicals that will harm your fish)
Rust-proofing spray paint
Push-in rubber grommets
Nuts and bolts and washers as needed
Some scrap aluminum
Gravel
LED Betta light
Small aquarium filter (I used a Penn Plax Smallworld Filter)
3-plug extension cord with grounded prong
Rubbing alcohol
You will need:
Various assorted screwdrivers
Drill and bits
X-acto knife
Sandpaper or sanding block
Hacksaw
A gumball machine on a stand. Do not try this with square gumball machines. They must be round, preferably glass.
Glass and glass cutters (or the phone number of a glass shop)
Silicone aquarium sealant (must be aquarium sealant, as bath sealant is not as strong and may contain chemicals that will harm your fish)
Rust-proofing spray paint
Push-in rubber grommets
Nuts and bolts and washers as needed
Some scrap aluminum
Gravel
LED Betta light
Small aquarium filter (I used a Penn Plax Smallworld Filter)
3-plug extension cord with grounded prong
Rubbing alcohol
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Signing UpStep 1: Disassemble and clean
I got my gumball machine off of Craigslist. It had some really gross stale gumballs in it when I started.
Take the whole thing apart carefully, and clean everything really well. If paint is cracked or chipped, don't be afraid to sand it off and repaint it. I didn't need to. I did remove the crumbling 10c sticker, even though it would have looked nice. There was a cork ring between the steel on the top of the globe which was stuck to the glass. I scraped it off and sanded the edges of the glass down. If the steel parts on the bottom of the machine are stuck on, try to get them off. They've likely just stuck from age and pressure, and aren't secured.
Clean the entire inside of the globe with rubbing alcohol and let it dry out.
At this point I also took the stand outside to sand and paint the bottoms of the legs, which were in bad shape.
Take the whole thing apart carefully, and clean everything really well. If paint is cracked or chipped, don't be afraid to sand it off and repaint it. I didn't need to. I did remove the crumbling 10c sticker, even though it would have looked nice. There was a cork ring between the steel on the top of the globe which was stuck to the glass. I scraped it off and sanded the edges of the glass down. If the steel parts on the bottom of the machine are stuck on, try to get them off. They've likely just stuck from age and pressure, and aren't secured.
Clean the entire inside of the globe with rubbing alcohol and let it dry out.
At this point I also took the stand outside to sand and paint the bottoms of the legs, which were in bad shape.
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But... Betta splendens (aka Siamese fighting fish) are tropical fish and need to live in tropical/heated water. When they're temperature drops below about 23 degrees Celsius this seriously affects their immune system, which makes them prone to disease. If you're in a climate where their water temperature doesn't drop below 23 degrees Celsius (also at night!) then this setup is super awesome! (Especially as a lot of betta keepers think they don't even need an air pump).
There are other small fish that can tolerate lower temperatures (and such a small tank), like white cloud minnows. Anyway, anybody who wants to keep any kind of fish should research their specific needs (temperature, aquarium size, suitable companion fish etc etc) extensively.
Just a comment for would-be-first-time-fish-keepers: Please read up on establishing a biological filter for the fish as this is probably the number one cause of fish deaths with beginners - their waste builds up in the absence of an established biological filter, making the water toxic and killing them. Sorry for the tangent on this Instructable but it's a bit of a pet peeve for me!
I chose the betta because of my prior success keeping bettas in unheated bowls in the same room. The temperature rarely drops that low, and the previous betta in that room lived for more than 6 years.
Even though bettas don't necessarily need a filter or air pump, I felt it prudent to have one in this case, because of how little direct air contact there would be with the water, due to the lid.
Also, there will be a little thingy at the bottom of the machine, with either 3 circles or triangle cut in it- you can sell it on ebay. List it as either "gumball wheel" if it has circles, or "candy wheel" if it has triangles. If you converted the globe from a cab, you can sell that too.
PS:Dont buy a machine if the seller is asking more than 50-60, as you can buy if from the company listed above new for around 50.
PPS:Oak's website also has some good downloads with diagrams of their machines- they might be helpful.
: D
! :))
Another 20th century artifact gone to pieces !………… sob ! :/
And btw, sweet water shrimps and snails do not need a heater when this miniature biotop is placed in a normal warm room, so there is one more thing you don't have to think or worry about.
sunshiine