What says 'I love you' better than the gift of a pet goldfish? I know it's not a fuzzy little kitten or a tiny soft puppy but it is a lot easier to take care of. Be unique on Valentine's Day and make a special fish tank that will be remembered for a lifetime.
This old dusty gumball machine I found in the basement needed revival and turned out to be a fantastic home for our new little fish!
You will need the following items to make this fish tank:
-gumball machine
-sheet of glass
-glass cutter
-breaking pliers
-sharpie marker
-glass grinder (or a file)
-safety goggles
-aquarium sealant
-decorative rocks
-aquarium plant
-goldfish!
This old dusty gumball machine I found in the basement needed revival and turned out to be a fantastic home for our new little fish!
You will need the following items to make this fish tank:
-gumball machine
-sheet of glass
-glass cutter
-breaking pliers
-sharpie marker
-glass grinder (or a file)
-safety goggles
-aquarium sealant
-decorative rocks
-aquarium plant
-goldfish!
Step 1: Disassemble Gumball Machine
Remove all inner workings of gumball machine (or what's left of it). All you need to have is the base, bowl and top cap.
Step 2: Cut and Grind Glass
Using a sharpie marker trace around the bottom part of the glass bowl (of your gumball machine) onto your glass.
Using a quality glass cutter score the glass along the traced line. If you don't have breaking pliers you can try to break the glass with your hands but I highly recommend the breaking pliers for breaking glass. It is easy to cut yourself otherwise.
Once you have a rough circle cut you will need to smooth the edges of the glass. A glass grinder is the fastest and easiest way to do this, however, you could use a file. Either way, make sure all the edges are smooth and not sharp anywhere. You don't want your significant other slicing their fingers when it comes time to clean the tank!
Once the glass circle is cut and edges are smoothed lay it on the bottom edge of the glass bowl to make sure your cutting was accurate. Make adjustments if necessary. The last thing you want is to seal the pieces together and then it doesn't fit on the gumball machine base!
***Wearing safety glasses is always a good idea when dealing with glass. Small glass shards are often times flying around, especially when using a grinder.
Using a quality glass cutter score the glass along the traced line. If you don't have breaking pliers you can try to break the glass with your hands but I highly recommend the breaking pliers for breaking glass. It is easy to cut yourself otherwise.
Once you have a rough circle cut you will need to smooth the edges of the glass. A glass grinder is the fastest and easiest way to do this, however, you could use a file. Either way, make sure all the edges are smooth and not sharp anywhere. You don't want your significant other slicing their fingers when it comes time to clean the tank!
Once the glass circle is cut and edges are smoothed lay it on the bottom edge of the glass bowl to make sure your cutting was accurate. Make adjustments if necessary. The last thing you want is to seal the pieces together and then it doesn't fit on the gumball machine base!
***Wearing safety glasses is always a good idea when dealing with glass. Small glass shards are often times flying around, especially when using a grinder.
Step 3: Seal Glass
Once your glass circle is cut you will need to seal it onto the glass bowl.
Using aquarium sealant lay a thick bead along the bottom edge of the glass bowl. Carefully line up glass circle on top of the sealant and press firmly to get a good seal. Clean off excess sealant with a paper towel. Let dry according to sealant package.
Using aquarium sealant lay a thick bead along the bottom edge of the glass bowl. Carefully line up glass circle on top of the sealant and press firmly to get a good seal. Clean off excess sealant with a paper towel. Let dry according to sealant package.
Step 4: Finish Fish Tank
Add decorative rock and aquarium plants to the bowl. Fill with water and add goldfish!
Give to your loved one for Valentine's Day!
**Please note - a goldfish will eventually outgrow a fish bowl and will need a larger home to stay healthy. However, I was assured by the store I purchased the goldfish from that it will be safe and healthy for about six months (maybe longer) before needing to be moved. This was based on the size of goldfish purchased and the bowl. Make sure the tank is properly cleaned at least once a week.
Give to your loved one for Valentine's Day!
**Please note - a goldfish will eventually outgrow a fish bowl and will need a larger home to stay healthy. However, I was assured by the store I purchased the goldfish from that it will be safe and healthy for about six months (maybe longer) before needing to be moved. This was based on the size of goldfish purchased and the bowl. Make sure the tank is properly cleaned at least once a week.
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And fyi, you need 1 gallon of water per inch of fish in your tank.
They live very well in small bowls--just don't put TWO in the same container!
http://preview.tinyurl.com/7heylrb
Keep the 'ibles coming!
More info: Animal Welfare Act 2006, hotodothings.com, aquariumguys.
If you want to see something really crazy, check out these trained goldfish! They do remember some things after all...
Any tank or container should be cycled before you add fish and after it is cycled, you have to keep checking the water for Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates to make sure they are all within the correct parameters. The smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep within these parameters, ESPECIALLY with goldies since they are so messy.
And comets do not average 6 inches...more like 12" or more.
Please people, do your research BEFORE you ever get your first fish. It is not as easy as putting them in a bowl with some water. These are not disposable pets.
Of course, anyone like me who can't keep fish alive in proper tanks shouldn't attempt this, but it has given me an idea for a cool terrarium. (I have the exact same gumball machine)
Having worked with fish and exotic animals for two years now, I will support everyone who's told you this aquarium is unfit for a goldfish though. Switch your fish for a betta fish instead, they don't require filtered water and can manage to live in a smaller area than a goldfish.
A special Biggsy high five for you