Nick Goody

Today was my last day off on paternity leave, the wife was feeling much better and was looking after the kids, so I had a day to myself and decided to make a tank out of some bits and bobs I had laying around. I cut down an old window and made a little 5gal, added some spare gravel that was in a bag outside, popped in a spare 25watt heater and an old PennPlax filter and airstone, hooked up to one of my old airpumps. Throw in a couple of very old, very fake looking plants and hey presto!, one tank. I'll make a nice lid for it tommorrow at work,( I'm a sheet metal worker and roofer).

The tank will stay empty for a couple of days whilst the silicone cures properly, then I'll have to cycle it the old fashioned way as none of the stuff in it is from an established tank.

Anyway I'm looking for stocking suggestions. I'd like to put something in there to be a pet fish, rather than just another breeding project. I own 10 tanks, but with the exception of the 90gal they all contain breeding fish. I don't really have much experience with small fish,(except livebearers) ,so any suggestions would be apprieciated.

Attached Images

Homemade.jpg (371.1 KB, 32 views)

Shawnie

wow great job nick...that really came out nice
betta? LOL
a cool shrimp colony?
sparkling gouramis?

Nick Goody

I've already got Betta's, and can't get shrimp ANYWHERE. But I don't have any Gouramis, nor have I ever owned any, so I like that idea. Isn't 5gal a bit small for a Gourami though? (I know nothing about Gouramis except that they are Labryinth fish)

Shawnie

check out the sparkling ones..they are teeny tiny and more of a community type of gourami

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gourami/sparkling.php

aquarist48

Looks "great" Nick. You've done a wonderful job with the silicone (I would have had it all over the glass and every where including all over me LOL. I'd vote for a betta.
Ken

Shawnie

also, just grab some of that filter floss out of any of your canisters and you can have an instant cycle on that smaller 5g

aquarist48

That's right Nick. With 10 other tanks, a little pinch of media from here and there and you'll be all set.
Ken

Nick Goody

Those sparkling Gouramis look really cool! They sell them at the LFS but I've never really paid them much attention. As for adding other filter media I've a confession to make. I can't figure out how to open the cartridge of the filter that I've put in there. Once I've managed that then I suppose an instant cycle is the way to go!

aquarist48

I've never seen a filter like it before Nick. Do you have another spare until you figure it out?
Ken

Lucy

Great DIY Nick.
I second the Sparkling Gouramis since you already have bettas. I picked up 3 a few days ago, they're tiny, super cute and friendly.
There's a pic of them here:
New Sparkling Gouramis

Shawnie

love it when the men confess LOL

those type you just buy new pieces to hook onto your air hose..they dont really establish a good bacteria colony as there isnt much floss for the bacteria to hook onto......but you can hide some of the established floss from antoerh tank, in some nylon anywhere in the tank..it will do the same thing

namehater

make it an NPT! (natural planted tank) i dunno what fish tho, i like the shrimp idea, but youve already nixed that

lorabell

WOW!!!! great job!!!!! I wish I was handy like that!!!!

bolivianbaby

That tank looks beautiful, Nick! Great job!