emmdubbs

Hey all...
my fiancee and i just came into possession of a huge (and kind of ugly) glass lamp. The inside can be filled with sand, rocks, jello, whatever.... i was kinda thinkin i wanted to make it into an aquarium for like a beta fish, or something like that...my only huge concern is, water + electricity (the cord runs through the middle of the lamp...from the base to the lightbulb socket) = not such a pleasent experience.

I was wondering if anyone has built such a thing, or knows where to find a good how to...if i can get a picture of the lamp , or something similar, that may help.

thankx in advance... Tek

*edit* the lamp is built similar to this one

except it's bigger, rounder, and uglier.....the only similarity is that the cord runs up through the middle, and you can see through it... i believe the cord itself is housed in a larger copperesque tube.

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Psycoman

Remove the cord from the center of the lamp. Seal the hole at the bottem and remove the metal tube from the center. Rewire the light so the cord does not come in contact with the water. You will aslo want to seal the light fixture to prevent the humidity from affecting it. Find a switch that can be place on the cord. As long as you keep the water from getting to the electricity, you should be fine. They install lights above fish thanks all the time.

Enjoy

Psycoman

gar1976

What about running PVC tube throught the middle and caulking the joint of the tube/glass? Can still run the wire through the middle, and PVC is near indestructible.

Damn cool idea, BTW.

gboz

Think about making the interior somewhat accessible for replacing the water and dead fish or adding rocks and such.

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gar1976

Maybe drill/razor/slice off the top and drill some holes for a hinge or two? Hell if I know.

gar1976

Check it out. Maybe some good ideas on the site?

http://www.bizarreaquariums.com/

Hobo Moe

I really have nothing useful to add, but this is a bitchin idea. I will keep it in mind when I get a house of my own.

Albion

Keep in mind, fish are alive; they breathe, eat, and get sick just like any living thing. Many people consider fish to be more of an art form then a pet, but they are wrong. Before you put any fish into any environment make sure you find out what their natural environment is like. That way you know how healthy they will be in the stagnant unfiltered environment you will be exposing them to. Basically making a fish swim in an unfiltered environment without frequent water changes is like making a human live in a room where they $hit and piss without ever removing the waste. How long do you think you'd survive in that kind of environment? And if you think by adding “fresh” water you are helping, remember these facts; a) chlorine is just as toxic to fish as it is to us (Chlorine gas is what’s used in the gas chamber), and b) the majority of ammonia created by the fish does not evaporate with the water it builds up. You need a chemical cycle in the tank and you need to do frequent water changes.

Fish chemistry (Nitrogen Cycle)

Fish create toxic Ammonia (NH4)
Nitrosomonas (Bacteria 1) convert the Ammonia into a toxic Nitrite (NO2)
Nitrobacter (Bacteria 2) convert the NO2 into Oxygen (To be used by Nitrosomonas to create NO2, and the fish to breathe) and a not so toxic Nitrate (NO3)

Ammonia in any quantity will kill your fish. And if there is to much Ammonia in the tank for the Nitrosomonas to convert into NO2 it will build up. Nitrate (NO3) is also toxic to your fish but they can handle it a lot longer then the ammonia. A weekly 25% water change will keep the Nitrates at a low enough level to be safe.

Common misconception, "My fish look perfectly healthy." Fish do not start to show stress until they are very close to death. Usually by the time you see the result of the stress (Fin splits, parasites, loss of color) it is to late to save the fish.

-Al

ThatOnePerson

a betta fish is definately the best idea for this... but the above is still applicable to them as well. betta are really conservative with their waste so water doesn't get dirty as fast. also keep in mind that the end product of the nitrogen cycle(nitrate) plus phosphates in fish food + light(obviously if part of a lamp) = algae. so you are gonna need a way to wipe the inside walls down. snail will help but still... also the water temp. is a factor. if its too close to the lamp it will heat up a lot. 70-80 F is okay, but usually over that problems occur. try an energy saving flourecent bulb to keep heat down. also leave about 2-4 inches of "air" at the top as bettas need to breath at the surface of the water, this also needs to be able to circulate. Another important thing is feeding... or rather NOT overfeeding(a common problem with new aquarists) get a betta food and add 2-4 pellets PER DAY. disregard what the recommended feeding on the box says. above all, TALK TO THE PET STORE PEOPLE!!!(not petsmart or petco or wallmart etc., go to a local fish store, they usually have better advice) they are actually there to help you! hope this helps!

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