Hi Everyone!
I've been on the hunt for a new fish tank. I have a pretty long table behind my main living room couch and figured a nice fish tank would pretty much fix the empty dead space on one end of the table.
Now, I didn't want the traditional rectangular shaped fish tank that everyone knows of. I wanted something different... one that would stand out. Of course, every tank I found online that was different or close enough to what I was looking for was *super* expensive.
After hours of searching and finally picking out two that I liked, in the end I just couldn't justify paying so much $$$ for a fish tank to just fill an empty space in my living room.
So, I just held off in my search hoping that maybe at some point I would miraculously come across a more inexpensive one by accident.
And so I did!
Sort of.
I was at Home Goods one day browsing some spring decor and suddenly, there it was! My new fish tank.
I picked up these large cylinder jars (or vases?) and knew they were perfect. They aren't exactly "fish tanks" but they were deep and thick enough to pull off a nice size tank.
Here is an example of the Large Jars I saw.
You can find these Tall Glass Jars at most HomeGoods like I did, or at Marshalls & TJ-Maxx. Even Hobby Lobby has some nice ones.
++ When picking one out to use as a fish tank, check it for any cracks or noticeable scratches. The glass needs to be thick, but not *too* thick where its blurry when you look through it. Also make sure it's tall and wide enough inside to allow your tank accessories to fit in perfectly (filter, heater, decorations and of course the fish). ++
The one I purchased is 16-inches tall and 28.5-inches round. At only $14.00 bucks I walked out of the store feeling like a "boss". ;)
The next day I went to my local pet store and I asked one of the reps there if I could actually pull this off. After giving him the height, width and thickness of the glass jar, he approved and right away proceeded to help me pick out a filter and water heater for my tank.
below is the filter and heater I purchased.
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| Supreme Ovation - 210 Submersible Power Jet Filter | Price: $18.00 |
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| Marina Submersible Aquarium Heater. 25w | Price:$13.00 |
I did of course pick out a lovely plant and a bag of rocks to decorate my tank. ;)
To set up, I followed the simple steps as you would in setting up any new regular fish tank.
+ I placed the heater and filter in my tank.
+Then place my decorative rocks and my decorative flower in.
+ I filled the tank with water.
+ I let the water filter run overnight.
After allowing the filter to run for a full 24 hours, I headed back to the pet shop to pick out my new fish.
At first, I thought I would end up buying some traditional fish (since my main focus was a nice tank from the beginning). Just as I was getting ready to select some, I noticed there was a glowing tank towards the end of the fish section. I immediately walked over and saw these super fun glowing fish.
As you can only guess, I asked about them and the store rep said all I needed to make them glow was a neon light. He showed me some lights and next thing you know I walked out with my new pets.
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| GloFish Blue LED Bubbler | Price: $11.00 |
Now, I had a minor issue with the glow light. I didn't want to put it inside the tank because I didn't really like how all the bubbles pretty much blurred the inside of the tank. After trying a few times, not exactly sure where to place it, I ended up putting it right on top of the filter and heater cable. Go-Figure!
Its not exactly sturdy there, but it does stay, and it actually looks perfect.
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| D.I.Y. Modern Fish Tank by City.Chic.Love. |
And here it is. My new D.I.Y. Fish Tank.
What do you guys think?
Here is a shot of it glowing in the dark.
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| D.I.Y. Modern Fish Tank by City.Chic.Love. |
It was super easy. Super inexpensive. Super fun.
It came out better than I expected. Simple, Unique, and Modern.
Now the end of my table is complete!
The *only* thing I am not a big fan of is the cables from the filter and heater that hang behind the glass tank. Luckily they are thin and slim enough where you can barely see them. Plus, because the tank is in front of the wall, pulling the cables behind the tank hides them well.
Other than that, I'm extremely happy with the way it all came out.
Hope you guys enjoy!
-City.Chic.Love.
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