# Planted Pickle Jar Aquarium?



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

Has anybody used a 1 gallon pickle jar for a nano planted aquarium?
If so, what type of filter system did you use?


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

You could use a zoo med mini canister filter, or you could just do wc's to keep the water clean. Maybe a small powerhead for movement could be added.


----------



## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

clwatkins10 said:


> You could use a zoo med mini canister filter, or you could just do wc's to keep the water clean. Maybe a small powerhead for movement could be added.


A zoomed would be excessive overkill.
Go for a small internal, or even at that size an airpowered sponge filter...


----------



## jaidexl (Sep 18, 2006)

I've been eying the 1gl pickle jars for a while now, but the closest I've come yet is half filled 5gl buckets for plant prorogation and temporary fish holding. Most I do is add an air stone for circulation. If you have CO2 you don't want to gas straight out, check out the Tunze Mini 5024.04 powerhead.


----------



## jrafael (Jan 7, 2009)

I had used a tea jar as holding tank for new fish, the spigot makes water changes a breeze !

BTW: you can remove the fancy prints with a pot scrubber


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Kayen said:


> A zoomed would be excessive overkill.
> Go for a small internal, or even at that size an airpowered sponge filter...


I said zoo med because it wouldn't take up any space in the jar. An internal filter would take up too much space and a sponge filter would take up way to much space  I don't think that a zoo med would be overkill. I have 900 gph flow on my 55 gallon tank and 2213's on my 5.5 and my 7.2 gallon tanks and I love the flow. I kinda want more on the two smaller tanks though. I contemplated putting the 2217 on my 7.2 gallon tank (the 30c)...


----------



## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

I'm with cl. A Zoo Med positioned correctly would be perfect.


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

MAN! I have so much to learn... I have to look up everything that is sugested! LOL


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

johnnymax said:


> MAN! I have so much to learn... I have to look up everything that is sugested! LOL


This is how we all start out


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

Idea for a light for the pickle tank, LOL
Sorry, it just sounds funny.
I am thinking about taking a small LED flash light and drilling a hole in the pickle jars lid and mounting it in the lid. Then take an old cell phone plug or one with the right voltage and souldering it to the battery leads. The trick, will be doing it in way that looks good.


----------



## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

johnnymax said:


> Idea for a light for the pickle tank, LOL
> Sorry, it just sounds funny.
> I am thinking about taking a small LED flash light and drilling a hole in the pickle jars lid and mounting it in the lid. Then take an old cell phone plug or one with the right voltage and souldering it to the battery leads. The trick, will be doing it in way that looks good.


That sounds cool, but I don't think that it will be enough light. You would probably want at least a one watt led to light the tank, depending on how tall it is.


----------



## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

Sounds good. 
Probably need a few LEDs and widely spaced apart. The light band tends to be quite narrow with LEDs and if it's on the lid, they'll be pretty close to the substrate.
I've got ten individual LEDs on what amounts to a rice bowl-sized tank and it is barely adequate.


----------



## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

I love the tea jar idea!!!


----------



## rrrrramos (Jan 24, 2008)

I'm using a jar and natural sunlight to grow Glosso at the moment. 
The only 'filter' I have going in there is snails and water changes every week or when I remember. 
It's nice and easy, and there when I want it, and healthier than it ever was in my tanks!


----------



## suebe333 (Feb 17, 2009)

you need to start a picture journal of this from the begining man  I wanna watch


----------



## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

Just for kicks you should hang a 75w Metal halide pendant over the pickle jar...roud:
I would laugh my ass off...
Seriously you could probably just suspend a little screw in CF fixture over it


----------



## jrafael (Jan 7, 2009)

Ugly Genius said:


> Sounds good.
> Probably need a few LEDs and widely spaced apart. The light band tends to be quite narrow with LEDs and if it's on the lid, they'll be pretty close to the substrate.
> I've got ten individual LEDs on what amounts to a rice bowl-sized tank and it is barely adequate.


Check this

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15734

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13452


----------



## kyle3 (May 26, 2005)

This will be a cool project!

I have a 1 gallon fish bowl growing java moss with some snails- the only light it gets is sun light- it's in a south facing window sill and it's the cat's favorite water bowl 

cheers-K


----------



## ranger (Jan 26, 2007)

Yeah, I have a couple of 1 gallon pickle jars. They started out as holding pens. One for the guppy fry and one for baby shrimp siphoned out of the bigger tanks during cleaning. Since then, they have become their own "environments" with moss and a bit of java fern. With the moss, no other filtration needed. I just change about 1/3 of the water each week.


----------



## ranger (Jan 26, 2007)

Guppy jar


----------



## jrafael (Jan 7, 2009)

ranger said:


> Guppy jar


:thumbsup::thumbsup:

You should try some zebra nerites to help you keep the glass clean


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

suebe333 said:


> you need to start a picture journal of this from the begining man  I wanna watch


Good idea. I may wait until my new Canon camera comes in to start, so I can get good pictures. That will give me time to get the proper LED light.

I got some Christmas, Flaming and Weeping moss in today, so I have moss!


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

Do you just solder the electrical wires to the posts? :icon_eek:


----------



## jrafael (Jan 7, 2009)

I'll guess you can use a pair of alligator clips









Or you can try this other light









And use a small desktop lamp like this one







I always see lamps like this for $3 to $5 at local yard sales , goodwill, thrift stores, etc.


----------



## paulrw (Apr 14, 2009)

i had the same sort of idea but i used a vase i found, and a pump from a cheap uv purifier that i stuffed with filter floss packed around a tube hooked to a diy co2 and a hanging 25watt cfl been going for around 3 weeks just dwarf hairgrass and 1 bacopa stem not to bad on algea the stuff on the grass was from my big tank i stole the grass to start this mini mutant!


----------



## jkplanter (Sep 4, 2008)

i have a cookie jar that i use in my office with no filters. I just change the water every week. Everything is growing and my RCS just had babies. oh and i dose half a cap of excel.


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

I ordered two of these 21 LED lightbulbs.








*110 V 21 LED E27 Solar Halogen Marine Spot Light Bulb*

I think it will be bright enough for moss to grow.

I need to eat a bunch of pickles now! LOL :drool:

Although... I really do like the "Sun Tea Nano Aquarium! :thumbsup:


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

Well, I thought I had an empty pickle jar, but could not find it. I am working on emptying the one I have. I put a bunch of the pickles in a baggy to bring to work, LOL While looking for the empty pickle jar I did find a sun tea jug! But the wife put her foot down and said I was not going to scrub the paint off of her tea jug and put sea-weed in it.


----------



## kyle3 (May 26, 2005)

lol!


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

Well, the led lights came it. They are not very bright. I am using one in an adjustable lamp to light up my keybord at night. I am almost through eating all the pickles. LOL


----------



## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

that's a lot of pickles....


----------



## CAM6467 (Feb 11, 2009)

Any pictures of your stuff so far?


----------



## johnnymax (May 15, 2009)

I need to start taking a few pictures to document the process.


----------



## Eileen (May 31, 2009)

Go to Walmart and get their 1 gal. tank it's cheap and it has a light fixture already and uses a 7 watt night light bulb. It works for my nano tank with Yellow dwarf shrimps and low light plants like java fern, java moss, Anubia plants. http://www.drsfostersmith.com azoo palm filter item # APD-14052 is $8.99 and works well for a tiny tank. I think the 1 gal. at Walmart comes with an underground filter. The azoo is if you want a better filter system. I put a bio sponge in front of the water out flow to the tank. opSome


----------



## 06cummins (Jan 19, 2012)

Just lookin around and found this and thought it might be worth bringing back... I started a pickle jar about 2 weeks ago and was curious about how this one turned out


----------



## moosenart (Feb 18, 2012)

I'd go with small internal or a sponge filter with a suction cup


----------

