# Zach's 3g Egg



## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

Wanting to share my 3 gallon “egg” with ya folks. I got the egg at Michael’s for about $40 in near awesome condition the narrow end of the egg is cut off at a slight angle as to confuse Zach. The egg adds some personality to my large kitchen countertops. This is low tech - sandblasting coal slag substrate with a bit of Osmocote + underneath for the root feeders. A 7.5W paddle heater for the winter time here in Colorado to keep everybody comfortable and a halogen spot lamp for photosynthesis. There will be a pico powerhead with a DIY acylic spraybar during summer to help with evaporative cooling.

There are several different plants in here - Red Melon Sword near the middle two different Crypts on the right side of the larger driftwood Ranaculus inundatus up front Subwassertang is holding down the fort in back by the heater while Mermaid weed (Proserpinaca palustris) is quietly cohabitating in the left corner opposite a few specimens of unknown large leaved stem. In the roots of the driftwood rests some Windelove Java fern. Up top near the heavens Riccia fluitans grows robustly alongside Water Lettuce and Frogbit. With some help from local shrimpers I have CRS and CBS happily living and cleaning every nook of the egg.

I hope to inspire others out there into starting pico / nano tanks. This is far simpler than my other tanks and just as entertaining to watch. A small LED lamp would be nice to replace the halogen lamp that sucks juice creates tons of heat energy and needs replacing about once a month. So, looking into that.

I hope you enjoy!


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## hunterlook (Feb 21, 2013)

Love the concept, well done sir.


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## rasbora (Sep 1, 2006)

Good work! It looks like a magic ball that is showing some underwater scene.


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

Target has a version of this as well, right around 3g. Been in stock for going on a year now with no sign that they'll be discontinuing it anytime soon. Price varies--on sale I've seen 'em as low as 12.99, regular prices as high as 29.99. 
It's a nice shape and size to play with. 

This photo is right after a re-scape several months ago--it's been changed up several times since. This versions stock: 1x breeding pair hybrid endlers, a half dozen cherry shrimp culls and various pond snails.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

It's very nice. Michael's always has interesting glass things.


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks for the kind words everyone. :smile:

Knotyoureality, I really like the bowl you shared here as well as in your profile albums! You have endlers in your bowl ay? Is there any filtration for them or can the bowl handle the nitrogen load? I was a bit worried about adding too many shrimp in mine at once but have not seen any indication of ammonia so far with ten CRS/CBS of various ages.

This egg is currently about 3 months old and I'm very happy with it so far. It is nice to have in the kitchen where it can distract me from food prep, also the kitchen being central in my house layout I find that just about every activity is interrupted or even cut short by the egg's allure.

-Zach


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## cjstl (Mar 4, 2013)

Just saw this and love it! I've been playing with a 3 gallon flared bowl/vase that I call Camboba Chaos. Currently home to 11 juvenile yellow shrimp and assorted pond snails. I think my camboba is getting too chaotic though. The lower fronds are turning yellow and some are falling off. I have an Aquatop LED that fits the rim of the bowl (although not snugly). I think it has 21 LED's, 3 of which are blue. Also has a day/night switch. I'm using a TOM Mini filter that came with a spraybar.


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## shift (Jan 7, 2013)

Looks awesome.. i have been wanting to do one of these for a while now.. but i keep stopping my self due to the already large number of thanks on the go 

Love the idea!


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## PunknDestroy (May 9, 2013)

I was actually planning on doing something like this. That's fantastically done.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

O would not mind having one on my countertop. Really well done. How is the distortion?

via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


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## jamntoast (Apr 16, 2012)

i love how in this hobby people are always thinking " i could totally make that an aquarium". good job it looks well proportioned


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

OVT said:


> O would not mind having one on my countertop. Really well done. How is the distortion?
> 
> via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


Thank you. Surprisingly there is very little distortion with this particluar hurricane. the most issue I have with it is that you can't see it from 360 degrees. I need to find or make a lazy suzan for it.




cjstl said:


> Just saw this and love it! I've been playing with a 3 gallon flared bowl/vase that I call Camboba Chaos. Currently home to 11 juvenile yellow shrimp and assorted pond snails. I think my camboba is getting too chaotic though. The lower fronds are turning yellow and some are falling off. I have an Aquatop LED that fits the rim of the bowl (although not snugly). I think it has 21 LED's, 3 of which are blue. Also has a day/night switch. I'm using a TOM Mini filter that came with a spraybar.


Share some pictures with us!roud:




this is still an unfiltered bowl/egg. I have recently added an airstone to help keep it cool/removed the paddle heater and have a DeepBlue Solar Flare single 3w LED ordered and awaiting receipt. The halogen lamp that is lighting it now works well save for the massive amount of radiant heat it adds to the water...not preferrable for summer here in Colorado.

The CRS and CBS are doing well. Over the weekend they turned thier noses up at some delicious boiled fresh spinich, though. How snooty. Also I added some very pretty freckled Ramshorn snails. Boy those fellows are a hard working crew. No stone unturned.:angel:

Thanks for looking everyone. Hopefully you enjoy it. I will post a few updated pictures later tonight. The bright light in my kitchen will not allow a decent photo during the day.

-Zach


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

Update time! Finally a few spare minutes to get some new pictures and info on this little project.

Ordered a new DeepBlue Professional Solar Flare 6700K 3W LED gooseneck lamp. This replaced my xenon halogen lamp which was overheating the water in short order. The new lamp has a huge suction cup attached to the end or the gooseneck for mounting. No on/off switch, really does not matter, it will be on a timer soon.

The Ranaculus inundatus got really tall, I think due to sporadic lighting periods from the halogen. We will see what the new growth does. If it stays tall I will remove it at least from the forground. It looks ridiculous there. Recently had to trim out a bunch of the Subwassertang. Crypts are all happy, new leaves every week or so per plant. There are two different species in there. Sadly, I cannot differentiate Crypts from one another. Lulz. The Prospernaca palustrus has grown enough that I was able to top each of the stems doubling their presence in the jungle. It is such a pretty, worthwhile plant. 

Between the temp staying relatively static and the Kordon fine airstine that was added last week along with the LED my CRS/CBS seem more active. The additional O2 is probably appreciated. About two weeks ago I boiled then froze some tasty spinach leaves. First time I added a leaf they could not have cared for it less. Yesterday though they seemed more than happy to chow down. Not with as much zeal as my girlfriend’s orange pumpkin Neos do but I‘ll refrain from getting to hurt about it. 

This _may _be moved to a stand alone cabinet so I can better conceal it’s guts. And to allow a better view of the entire egg. Picture time!:red_mouth

Here is a full view next to the young Ficus triplets.
































Bird's eye view - this is the most light distortion you can get from this glass.








-Zach


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Believe i saw you post on a seperate thread about that light earlier today. Funny how i was looking at it not 10 minutes before, it looks awesome. Simply perfect for a bowl. I will have to be getting one of these. and at $12.95 it pays for itself rather quickly


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

What a great tank!


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## Padraig Pearse (May 26, 2013)

Looking good.


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

That is a beautiful setup. Love how serene it looks.


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## sumer (Feb 6, 2010)

Wonderful. Smaller than a nano 
Perfect for office.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Psssssssst. Update time!


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

can someone pm me a link to this led light I see everyone using?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

You can buy it from many retailers. Ken's Fish is one. Just pick your favorite.

Deep Blue Professional Solar Flare.


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

sorry. after I made that post, I saw the name of the light in an earlier post in this thread. The light I was thinking of was a desk lamp. I went ahead and ordered one of these lights, but I'm super nervous about the suction cup O_O will a dab of silicon in the center of the cup make it a bit more permanent / secure, or do the opposite?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I was thinking the same thing,but I was thinking some super glue gel. So far mine hasn't budged.


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

Way past due for an update here. Sorry folks. Life has been keeping me very busy. Here are a few pictures to sate the appetite. I will one day buy a good camera. Until then please apply your imagination where appropriate.:icon_wink

9-30-13


12-22-13






I absolutely love this hurricane. I do a complete water change and trim once every month and a half or so. A few caps of Osmocote+ added to the root ball of the Crypt and red melon sword during water change. All the plants in here are growing very healthy. Rotala nanjenshan was added about a month ago and has been growing beautifully.

The population of Tigers and Bees has quadrupled at least in the past two months. Many young, usually two or more females berried at any given time. Got my first successfully hatched clutch of mischlings about three weeks ago. Very pleased about that. Mischlings peak my interest due to their seemingly random coloration. CRS and CBS still are throwing color true in addition to the mischlings.


Feed conservatively every other day or more. I alternate between bee pollen, Jake's Om Nom shimp foods, spinach, Repashy “Shrimp Soufflé” and “Aufwuchs” and rotifers for food. Slightly aged indian almond leaves and Alder cones litter the substrate. Feeding this way I have been getting excellent growth from the baby shrimp.

The suction cup on the lamp has not yet failed to do it’s job. It will separate from the glass a bit, that’s all. Happy with the lamp overall thus far, probably going to buy a few more of them soon. 
__________________
:biggrin: 20L journal My 3 gallon egg :biggrin:
*Emersed Tub Club meber #15*


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

lovely vase 'tank' and the photos looks awesome, no blurring and not too much light glare


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

It's awesome and thanks for the update. I bought the same light for one of my 2.5 gal metaframe tanks due to this thread. I like it and it is doing a good job with a small mini sword, staurgyne, and a few others.


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## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

Good to hear it. My Subwassertang grows rapidly under this lamp. Awsome little gametophyte.


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## sydney11 (Nov 23, 2014)

Where can I find instructions; plants to plant and what kind of shrimp etc should I buy. Lights, I shall look for what you used. Where do I find an 02 that works with this bowl? Do I need more than one? Have never attempted this before, only salt water tanks..


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