# Pickle Jar Nightlight Pico



## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

So that rock will fit in the jar? It looks so large!


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

It's just the perspective, it's actually long and thin. I did have to bash it a few times near the bottom to thin it out. It broke into a nice smaller piece, which you can see here, I put it on the side.
Here's a preview of it, freshly done.








Keep in mind, this is a pickle jar. The distortion from the glass actually adds to the scape by magnifying it, imho.
My only problem now is the lighting. I had thought it was a two pack with separate lights/cords, but it's two lights, one cord. They are just a tiny bit too big to both fit on the lid.
edit: Nevermind, I just noticed the "mounting ring" part that I don't need pops off. It took off the little bit I needed to make them fit. Perfect!


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Oh! Well done! So is it completely sealed up at the top?


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

Well, I'm going to have a hole up top for the airline and the electrical cord, but otherwise it's going to be sealed with it's lid. I'm hoping to cut down on the evaporation that's so annoying with these kinds of pico tanks. It's for a windowless interior bathroom - the less humidity, the less chance for icky mold.


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

cool!!!!!!


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## april_tanks (Jul 21, 2009)

Awesome idea, I should try this. Maybe you could patent something like this... like a line of fish tank night lights xD


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

It reminds me of a very ghetto biorb 
Bathroom light on:








Nightlight style:









Husband is itching to make a tiny stand to hide all those nasty cords!

Really, a pretty cheap way to go if you want a pico since you'll have most of the stuff left over from broken down tanks. The most expensive thing was the Lack Ikea LED lights at $24.99. Pretty necessary because they won't heat up the water too much and very compact. And come on, pickles with a free tank! I love Costco!


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## Cocobid (Feb 25, 2007)

Is there any way you could take a pic of how you attached the lights inside the lid. Also what about moisture where the lights are concerned. Are they moisture proof. I really like this set up. Have 2 Betta's that will need a new home with winter coming, looks like they would stay warm in there!!!
TY Karen


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

Yep, here's a picture








I thought I was going to need to superglue them on, but it turns out they come with mounting tape on the back. If you needed to do two jars side by side for your your bettas, you could just stick one light in each. They're pretty bright.
As for moisture, I don't know how they are going to do. They already have condensation on the inside of the diffuser lens. I'll keep you posted on how long the lights survive.


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## Cocobid (Feb 25, 2007)

Great Thank You 
I wonder if one could cut a hole the size of the lens and place the light on top of the lid and a small piece of clear plastic and light from the top side of the light. I really like the concept. The only concern is the condensation issue. We have 4 of these down in the garage. Were just by chance going to Ikea tomorrow, so lights are on the shop list. Man I can shrimp on the lace rock, very cool.


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

The inhabitants of the pickle jar are tiger shrimp and one lone golden shrimp. It would have been much too hard to try to get the golden shrimp out without squashing someone/something. I know the antihybrid people are going to get their panties in a bunch, but hey, they aren't going to be mass producing out of the jar.
















And better yet, my daughter absolutely love them! She always asks to brush her teeth or wash her hands now so she can stare at them


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## jinsei888 (Apr 20, 2009)

aelysa said:


> And better yet, my daughter absolutely love them! She always asks to brush her teeth or wash her hands now so she can stare at them


Haha, now THAT's the proper way to encourage kids to keep up their personal hygiene! roud:

Great little nano and innovative idea, btw!


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## Eileen (May 31, 2009)

As a kid I had a 2 gal. glass fish bowl. My dad was able to make a light by using a alumminum pie tin and cutting it to make a round circle and he put a reg. night light attached to it 7watt. He put a reg. electrical cord and the night light plugged into this and used some kind of metal stapled thing to peice together the circle and somehow put the night light in the back part of the tank. The night light was cheap you can even buy one at the dollar store or Big Lots. It looked great and gave enough light in the tank for low light plants or fake plants. This would work for a pickle jar also. Another idea I bought a cheap 1 gal. at Walmart just to use the light fixture which was cheaper them buying a light and set it on top of my 3 gal. plastic square cube I got at a thrift shop for cheap and bought a nano filter (Azoo Palm filer) Item # APG-14052 from http://www.drsfostersmith.com this is a great filter for a tiny tank 2-5 gal. and looks like a reg. big size tanks canister filter. But the light fixture that you buy at walmart from a 1 gal. tank has a underground filter included that you can use also. I just like the canister filter. I put a bio-sponge in front of the outflow to the tanks Azoo palm filter. I do like the pickle jar tank also good idea! Endlers would look nice in that tank also beside shrimps or they can be put together 3 male endlers and a couple of shrimps.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like that 
Great job :thumbsup:


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

Eileen said:


> ... and used some kind of metal stapled thing to peice together the circle and somehow put the night light in the back part of the tank...


This is my favorite part of the story 

My husband was super against the pickle jar at first, because really, it's ghetto. However, I know Gwen has the "sickness" and can truly appreciate that mommy made a tank for her. And hopefully in twenty years she can be on a forum saying something like ... "and she forced my dad to drill holes in the top of the pickle jar for the airline tubing..."


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## FBG (Oct 17, 2008)

now this is a good representation of doing with what you have...I mean...isn't an aquarium better than a nightlight? I'd take one of those over a cheaply made nightlight any day.  nicely done!


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## RianS (May 12, 2009)

This is so cool. At first i read the title thinking it was a new type of pleco (my eyes are bad). Instead it's even better, a new type of nightlight. I might actually make one.


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## trigun808 (May 18, 2008)

sup ryan and yeah dude i saw this and was like this is something different! hahaa its really nice
btw how are your tanks man?


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

Unfortunately the pickle jar has been retired this week.

Design Flaws:
The hole in the lid for airline tubing was rusting due to the water bubbling up from the sponge filter. Should have sealed it with silicone or clear nail
polish.

LED lights failed this week due to humidity and getting into the casing - from the same "water from the bubbler" effect.

I think next time I would have used a smaller sponge filter.  The one I was using was for a 20 gallon so the uptake tube was really high - splashing water on the lid and LED lights. I think the little ones only have two inches or so of uptake tube.
But the tank was good enough to breed CRS, I got one batch of babies from it and two berried ones right now just about to pop. However all almost all of my tiger shrimp in there died, possibly from the warm water from the light being on all the time.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

so awesome GREAT idea!


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

aelysa said:


> ...all almost all of my tiger shrimp in there died, possibly from the warm water from the light being on all the time.


Whaaaaatttt?

I know the main purpose of this tank for you was as a nightlight (greeeeaattt idea :icon_roll), but I would have put the lights on a timer so that both the plants and shrimp have a proper night cycle. Also, did you never bother to measure the water temp the entire time you had it?

The shrimps unfairly died for something that is so easily avoidable IMO. No offense, but this project reeks of the betta in a vase monstrosity.


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

thats really cool... great idea...


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## Tuiflies (Jan 14, 2010)

Why not try again but make it a NPT? (soil under the gravel, no filter, appropriate plants, see http://naturalaquariums.com/bb/)

I'm in the process of making two ATM. Just waiting for the plants and shrimp to arrive. I'm going to leave mine open and put it under a table lamp, but if you still want to make it a night light you could pick up a cheap desk lamp. If evaporations that big of an issue you could always cover it with clear plastic.


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

TLE041 said:


> Whaaaaatttt?
> 
> I know the main purpose of this tank for you was as a nightlight (greeeeaattt idea :icon_roll), but I would have put the lights on a timer so that both the plants and shrimp have a proper night cycle. Also, did you never bother to measure the water temp the entire time you had it?
> 
> The shrimps unfairly died for something that is so easily avoidable IMO. No offense, but this project reeks of the betta in a vase monstrosity.


Trust me, there could have been worse things. There was plenty of shade within the jar between and behind the rocks and moss if they needed a nap. The water temperature was an even 76 the whole time due to the bathroom being an interior room and the LED light offputting a minimal amount of heat.


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## aelysa (Oct 20, 2006)

Tuiflies said:


> Why not try again but make it a NPT? (soil under the gravel, no filter, appropriate plants, see http://naturalaquariums.com/bb/)
> 
> I'm in the process of making two ATM. Just waiting for the plants and shrimp to arrive. I'm going to leave mine open and put it under a table lamp, but if you still want to make it a night light you could pick up a cheap desk lamp. If evaporations that big of an issue you could always cover it with clear plastic.


I was considering it, but I had fussy shrimp in there. I think if I had cherries I would have gone that route


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

Very nice! I might do something like that as a nice desk light instead of my old (probably 50 year old) light and shade. Be a little.....different!

Great job. I bet your daughter loves it.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

TLE041 said:


> Whaaaaatttt?
> 
> I know the main purpose of this tank for you was as a nightlight (greeeeaattt idea :icon_roll), but I would have put the lights on a timer so that both the plants and shrimp have a proper night cycle. Also, did you never bother to measure the water temp the entire time you had it?
> 
> The shrimps unfairly died for something that is so easily avoidable IMO. No offense, but this project reeks of the betta in a vase monstrosity.


Welcome to TPT. I see you have 8 posts. Good job on making yourself well known so quick.


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

What about not using any substrate and lighting it from under the jar? You'd need to build a stand of some sort of course.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

I wish i liked pickles and had some counter space haha

looks GREAT.


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