DIY lightbulb aquarium (with pics)

[Drumachine09]

Yes folks, thats right, your in for another Matt samms DIY. Sit back, relax, and enjoy seeing me pull the glass shards out of the palms of my hands.

_________Tools
1 Needle nosed pliers (or snippers)
1 small hammer
1 small screwdriver or skinny scissors
1 Wire cutter
1 Saw (optional)

_________Materials
1 Globe style light bulb
1 small handfull of aquarium rock
1 Ghost shrimp
1 Coat hangar
1 2x4
1 Staple gun

_________Estimated time to complete
~ <30 minutes



~STEP ONE~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=Step1.jpg

Aquire a light bulb


~STEP TWO~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=2.jpg

Use needle nosed pliars or snippers to remove the metal contact on the bottom


~STEP THREE~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=3.jpg

Break the black glass at the bottom with screwdriver or skinny scissors


~STEP FOUR~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=4.jpg

Break the inside tube with the screwdriver or skinny scissors. Rotate scissors to remove any glass edges protruding from the stem.


~STEP FIVE~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=5.jpg

You should be able to fit your finger in the stem. (This is an extremely stupid idea, but i had to illiustrate the lack of obstruction in the stem. DO NOT DO THIS!)


~STEP SIX~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=6.jpg

Wash out the white powder coating. The powder is non-toxic, but it is probobly not good to breathe. So be careful. Rinse atleast 15 times, shaking it before draining it each time.


~STEP SEVEN~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=7.jpg

Remove any stuck on powder (usually close to the stem) with an OLD toothbrush.


~STEP EIGHT~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=8.jpg

Your bulb should be crystal clear. If not, you need to rinse/brush some more untill you can see through it.


~STEP NINE~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=9.jpg

Cut a length (12 or so inches, better too long than too short) of coat hangar wire.


~STEP TEN~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=10.jpg

Bend it into a rough shape, like in the picture, make the corkscrew at the top as circular as possible.


~STEP ELEVEN~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=11.jpg

Staple the coat hangar to a 4-5 inch peice of 2x4. Make sure you get the little "dog leg" at the end, to ensure that it wont tip over.


~STEP TWELVE~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=12.jpg

"Screw" The light bulb into the cork screw. If it isnt a good fit, re-shape the corkscrew.

~STEP THIRTEEN~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=13.jpg

This should be your final product. Add your gravel, you should have 1-1.5 inches of gravel. Add dechlorinated water. Add no more than 1 ghost shrimp. There you have it. Your very own ghost shrimp light bulb aquarium.


~OOOPS~
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/drumachine09/?action=view&current=scraps.jpg

All of the "mess up" light bulbs.








Well i hope you enjoyed this diy. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me and i will do my best to help explain something/solve your problem/s.


Stay tuned, as soon as i get another ultra bright LED, i will show you how to make your aquariums very own light.

[jweintraub]

I'm sort of speechless... You must have a lot of tme on your hands! Oh and what's going in there... a brine shrimp? :)

[Lady Hobbs]

You could have posted your photobucket site link and we could have viewed your pics as a slideshow.

[Drumachine09]

I'm sort of speechless... You must have a lot of tme on your hands! Oh and what's going in there... a brine shrimp? :)


A ghost shrimp.

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, ghost shrimp. I would try a Betta but it would be a pain to get it through the little hold in the top.

[cocoa_pleco]

I should try your stand. One of these days im going to smash my head on mine hanging.

[sergo]

that's pretty cool. i may make one for my work. good job :thumb:

[Drumachine09]

Ive seen one with bettas, and thats just as bad as the death cups imo. Maybe if you could get a GIANT lightbulb, but only then.

[cocoa_pleco]

i should stick 1 in my school locker

[Drumachine09]

lol, mine would get broken in my locker faster than you can say howdy doody.

[cocoa_pleco]

especially since people slam into lockers. The shrimp would get good food though. The guy that has the locker next to me is emo and gets suspended 90% of the year, and theres hundreds of fruitflys from rotting food in his locker. Those flys go to my locker, then the next one, etc.

[genitor]

I can see someone was bored.
I'll try it next time i'm bored.

[Drumachine09]

I can see someone was bored.
I'll try it next time i'm bored.

You sure hit that nail on the head. I have a closet full of projects that i have done when i was board. Ive got a small van-de-graf generator, a pneumatic potato cannon, tons of stuff with LEDs, and a bunch of other junk. If youi guys get bored, or the site slows down a bit, try going to www.instructables.com Thats where i get alot of my projects. Im signed in as Sgt.Waffles, so drop me a line.

[Incredulous_Ed]

That's awesome, matt!

[willisrad]

Ok.
Today was a very boring day at my job, and I decided to build myself one of these.

Now I've just got a quick question or two.

Why did you clearly say only 1 ghost shrimp?
Also, what would you recommend feeding my new pet? I have algae wafers.......will that do the trick?

Thanks!

[Drumachine09]

Ok.
Today was a very boring day at my job, and I decided to build myself one of these.

Now I've just got a quick question or two.

Why did you clearly say only 1 ghost shrimp?
Also, what would you recommend feeding my new pet? I have algae wafers.......will that do the trick?

Thanks!


1.) The tank is small enough for one shrimp, but adding more is pushing it even more

2.) many moons ago when i had baby guppies, i crushed up several different types of fish flake in a zip lock REALLY fine. i feed a little bitty pinch once every three days. Before everyfeeding, i vaccuum the gravel with an ey dropper and add a bit more dechlorinated water

[cocoa_pleco]

i just chuck in a big flake for the shrimp in my lightbulb and he eats the whole 1 flake

[willisrad]

I've got some betta flakes which are really small.

Those should work just fine then.

[tropfish]

That's really really cool!

[gm72]

How in the you-know-what do you come up with these ideas? Amazingly cool, just amazing. Well done!

[Drumachine09]

How in the you-know-what do you come up with these ideas? Amazingly cool, just amazing. Well done!


Lack of any thing to occupy myself maybe? I still have the shrimp. Still alive and kicking.

[gm72]

Very cool idea. You could make the base look really nice, take a router to the edges, stain it. Spray paint the coat hanger gold or whatever color suites your tastes. Nice.

[Drumachine09]

Very cool idea. You could make the base look really nice, take a router to the edges, stain it. Spray paint the coat hanger gold or whatever color suites your tastes. Nice.

Yeah, ive got some good cedar, and i am looking for bigger lightbulbes.

[gm72]

You could probably do the same thing with a ceiling light fixture that has the big globes. The glass would be thicker and you wouldn't have to risk slicing yourself up.

Like this one:
http://www.absolutehome.com/web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=495&cm_ven=Nextag&cm_cat=Lighting&cm_pla=Sea%20Gull%20Lighting&cm_ite=Sea%20Gull%20Lighting-Flush%20Mount-495&cid=A5F924C21FA095698B5DC54ECC8D6E13

[Drumachine09]

The glass would be thicker and you wouldn't have to risk slicing yourself up.



But thats half the fun!



The globe would be a good idea, but then that essentally makes it a goldfish bowl.

[gm72]

Well that's true on both counts.

[guppymanrob]

i have a light bulb that is 6 inches in diameter and at least a half a gallon that would be perfect