~4' tall Wine Glass Tank - Won at Auction

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Autumnsky

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Funny thing happened on the way out of the Colorado Aquarium Society/CAS Spring 2018 Auction.


There was a raffle at the end for the special prize. I happened to be the winner.

This is an interesting item - sorry no wine in it though.

46.5 inches / 118 cm tall specialty glass container shaped like the hugest glass wine glass you have ever seen!!! After doing some checking it is from Costco 2017 Holiday gift season.

It was made into a fish tank from 2 members with a bit of additional input from another member friend.

It may have been entered in the member nano tank exhibition.

Here it is at the end of the auction member getting ready to take it apart and put it into 2 buckets and back in its 5' tall box.

I really didn't even really think about winning it. I always buy $20-25 of tickets to support the event - and maybe win something!

After winning, I wondered what on earth I was going to do with it - really.

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The tank was colorful and fun with multi colored plants and fish. Came with a filter, heater and LED light. Flora-Max substrate, a really cool looking stone slab piece and a Malaysian DW.

Fish were
7 Green Neons Paracheirodon simulans Beautiful, already love them
5 Red Minor Serpae Tetra
(Hyphessobrycon callistus) Never thought of ever getting these because as a small kid always remember my cousins fish tank with these dying all the time and any who survived were nippers
3 Albino Cory Corydoras aeneus - love
1 Orange Bristlenose Ancistrus - love

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So the guy who made this took it down for me and the substrate went to one bucket and the fish and plants went to the next. Container went into the ginormous box. I drove an hour home.

On the drive home I thought a number of things...,
how exciting I won that crazy tank
My 2yo GS will knock that sucker over in about one minute
Biggest "vase" I have ever had - Thought I was cool with a 3G vase years back
This is a bit kitschy, maybe embarrassing when you think, "I have a giant wine glass fish tank"
How can I keep this from getting knocked over
Maybe I should just get this a new home
Maybe I can get a small desk and router a space to slide in the stem of this thing into the center and add a bracket underneath.
Where will these fish go.
Where could this fit in the LR?

That is the beginning anyway :rolleyes:

Well here goes.

The fish went into different places about 1 am.

Serpaes and BN into the 46G with the Angels and Spotted Raphael Catfish.

Cories into the 72G to hang out with other Aeneus Though Bronze or Green

Left the Green Neons in a bucket with air and heat to think about what I was going to put in the Wine Glass.

Next morning I cleaned around the space decided on trying out.

Was tols it was about 7G, then calculated and though maybe 5G, then found it really was/is about 7G / 26.5L

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I will add more pics and the final tank pic in the next post or 2.
 
Put the Wine Glass into the corner, best chance of not getting knocked over. Added the small turtle bowl table back in front. Had to remove a plant stand 12x12" table I had my plant vases on. So this should fit right in.

Heard comments like
Oh, uh, that's nice...
Wow, mom
Can you trade it in for actual wine?
What are you gonna do with that?
You aren't keeping that thing are you?
Wine glasses shouldn't have fish in them - doesn't seem right.
How much can you sell that for and just keep the fish?

You get the idea.

After all of that, I decided it isn't so much a wine glass as a vessel for water keeping.
 
Okay now for the build.

A thought flashed into my head that I decided not to get rid of my Seiryu Stone and it could work in the Wine Glass.

Been saving a jar of new special substrate for shrimp and thought it might be great to actually use it. Been in the closet since the Aquatic Gardeners Assn. 2017 in Denver and had wanted to use it but have been CUTTING DOWN on my tank keeping numbers - really!!! Just don't have enough time to show them all enough love.

Decided against using it since my experiences with AGA Amazonia AND Amazonia Light leaching ammonia for extended times, I was too concerned for the critters and knew the tank needed to be built asap or the naysayers would win.

Kept the substrate - Flora-Max, and, oh forgot that there is a cycled sponge filter too.

Dug out the stones and added the substrate back into the wine glass and placed a few stones a few different ways. Found I loved it but forgot there was the sponge filter and preferred not to see it as much as possible.

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Had to change the stones.

Then wanted to hide the sponge filter. Couldnt find a way to hide it.

Then came up with a great idea that would allow it to be hidden and removed to be cleaned with out messing up the substrate. Probably someone else had done this before me, as it is pretty logical and very practical.

Took a container from the soup takeout from the local Chinese restaurant. Cut the top off to fit it behind the stones down into the substrate.

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But it didn't fit because of the curve of the glass - too rigid, so cut the bottom out also. Then it bent more oval and fit into the space.

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All hidden
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Back filled with gravel and found I needed more substrate for filling in areas, used some old black sand I had.
 
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Now the rest.

Made some decisions about plants. Use what I already have, lol ;)

One jar of Dwarf Hair Grass growing in Amazonia - thought the pattern here looked like art. Used this in the planting pocket left front.

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Didn't really have time to take pics when I was adding plants as I had to clean out a bunch of containers, fighting Duckweed all the way, that stuff sticks on everything!!!

One special plant which is a favorite and has been living in a plastic pitcher behind the Spec V on the table is this Red Melon Sword, at least I think that is what it is.

Used the Tricolor Lily in the right middle. Next to the Echinodorus Vesuvius also which came with the tank.

Large length about 10" Anubias Nana 'Pinto' which isn't really pinto pattern now because of low light!

A couple portions of my cute little Bolbitis 'Baby leaf' Difformis - growing since AGA in a plastic portion cup grown in 4 different places to make sure I didn't kill it. It has been doing nicely.

Java Fern narrow from the vase.

A previously potted Anubias Coffeefolia, unpotted to fit in the spot.

Then filled some...

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And was cloudy, added in a pouch of Purigen for a couple hours.

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Wow - that glass is huge! Keep thinking does it come with a straw?! Will have to read last posts later - off to show everyone at work ;)
 
Few more pics
The container looks like a "U" shape in the pics but really it isn't - Size comparison.
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Some plants closer up Sword, Red Melon?

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Threw some of the Ambulia stems in the top for the Betta. He was VERY happy about that, except he looked at me like I was supposed to feed him, AGAIN.
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Need to clean some spots on the glass, decide what to do for the background, (just tacked a spare piece of background on the back to get better contrast in the pics) and gather the cords so they aren't all over the place. Planning on anchoring the floating Ambulia at the side so the front is more open

Considering some Bloody Mary shrimp for the tank after it matures some.

The light is from National Geographic, Petsmart and it is seeming to have an issue of not staying on all the time, and thinking maybe of exchanging it for something else. It has a cool touch top feature for on, off and blue and / or white light but is rigid and is hard to get my hand in the top especially for water changes.
 
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Looks really good - like the filter idea and the light sits well. That betta looks like he is starving (well, he said he was..). Glass ok with the rocks on top?
 
Looks really good - like the filter idea and the light sits well. That betta looks like he is starving (well, he said he was..). Glass ok with the rocks on top?

He always says he is, and he has just started getting his favorite pellets again because they got lost under the cabinet, for a couple weeks. Though with the umpteen different foods the fish get fed he didn't exactly starve...:whistle:

They all got a tiny portion of Rotifers and Cyclops frozen foods and he got the Betta pellets, probably too big for the Sundadanios mouths.

Not sure about the stones??? "Glass ok with the rocks on top?"

The Seriyu Stones are terrace set in the Flora-max like stairs, with the sand in between for filler if that is what you meant.

If it is about the weight, who knows - pounds of water and stone/substrate and a tiny glass wine stem, and pictures of the container on the box holding light weight cork.....??? Call me a dare devil!

It is manufactured in Poland and I have had good experience with Polish made vases thus far. Fingers crossed. I am a bit clumsy will try to only use plastic items for scooping out the water for pwc, and NOT move the rocks around.
 
Very nice ,and finally a tank that has a real second purpose ! :drinking::drinking:
Just saying it could have a use after fish [I can't believe I just said that !] .:nono:
 
Sounds good on glass - yes, was just a bit worried on how thick it was.

I agree - would be worth filling once for a drink (for half the neighborhood probably :) ).
 
Comments for web say 25 bottles and after calculating the smaller wine bottles size I figured 5G. But it took more than the 5G bucket 1/2-2/3 full 2x, plus nearly a gallon top off and there are still a couple inches at the top not filled. Granted I think the Lowes bucket I used isn't quite 5G, it seems slightly smaller.

A person who is mathmatically capable figured the volume - how the original builders said 7+G.

I did happen to weigh all my Seriyu stone because I was thinking of tanking to the auction total of stones was 16 pounds /7.25 kilo. If I subtract the leftover stones and guess if they used the whole bag of flora-max and estimate the water weight we could see how close we have for the weight...

Several compliments from nonaquarist persons / shall we say some of the naysayers, and a couple people from work who couple not quite wrap their heads around what a giant wine glass turned into a fish tank could ever look like, hahaha.

So even if it is not a forever fixture in the house, (breakage IS possible as it is not a thick glass - think that the holding wine corks is likely best use) it was a fun challenge and worth the whole day activity and hour of taking and loading pics and sharing this thread :) And as I said, it IS the biggest planted bowl I have made/ had.

So the biggest question - does it deserve to stay or should it go? Not too kitschy now?

All Fish inhabitants have a place elsewhere in tanks.

As a matter of fact I want to see if I get the chance to get a Mystery snail, 3 stores I went to didn't have any nice ones, and the Green Neons would look lovely in the tank again and might come up with a group to add back in. Also I will be possibly near a lfs soon which carries a good variety of nano fish
 
You’ve done it up pretty. I personally am a klutz. No 2yo to knock it over, I would do end up doing it. That long glass stem makes me nervous as all heck. I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed for you.
 
[NERVOUS laugh :eek:] Now I am a "little" worried. Maybe will see a "Disaster eventually struck' post.

I try not to have anything move it. [NERVOUS laugh :eek:] The other pic on the box of the wine glass, showed it filled with Christmas tree ornament balls, not gallons of water or stones... Oh Delapool... no straw either!
 
Tank is running well with a half to 1 gallon regular mostly weekly pwc. A couple gallons sometimes.

Has 7 male Guppies and Endlers. They constantly chase each other in groups. I feel bad but not bad enough yet to mix in females to end up with countless babies!

The light it came with really only works when it feels like it. National Geographic clip on touch light. A great idea just not working well. Sometimes it doesn't come on for 5-10 taps/touchs. sometimes it comes on 2nd or 3rd try. It was turning off after 10 seconds, over and over and over and over again.... not impressed.

I use a Finnex Clip light, it is doing nicely, it fell into the water previously when on a different tank and some of the white LEDs are out, it dried and continues to work but somewhere along the line wasn't really water resistant.

The tank is adorable.

In the next week or 2 it will maybe be moved to the other side of the room - maybe. I am also scared of moving the weight on the little stem. Would need help to feel safer doing it. Still thinking it over. All the tanks on that wall were supposed to be moved to the opposite wall to make room for something else. BUT, might just leave it.

Also it was an extra "tank" I had not been planning on. I really like it but also considering getting it a new home. As paring down my tank work load is on my "to do" list. will try and update a pic or two in the coming weeks, my schedule is packed right now.
 
It was wiggling around when I was cleaning the outer glass and I was wondering too. I should keep a 5 gallon bucket nearby for when it snaps I can grab it and safely place it inside!!!

Hahaha, we both know it won't happen like that!
 
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