And it is now my little Betta's new paradise. 
Let me say that this tank was *used*, so it's not like I got this as a gift. However, I have to admit it felt like Christmas to me!
Where I work someone recently left and I noticed this tank in the hallway. Still had a bit of water and sand all in the bottom. I asked the lady who's office was closest, and she said it belonged to the guy who had left. (He had been gone for weeks.) So, I just put it out there that I would take it if the guy didn't want it. At this point I didn't really think I would end up with the tank, but hey, it was worth a try.
Well, about half an hour later the lady tells me the guy did not want it, and it was mine! I could NOT believe it!
Now, I must add that I typically do things DIY and on the cheap when possible, so this was a real treat! My tank had been one I got from Walmart. It was glass and all, but nothing special.
Anyway, enough of the boring stuff, I assume you will want to see pictures!
Here is how it looked when I got it home:
*ugh* Nasty sand and hard water stains from it being left to evaporate. But, nothing some elbow grease couldn't fix!
Everything was included, and to my delight it was all working!
After cleaning the tank, I knew I would need new filter media:
I went out and bought some of the Biomax media. I only put half the box in my basket.
The basket was a DIY idea I got from another forum. It's a perfect fit and I can put any media I like in there.
Did I mention I am cheap?
I put in some pot scrubbers on top of the Biomax.
And (not pictured) there is a polishing pad on top of the pot scrubbers.
I read up about this tank before setting it up. I found many people needed to cover the inlet for their Betta, so I went ahead and did so with more of my craft mesh.
I will assume everyone knows that the Spec V has a huge hole in the center of the lid. This was not OK with me as I know Betta fish can and do jump. Being the cheapskate that I am, I found a $2 option to fix this:
Stay with me...
I turned the report covers into this lovely cover!
I do still have a small hole, but that is for a pothos plant cutting I have in the tank.
It fits wonderfully!
And, my aquaneat light also sits on top of the lid just fine.
(this is an older version Spec V tank, and the light was terribly dim)
One last small modification was needed:
This is the filter outlet. I had some siphon tubing that happened to be the right size to shove into the hole. This way I can break the water's surface (see the arc of water under the red arrow) and still not have so much current that my poor Betta is pushed all over the tank!
(Also, not pictured, I put a few small holes into the tube that comes from the pump to the outlet. I read that this also helped with flow.)
And finally, here is the finished product:
(Please ignore my ill-placed fork. lol!)
*whew*
I hope this wasn't too boring for those of you with multiple and large tanks to read. For me this is a huge upgrade and I had a lot of fun modding it for my Betta.
And, in case you can't find her in the tank picture above, here is my Betta girl, Little Sapphire:
She's a tiny thing, and probably still growing. She seems to love the upgraded tank as much as I do.
Thanks for anyone who read this far!
Let me say that this tank was *used*, so it's not like I got this as a gift. However, I have to admit it felt like Christmas to me!
Where I work someone recently left and I noticed this tank in the hallway. Still had a bit of water and sand all in the bottom. I asked the lady who's office was closest, and she said it belonged to the guy who had left. (He had been gone for weeks.) So, I just put it out there that I would take it if the guy didn't want it. At this point I didn't really think I would end up with the tank, but hey, it was worth a try.
Well, about half an hour later the lady tells me the guy did not want it, and it was mine! I could NOT believe it!
Now, I must add that I typically do things DIY and on the cheap when possible, so this was a real treat! My tank had been one I got from Walmart. It was glass and all, but nothing special.
Anyway, enough of the boring stuff, I assume you will want to see pictures!
Here is how it looked when I got it home:
*ugh* Nasty sand and hard water stains from it being left to evaporate. But, nothing some elbow grease couldn't fix!
Everything was included, and to my delight it was all working!
After cleaning the tank, I knew I would need new filter media:
I went out and bought some of the Biomax media. I only put half the box in my basket.
The basket was a DIY idea I got from another forum. It's a perfect fit and I can put any media I like in there.
Did I mention I am cheap?
I put in some pot scrubbers on top of the Biomax.
And (not pictured) there is a polishing pad on top of the pot scrubbers.
I read up about this tank before setting it up. I found many people needed to cover the inlet for their Betta, so I went ahead and did so with more of my craft mesh.
I will assume everyone knows that the Spec V has a huge hole in the center of the lid. This was not OK with me as I know Betta fish can and do jump. Being the cheapskate that I am, I found a $2 option to fix this:
Stay with me...
I turned the report covers into this lovely cover!
I do still have a small hole, but that is for a pothos plant cutting I have in the tank.
It fits wonderfully!
And, my aquaneat light also sits on top of the lid just fine.
(this is an older version Spec V tank, and the light was terribly dim)
One last small modification was needed:
This is the filter outlet. I had some siphon tubing that happened to be the right size to shove into the hole. This way I can break the water's surface (see the arc of water under the red arrow) and still not have so much current that my poor Betta is pushed all over the tank!
(Also, not pictured, I put a few small holes into the tube that comes from the pump to the outlet. I read that this also helped with flow.)
And finally, here is the finished product:
(Please ignore my ill-placed fork. lol!)
*whew*
I hope this wasn't too boring for those of you with multiple and large tanks to read. For me this is a huge upgrade and I had a lot of fun modding it for my Betta.
And, in case you can't find her in the tank picture above, here is my Betta girl, Little Sapphire:
She's a tiny thing, and probably still growing. She seems to love the upgraded tank as much as I do.
Thanks for anyone who read this far!
