Do-It-Yourself Projects for Your Aquarium
If you have a tank containing a Betta or any kind of fish that absolutely hates the current created by your filter, a plastic bottle purchased and used during your last trip to the convenience store is perfect for cutting down the current. Cut the top from the bottle, just above the label, with and exacto knife. Cut the bottom off as well, just below the label also. Remove the label carefully and cut straight down the middle where the glue residue is. When you are finished, wash the plastic and place it in your tank. One end hangs behind your filter, the other below the lip of the filter current. This diverts the current into two, pushes it out towards the sides and slows down the current.
Fish love to hide, there is no doubt in that. A simple way to give them a hiding spot is to purchase a terra cotta pot from your gardening center. Plug the hole in the bottom with aquarium safe sealant so the fish cannot get stuck or injured. You have to wait the recommended amount of time for it to set up before you can place it in your tank. To make it come snazzy you can use the same aquarium sealant to attach glass stones to its surface. You can cover the whole pot or just the top. You can also attach gravel or plants to make it more inviting; just don’t forget to wash the whole pot before you place it in your tank.
Instead of spending a fortune on a filter for smaller tanks why not make one? With a small air pump and filter carbon, you’ll have a filter for next to nothing. Start out with an empty film container and wash it thoroughly. Poke holes in the lid using a drill. If you don’t have a drill you can use a small nail that the tip has been heated to poke a hole in the lid. In one corner, cut a hole just a bit smaller than a piece of plastic tubing about twice the size of the airline tubing. Cut a small notch at the bottom of this tube and stick the whole tube through the hole in the lid. The tube should stick above the lid about an inch or so. Cut another hole in the tube that is big enough for the airline tubing to fit in snuggly about half way down the tube. Fill the canister with carbon. Also add filter floss to cut down on the current when the air pump is turned on. Attach the filter to the pump and insert it into your tank and you’ve got a great small filter.
Bottles can be used as hiding holes too and for the fish to swim through. Just cut the bottles so both ends are open; smooth down any sharp edges so the fish won’t hurt themselves. You can also cut smaller holes into different areas to give your fish more play areas. Try to avoid all sharp edges and always wash any object carefully before placing it into any aquarium.
There is one more cheep and easy toy out there for your fish. This toy is safe, simple, and mostly easy to find. Go to any large department store or sports store in your area. Look in the table tennis area and find ping pong balls. These come in a variety of colors and designs if you’re lucky enough to find them. You just wash the ping pong balls very well and place them on the top of the tank water, sooner or later your fish with start pushing and bumping the ball around the tank with its nose. To keep your fish more interested, remove the ball every once and awhile for a period of time and give it back to your fish. They do have a memory and will begin to play around with it again. This is sure to keep them more entertained.
As you can see, the ideas are limitless!
