[cjyhc4]

Two days ago, my mom commented on my 2.5 nano. She threatened to keep it since it was sitting in her office for a few days. I thought "Excellent, that's what I'll get her for Mother's Day". So off I went to PetSmart to get the tank. They were out. Sh*t.
Then I went to find that bag of Schultz Aquatic Soil, there's just a little left from another tank. I forgot it in my apt in Rolla when I moved, Sh*t #2.
So I went hunting in my tanks for trimmings for the tank-less, substrate-less nano. Everythings still in a state of disarray from the move, and I trimmed everything before I left. Sh*t #3.

So, I evaluated my budget. Maybe I could get her a slightly larger tank or buy some stuff for it. After checking both my wallet and Paypal and checking accounts, I discovered that I have a grand total of $55 to my name. Great. Typical end of the year college student. So, that gives me about $25 to spend.

Ok. I can work with this.

$10 tank and cover (PetSmart). There's at least 3 more in the city.
$7 bag of Schultz (Lowe's). I can use the rest later, and it's cheaper than Flourite.
$7 plants, hardscape, light. Sh*t

***Pictures to come as soon as my camera surfaces, and I have something to take a picture of***

 

[FelixAvery]

nice journal lol

 

[rodney]

Can't wait to see the outcome! hehe

 

[mistergreen]

You can hit walmart & grab a 4-5 gallon rose flower bowl. They're pretty.

And you can just put the thing next to a window.

 

[yoko]

haha you don't wanna give her the nano, meanie!:red_mouth

If all else fails, go pick up a cheap glass kitchenwares container thinger at IKEA-- Throw some sand in there and find some peace lilly or rock arrangement with some riccia and some other plant and set up a wabi-kusa. Moms like that kinda stuff:icon_mrgr
Although, you'll probably wanna keep that, too buaha uah:icon_mrgr

 

[cjyhc4]

Two Petsmarts and a Petco later, I found the tank, while I was there I checked out the plants at each. They all looked horribly terribly sad, until I got to the last one. The Moneywort looked good, as did the Red Ludwigia. I bought one bunch of each with plans to use the extras in my tanks. Off to Lowe's. I wandered throught the garden center several times, but kept getting drawn back to the Schultz-less pond supply shelves. In the process I found a HUGE bag of lava rock for $4. On the way out I saw the Schultz!! Hell yea! 'Cause I didn't know where another Lowe's was.

The damage:
Tank - $10
Moneywort - $2
Red Ludwigia - $2
Schultz - $7
Lava Rock - $4
Desklamp (found one in a box in my room, lol) - $0
= $25

And I have loads of leftovers for my own tanks!!!

The water is still cloudy, but I'm using the filter from my 5g shrimp tank to clear it up. I'll get some pictures tonight when my dad is back in town with his camera. The plants are still angled funny from the screwy Petsmart lighting.

 

[RESGuy]

Two Petsmarts and a Petco later, I found the tank, while I was there I checked out the plants at each. They all looked horribly terribly sad, until I got to the last one. The Moneywort looked good, as did the Red Ludwigia. I bought one bunch of each with plans to use the extras in my tanks. Off to Lowe's. I wandered throught the garden center several times, but kept getting drawn back to the Schultz-less pond supply shelves. In the process I found a HUGE bag of lava rock for $4. On the way out I saw the Schultz!! Hell yea! 'Cause I didn't know where another Lowe's was.

The damage:
Tank - $10
Moneywort - $2
Red Ludwigia - $2
Schultz - $7
Lava Rock - $4
Desklamp (found one in a box in my room, lol) - $0
= $25

And I have loads of leftovers for my own tanks!!!

The water is still cloudy, but I'm using the filter from my 5g shrimp tank to clear it up. I'll get some pictures tonight when my dad is back in town with his camera. The plants are still angled funny from the screwy Petsmart lighting.

Awesome, congratulations on the quick setup and it is very nice of you to make your mom a tank

 

[James From Cali]

You just gave me an idea cj. I hope everything goes well with the tank and post pics.

 

[uncskainch]

Can't wait to see the pictures -- and it's great to see an example that you don't have to spend a fortune to create a tank that will, I'm sure, look good and be much appreciated!

 

[dufus]

Sweet idea, my mom would smack me if i got her an aquarium for mothers day, she has enough trouble keeping up her 55 fowler,lol.

 

[sandiegoryu]

Hehe I'm doing that for fathers day. I didn't have enough money to do it on Mother's day. Its just an excuse to get another tank hehehe.

 

[Haeun]

*sigh* Great, father's day is coming up too. I just spent a fortune on a gift for my mom. (Ok, $40 is a fortune to me. Shoot me, I'm a college kid too.)

Maybe I'll borrow your idea, and make a nice little tank for my dad to keep at his office. He's a vet, so I bet patients would appreciate a tiny tank with a shrimp or something in it.

Luckily, I have all the materials for it, minus the tank. I have soilmaster select, aquasoil, and schultz, with plenty of manzanita wood and plant trimmings. I've been doing "test" nanos with my jars (they are literal jars, yanno, for food ), so I just need to literally plug and rescape in a new tank. YAY

You're a genius. I've got father's day gift all figured out now.

 

[JenThePlantGeek]

And I thought I was all clever giving my mom 'daughter' plants from my 'mother' spiderplant! This is a very sweet idea!

 

[cjyhc4]

Finally, PHOTO!! It needs time and a few more trimmings. I'll add some R. Rotundifolia soon. Sorry it's so dark. I'm having trouble with lighting today...

 

[rodney]

I must say, you have done a great job especially considering what you had to work with!