Brain Coral Pico - schgr.cube's creative container contest entry

[schgr.cube]

Brain Coral Pico - schgr.cube's creative container contest entry

 

Current full tank shot:

 

It lives!

October 17th, 2017

[schgr.cube]

Setup:

 

Container:

Recycled glass head - $15, had a gift card so $0 from Pier 1

About 1 gallon, flipped upside down with a small glass lid from another container.

Placed into a custom build stand made of a recycled old wooden box.

 

 

Light:

ABI 12W Tuna Blue PAR38 bulb - $25 on Amazon

Custom built fixture using a recycled metal socket, recycled wooden shades from the same wooden box as the stand.

 

 

Flow:

Pump from a small filter that is kind of noisy, might be replacing with a mini pond pump. - $0 for now

 

Heater:

Aqueon mini 10W, will be hooked up to an old ReefKeeper Lite that I am being given by a friend - $0 for both

           Total spent = $25

 

Index:

• 10/05/2017: Initial entry / container
• 10/13/2017: Finally decided on orientation, built a stand and light fixture
• 10/17/2017: Filled the tank, light arrived!

[WV Reefer]

Nice! 

[Tamberav]

Very cool! 

[Lula_Mae]

That is really cool! Is there an opening on the top side on the back?

[schgr.cube]

27 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Nice! 

 

17 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Very cool! 

Thanks!!

1 minute ago, Lula_Mae said:

That is really cool! Is there an opening on the top side on the back?

There is not, and I was told I could not cut the top of the head open. I was going to take a 3" diamond hole saw bit and try to cut out the top of the head for access that way, as well as having a lid. I am going to just flip it upside down now, and make something that cradles it level.

[Lula_Mae]

1 minute ago, schgr.cube said:

 

Thanks!!

There is not, and I was told I could not cut the top of the head open. I was going to take a 3" diamond hole saw bit and try to cut out the top of the head for access that way, as well as having a lid. I am going to just flip it upside down now, and make something that cradles it level.

Your tank will look like it's doing a headstand! 

[Coral_chef]

just saw one of these at the store today!!

all the good ideas are being scooped up!!

[schgr.cube]

1 hour ago, Coral_chef said:

just saw one of these at the store today!!

all the good ideas are being scooped up!!

I was wracking my brain quite a bit yesterday for ideas!

[Lula_Mae]

Just now, schgr.cube said:

I was wracking my brain quite a bit yesterday for ideas!

The pun!

[schgr.cube]

Better picture of the "container":

I have a few plans for what I am going to do, as I know this seems like a very odd choice for this contest. I think I have pretty much every issue solved so far (especially the orientation of the head!), but I am a bit worried on the clarity of the glass. I have been looking at carefully using cerium oxide to polish up the outside of the glass, as it has a little bit of that "recycled" glass look. The inside is perfectly smooth.

 

Any ideas on this part, let me know!

[Harrisonbored]

That's an awesome idea!

I used to have a very similar glass head years back that I flipped and used as a flower vase...up until some devil cat knocked it over and shattered it.

 

following!

[Pjanssen]

2 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

The pun!

Oh, the Pun!

2 hours ago, schgr.cube said:

Better picture of the "container":

I have a few plans for what I am going to do, as I know this seems like a very odd choice for this contest. I think I have pretty much every issue solved so far (especially the orientation of the head!), but I am a bit worried on the clarity of the glass. I have been looking at carefully using cerium oxide to polish up the outside of the glass, as it has a little bit of that "recycled" glass look. The inside is perfectly smooth.

 

Any ideas on this part, let me know!

The clarity of the glass is what I was worried about here. Hope you can pull it off

[schgr.cube]

19 minutes ago, Pjanssen said:

Oh, the Pun!

The clarity of the glass is what I was worried about here. Hope you can pull it off

Worst case scenario, it will still look decent from the angle I will have it at. The clarity is worst at the front, which is not technically where you will be looking head on with this build. 

[Pjanssen]

1 minute ago, schgr.cube said:

looking head on with this build. 

Haha-'nother good pun!

[vlangel]

That is certainly a unique choice for a container and it will be fun following along to see what you do with it.

[schgr.cube]

2 hours ago, vlangel said:

That is certainly a unique choice for a container and it will be fun following along to see what you do with it.

I like unique!

 

I think once I get everything together, it will become less of a gimmick.

 

I expect this thing to be wet by Sunday!!

[schgr.cube]

Ugh, I am debating trying to make this work... I have a lot of people who are disappointed I didn't even give it a real try!!!

[Cannedfish]

20 minutes ago, schgr.cube said:

 I have a lot of people who are disappointed I didn't even give it a real try!!!

 

Don't beat yourself up; life is all about perspective, you can't let the pundits get to you. What this situation calls for is good ole fashion American political spin (the kind that doesn't involve a scandal with a congressional intern... or does, your choice). For example, don't say you didn't give it "real try;" rather, say you gave a "spirited 100% college try!" And where I from, anything that doesn't catch the house on fire is passing. Keep up the great work!!

[schgr.cube]

3 hours ago, Cannedfish said:

 

Don't beat yourself up; life is all about perspective, you can't let the pundits get to you. What this situation calls for is good ole fashion American political spin (the kind that doesn't involve a scandal with a congressional intern... or does, your choice). For example, don't say you didn't give it "real try;" rather, say you gave a "spirited 100% college try!" And where I from, anything that doesn't catch the house on fire is passing. Keep up the great work!!

Hahah you have been a true inspiration! I think you have kept me going on my journey.

[schgr.cube]

Alright, I am going to give this another try. I will have to officially choose a container before the 31st, so I am going to put a little more effort into the lid situation. If I can figure out the lid, I will deal with the clarity so some extent.

 

Just a teaser of what I am thinking here:

 

And some inspiration:

 

[Cannedfish]

19 minutes ago, schgr.cube said:

Hahah you have been a true inspiration! I think you have kept me going on my journey.

No, you have had the strength deep within you this whole time.

 

Furthermore, as a slightly stale fortune cookie once told me, "rules are meant to be broken... your lucky number is 42,7,85,6,&11." I might have (probably) made that up, but either way, I say "screw it;" cut a hole in the top of that dead-behind-the-eyes-glass-manikin-head-container-thingy, and live your dream! Don't let the man (or rules committee) keep you down. Worst case scenario, revert to the tried and true "it came like that."

[Pjanssen]

^THIS!

[schgr.cube]

45 minutes ago, Cannedfish said:

No, you have had the strength deep within you this whole time.

 

Furthermore, as a slightly stale fortune cookie once told me, "rules are meant to be broken... your lucky number is 42,7,85,6,&11." I might have (probably) made that up, but either way, I say "screw it;" cut a hole in the top of that dead-behind-the-eyes-glass-manikin-head-container-thingy, and live your dream! Don't let the man (or rules committee) keep you down. Worst case scenario, revert to the tried and true "it came like that."

I should have just done that from the get go. No one would have been the wiser!

 

Clarity is still an issue at that point, i think all you would see is blurry colors.

[schgr.cube]

Brainstorming here.

 

I tried a few lid options tonight, and couldn't find anything I liked and / or was comfortable with. I haven't found a cork big enough in person, but I found one online for about $8 shipped. My idea is as follows: Cork the bottom of the head, with a cutout on one edge of the cork just big enough for cables and a drain / fill tube to fit. In order to avoid the hole leaking when filled, I would want to angle the bottom of the jar slightly higher than the top of it.

 

 

The head is going to be resting in the tray I pictured earlier, which will then be filled with sand, as if it had washed up on the beach like this. I will likely angle the actual face up for the light to shine through, because the side of the face is the most clear.

 

Thoughts?