# Glass Ornament DIY?



## IronGuppy (Sep 22, 2010)

I've been thinking of ways to make an empty wine bottle with a wide mouth an ornament in a fish tank. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it yet, but I was thinking of a few ways to do it:



Drill holes through it with a glass drill (which I'm not sure if it might cut the fish on the glass edges)


Just put it in and let them go in and out (which I was worried about not them getting in, but getting out)


Break just the bottom out somehow and sand down sharp edges (which I would be very worried about the glass cutting the fish)
Is this a legitimate idea or am I being too hopeful?


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## AaronCombs (Feb 26, 2010)

Can you do a sketch on paint for me to see kinda what you are talking about... I am picturing two different things.


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

All of these are viable ideas, you just need to be careful about the edges. best way to smooth out glass edges is with fine set n dry sandpaper. You will get slight frosting but after you wash it, the edges should be less rough and the frosting will be barely noticeable. For the drilling, it will take a lot more elbow grease to get the edges clean, will depend on the size of the hole. Make sure to use fine sandpaper, course sandpaper will make rough edges which will still not be safe for fish.

Another option is to buy silicon and just coat the edges and make it a soft gel cushion, but that looks much less attractive imo.

For your last idea if you break the bottom, you will have a LOT of jagged edges. If you are looking for a clean break, freeze the bottle and get metal wire. Heat up the wire and take the bottle out of the freezer, quickly wrap the hot wire around the area you want cut to get a clean break.

Lastly, the wine label and glue need to be cleaned off. The paper will rot over time and the glue and ink will probably leak unhealthy things into your tank.


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## Ryan1824 (Sep 23, 2010)

Years ago I had a glass cutting jig that was used to make drinking glasses out of soda bottles and jelly jars. I'm don't know if they sell these anymore but it was basically a couple of rollers with an adjustable glass cutter tool. You would adjust it to cut at the desired level and turn the jar/botlle against the glass cutter which would score the glass. Then a few light taps with a small hammer would give a clean break. After that you just sanded the rough/sharp edges off. You could probably rig something up with a glass cutter and a few pieces of wood to do the same thing.


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## IronGuppy (Sep 22, 2010)

Ah all awesome ideas. Again, not 100% sure that I'm doing this yet. Just had the idea. But the clean break bottom with the metal wire or the cutter sounds like the best solution for me. Thanks all!

If anyone else has any ideas on how I can incorporate a wine bottle into an aquarium ornament I would love to hear them


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## Tomsk (Mar 4, 2010)

just a thought (going off at a slight tangent) in the uk (especially at christmas time etc) you can get novelty presents that are in plastic beer/wine bottles,maybe these would be easier than glass to manipulate (if the plastic is safe (though as some contain chocolates some will be).

As for incorporating them into a tank,I guess lay on its side in a discarded fashion is the first thought that comes to mind,or maybe stood upright with various holes in the side and have Anubias growing out of the holes (as they dont need to have the roots in substrate and are easy to grow).You could always have the holes in a shallow spiral pattern going up the side of the bottle so it looks like Ivy growing up the side of the bottle?


Tomsk


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## IronGuppy (Sep 22, 2010)

That sounds awesome. How could I get one of the plastic bottles?


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## Tomsk (Mar 4, 2010)

I can't think of a certain shop or firm that sells them.I just see them around christmas time in shops that sell the novelty christmas gifts or in general mail order catalogues (do you know the bottles I mean,they usually contain "beer" shampoo or mini chocolate liquors etc).
My wife has just mentioned about the smaller size plastic wine bottles that are served on airplanes though I dont know if they would be usefull for your display?


Tomsk
(An idea just popped into my head of a elevated bottle (dont know how it would be elevated,on a shelf/platform or held up by fishing line) in the tank,which is "pouring" a trail of java fern into a wine glass below it..meh! Im just drifting off into wierd ideas now )


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## IronGuppy (Sep 22, 2010)

That actually sounds like an awesome idea! I might have to try that


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