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A well-designed and maintained aquarium is a treat for the eye, a conversation piece, and a satisfying hobby. Some are much more than that.
Pieter van Suijlekom’s Reef Aquarium is a fantastic saltwater tank system with a total volume of 2074 gallons. Read about the process of building this tank, the equipment used to maintain it, and the fish and other creatures that live in it.
The Fish Highway is a water-filled overhead tunnel connecting two (or more) aquariums. As long as no air gets in, fish can travel from one tank to another! For a simpler version, you might try the Fish Condo, which is three connected fishbowls.
More great fishtanks, after the jump.
Aquadom, the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium holds 900,000 gallons of seawater. It sits in the lobby of the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin. Around 2,600 fish call it home!
This antique Birdcage Fishbowl is an odd pairing, with a birdcage on the bottom and a fishbowl on top. There is a bubble inside the fishbowl, which the bird can rise up into. This achieved the illusion that the bird is in the bowl with the fish!
The coolness of a normal tank can be enhanced by a clever casemod. Michael Khor recycled an old TV by modifying it to accomodate a fishtank.
Macintosh computers reused as aquariums are called Macquariums. Here are five different styles.
This tiki-themed tank full of piranhas is homemade. The building process, documented with photographs, takes several pages in this forum. You can also buy one ready-made.
There’s already water in the bathroom, so what better place for a fishtank? Oliver Beckhert designed the Aquariass toilet tank aquarium, with a fishtank in the tank. The aquarium is separate from the flushing tank, so the fish are safe. The
Fish ‘n Flush is another version of the idea. To complete your bathroom theme, you might check out the Moody Aquarium Sink.
The aquarium can be work of art, or it can be the medium for art. Takashi Amano introduced Japanese gardening techniques into aquascaping, turning them into displays of natural art.
I honestly tried to find a Klein bottle fishbowl, but I don’t really think that’s possible.
Comments (29)
Comment
Wow, these are really unique looking aquariums! They look more like decoration pieces!!
posted by Sara on 8-16-2007 at 6:56 am
These are amazing aquariums…that last one, by Takashi Amano, is hauntingly beautiful.
I owned a fish’n'flush for a while, and I’d recommend against them. It’s a really small aquarium (10 liters), so it’s hard to keep the fish alive without daily water changes. And, it costs about $300, but isn’t constructed to particular high standards.
If you’re interested in a Klein bottle fishbowl, you might want to talk to this guy: www(dot)kleinbottle(dot)com/meter_tall_klein_bottle.html
posted by Tom on 8-16-2007 at 7:11 am
Incredible. It’s good to see someone putting old Macs and TVS to good use. The Japanese gardening is also interesting.
One Man. One Year. $100,000 Online. How’s he doing it?
http://www.oneyeargoal.com
posted by OneYearGoal.com - $100,000 In One Year on 8-16-2007 at 7:35 am
Thanks for that link, Tom! After pondering this, I think that a fish in a Klein bottle would be possible, only for a short time with hardy fish and maybe one floating (rootless) plant. Good for display at a geek party maybe, but afterward the fish should go back home to gravel and filter.
posted by Miss Cellania on 8-16-2007 at 7:42 am
Fish in a vintage tv set – seen that in a hundred variations.
posted by Live TV on 8-16-2007 at 8:56 am
Wow! Thanks for all those links! I think I’d totally get a fish condo! There was something that looked like a lamp… ah! Aqua beta! I think… yay for more hobbies!
posted by Jennifer Lee on 8-16-2007 at 9:06 am
Wow, they are really cool. I want TV one in my room.
posted by Michi on 8-16-2007 at 9:55 am
After that I seed this pictures I’m thinking in buy my own Really Cool Aquarium. When I finish my own one I will send u the picture, thanks for the ideas.
posted by Luiso on 8-16-2007 at 10:08 am
About the Klein fishbowl…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Acme_klein_bottle.jpg
;)
posted by Tadao on 8-16-2007 at 11:46 am
Tikiquarium is awesome!
posted by Save on 8-16-2007 at 2:19 pm
Aquariums are said to make you feel peaceful. I have had a few of these fish torture devices throughout my life and find them far from peaceful. As I look at an aquarium I see things that cause me worry.
The expense
A fish with ick or some other disease,
a fish with a fin being nibbled by another fish
a dying fish,
a missing fish
baby fish…which means I must now separate the babies from the big fish,,
water needing changed, or added, or tank cleaned
filter not working
power goes out and the heater and pumps are now quiet…in a few hours fish start to gasp for air
snails all over the place which means I must boil everything in the tank…no, not the fish too.
None of the above happenings create a peaceful feeling in me. As long as the aquarium and fish are cared for by someone else in another place I feel at peace.
posted by dramaqueen on 8-17-2007 at 7:09 am
I love aquariums, when I joined the Marines in Raleigh, NC., they had a real nice one. I used to go there and watch it all the time. I also believe it lowers you blood pressure!
posted by John Brown on 8-17-2007 at 9:54 am
If you want a fish for a small (less than ten gallon) tank, get a Betta. Their natural habitat is a stagnant swamp, so they are perfectly happy in a small space, with varying pH. I went to a scientific surplus and bought several large flasks that I keep Bettas in. (one per tank, they’re also known as Japanese Fighting Fish) As long as they get enough air, and are fed every few days, they’ll live for a couple of years. Just make sure that air can circulate across the top of the water, or the fish will suffocate!
posted by Maggie on 8-17-2007 at 6:42 pm
I’ve been INSIDE that giant cylindrical tank in Berlin. It has an elevator which goes all the way up from the inside. Truly an amazing piece of engineering and definitely worth seeing if you’re aywhere near Germany. I actually made a special trip to simply see this aquarium… very “Matrix” looking. Awesome.
posted by Dax on 8-19-2007 at 10:58 pm
Reef Aquarium looks excellent!
posted by Alicia on 8-22-2007 at 9:59 am
Thats awesome. I’v been wanting to put an aquarium inside my computere for a long time. Although I haven’t could figured out how to keep things in there dry…
posted by Christian on 8-23-2007 at 12:50 am
Click my name to see my Old School MacQuarium.
posted by Aleks Oniszczak on 8-27-2007 at 9:58 am
I’ve been to the aquarium in Berlin too. It is actually pretty neat. The elevator goes up inside it, and there’s a tour guide who tells you all about the fish (but only in German… I tuned out pretty quickly.) There is also a rather nice aquarium right next to the hotel where the aquarium elevator is. The aquarium is a pretty good one for kids, and all the stuff inside is in English and German (useful for those of us who don’t speak German). I was there this summer, and I have to say it a nice little afternoon trip- Berlin was a really cool city to visit in general in case anyone was wondering. :)
posted by greenstrawberries on 9-13-2007 at 7:51 am
that is stupendous! almost like hokusai kagasaki’s work with the tsunami! I wish I could buy such a tank, but I’m getting a multistory tank so this wont be possible.
posted by alexis c on 1-30-2008 at 7:06 pm
the imac aquariums are also good finds, like the tanks within the mainframe of a computer or tv.
posted by tatiana mulgova on 2-3-2008 at 10:20 am
I wonder why the bettas are by themselves? I have two male bettas, one female betta, 3 gouramis and a loach who get along perfectly—no ripped fins!
posted by matt johnson on 2-10-2008 at 5:19 pm
The acuarium in Berlin looks huge. 900,000 gallons of sea water is a huge acquiarium.
posted by watch tv online on 4-23-2008 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for the comments guys. I’m the maker / owner of the TV Tank. It’s not a unique idea by any means, I was told about it by a friend and figured it wouldn’t be too hard to make. Most TV Tanks use the original cabinet, which for the TV i used would have been quite difficult, so decided to make a new one which allowed me to customise it a lot more.
posted by Michael Khor on 6-23-2008 at 8:16 am
Some those aquariums of great, but some are just not practicle at all
posted by aquarium fish on 10-19-2008 at 10:25 am
Wow, some really cool pictures there.
posted by mrgtb on 10-30-2008 at 11:23 am
Some sweet aquariums !
We have some showcased at our site as well :) Good job on the individual comments on the different cool aquariums. Really linking it ! :)
posted by New Aquarium Blog on 11-2-2008 at 8:44 pm
great compliation of very cool aquariums. like the last one esepcially … feel the zen !
posted by Beautiful and Frightening Deep Sea Creatures on 11-9-2008 at 2:43 pm
Someday I’ve got to get a nice reef tank like that first one going. I could spend my whole day in front of it.
posted by Fishy Review on 11-21-2008 at 9:42 am
It’s good to see that aquariums are branching away from the ‘box’ design!
posted by Lee on 5-5-2009 at 4:51 pm