MacQuarium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Macquarium is an aquarium made to sit within the shell of an Apple Macintosh computer. The term was coined by computer writer Andy Ihnatko as a joke (a jibe at then outdated Macintosh 512K)[1] but Macquariums have since been built both by Ihnatko himself and by others.
Ihnatko originally designed his Macquarium around the Compact Macintosh-style shell. In the early 1990s several Mac models in this form factor (the Macintosh 128K, Macintosh 512K and Macintosh Plus) were becoming obsolete, and Ihnatko considered that turning one into an aquarium might be "the final upgrade" — as well as an affordable way to have a colour Compact Mac. He has mentioned in interviews [2] that he had seen previous, overly-complex attempts at Macintosh aquariums at trade shows that among other drawbacks suffered from noticeable water level lines across the "screen" that spoiled the illusion of a "really good screensaver", which drove him to design a version without a visible water line and which allowed the external case of the donor Mac to remain intact.
Ihnatko's slant-front tank design, made of glass, had a nominal capacity of approximately 10 litres (2.2 UK gallons or 2.5 US gallons). Some subsequent designs have utilised plexiglass or lexan. Because of its small capacity relative to most other aquariums, the Macquarium is considered a form of pico aquarium, which requires a higher level of diligence to maintain proper water chemistry and cleanliness.
Macquariums are often stocked with 2-3 goldfish which do not require tank heaters and are relatively robust as well as cheap. But because goldfish have high oxygen requirements, are messy eaters and do better in larger tanks [3], Siamese Fighting Fish and smaller varieties of tetra and danio are considered better options.
Other Mac models have similarly been made into aquariums such as the Macintosh TV, the Apple Lisa and the Power Mac G4 Cube.[4]. Various iMac models have been used to make "iMacquariums". By 1995, a Macquarium based on a Mac LC 575 appeared in a Macintosh magazine titled "Macquarium '95".
The term"Macquarium" as it refers to the Macintosh-based aquarium is unrelated to the Atlanta, Georgia, technology company Macquarium Intelligent Communications.[5]
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
- Guide to MacQuarium construction, setup, and upkeep
- Macquarium construction diary with photos and tips
- ColorClassic Forever Macquarium
- Andy Ihnatko's original instructions for a Classic form Mac:
- Fans' successful Macquaria as well as novel variations:
- Step by step Mac Classic and SE guide
- iMacquarium and Clock Radio iMacquarium construction tips
- MacQuarium fan site
 |
This fishkeeping-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
