thumb|An iMacquarium

thumb|upright=0.68|right|A Macquarium made from a [[Macintosh Classic II]]

A Macquarium is an aquarium made from, or made to sit within, the shell of an Apple Macintosh computer. The term was coined by computer writer Andy Ihnatko as a joke at the outdated Macintosh 512K; Macquariums have since been built both by Ihnatko himself and by others.

History

In the early 1990s, a user wrote into MacUser's help column asking how best to upgrade a Macintosh 512K. Columnist Andy Ihnatko jokingly responded that it should be turned into a fishtank. This resulted in eleven reader letters inquiring how to actually do it, leading Ihnatko to test it for himself.

Ihnatko originally designed his Macquarium to use the Compact Macintosh-style shell. In the early 1990s, several Mac models in this form factor (such as 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 color Compact Mac. Ihnatko has mentioned in interviews In 2001, Ihnatko released an updated version of his guide for the iMac. It was later reported that both Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and talk show host Jay Leno had iMacquariums.

Construction

Macquariums are often stocked with 2–3 goldfish, which do not require tank heaters and are cheap. However, because goldfish grow large, have high oxygen requirements, and are messy eaters, they require much larger tanks for long-term survival. As such, Siamese fighting fish and small shrimp are better options for Macquariums.

Other Mac models have similarly been turned into aquariums, such as the Macintosh TV, the Apple Lisa, and the Power Mac G4 Cube. Various iMac models, such as the iMac G3, have been used to make "iMacquariums". By 1995, a Macquarium based on a Macintosh LC 575 appeared in a Macintosh magazine titled "Macquarium '95".

Footnotes

  • iMacquariums built out of G3 iMacs
  • Guide to MacQuarium construction, setup, and upkeep
  • The Original Macquarium, Andy Ihnatko's original guide to converting a Classic form Mac
  • Macquarium construction diary with photos and tips