Gizmodo Australia » aquariums

Floating Garden Freshwater Aquarium Concept Uses 100% Vegetation Filtration To Keep Fish Happy

Adrian Covert — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

If this aquarium doesn’t qualify as green innovation, then I don’t know what does. Because using a small garden to filter out nitrates from your freshwater fish tank is pretty damn eco-conscious.

Designed by Benjamin Graindorge and Duende Studio, this tank not only looks nice, but uses some simple ingenuity to accomplish the task of water filtration.

Here’s how it works: nitrate-heavy water from your fish tank is pulled up into the garden, where it is passed over a layer of river sand, which uses bacteria to convert impurities into nitrates. The water is then passed over some plant life, which naturally absorbs the nitrates as nutrients. Then the purified water is thrown back down into the fish tank, where your gilled friends can swim at ease.

CoolHunting says there are plans for the Floating Garden to go into production in 2010, both in plastic and ceramic iterations. [Duende Studio via CoolHunting]

Hydroglass Allows You To Shower While Lying Down On a Fish Tank

Sean Fallon — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Showering standing up? That’s for savages. I want to lie down when I bathe—and I want it to be on a bed of colourful fish. I want a Hydroglass.

In addition to the fish tank base, Hydroco’s Hydroglass unit can feature a 7-head rainbar, heated aquabed, warm water mattress and other accessories when fully decked out. It’s going to start a revolution of laziness in the bathroom. That’s right—sooner or later we will be able to poop lying down. What a day that will be. [Hydroco via Born Rich via DVICE]

Aquawalls For Creating an Imaginary Undersea Abode

Brian Lam — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:30:41 +0000

I fantasise about replacing all my windows with flat aquariums, filling them with coral and reef life (rays, lobster, clownfish), lighting them with full-spectrum bulbs and calling myself Namor. [Aquawall via BornRich]

Fish Tank Bus Stop May Not Be Entirely Practical

Adam Frucci — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Wouldn’t it be nice, while waiting for the bus, to have an aquarium full of fish to look at? At least for those first few days, until they die, at which point it’d get depressing.

This bus stop is a real design coming out of Brazil, dubbed “AqurioMania.” Due to the ridiculous expenses involved with setting up a working aquarium outside at a bus stop and hiring people to keep the fish fed and the tank clean, I doubt it’ll ever actually be used. But you’ve got to wonder what kind of graffiti this would attract. [Cubeme via The Design Blog]

Phone Booths Learn to Adapt in the Mobile Phone Era

Mark Wilson — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:00:00 +0000

“If you think this is bad, you should see my cousin. He’s a porta-potty.” [Lyon Festival of Lights via DVICE]

Chumby Hack Brings Social Networking To Goldfish

Sean Fallon — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:42:00 +0000

Goldfish must get lonely in those little bowls. I’m sure that’s why designer Bruno Fosi used guts from a Chumby to create a device that allows you to automate an aquarium and bring it online.

The details on the “My Chumby’s Fish” design are pretty thin, but it appears that sensors monitor conditions inside the tank and report details back to you. Because it’s Chumby heart utilises a wireless connection, other fish lovers with this device can interact with your fish and feed it remotely via your own personal goldfish network. By “interact” I mean that the fish can see each other via webcam, you can talk to it via a microphone and use “shake and tap movements” to simulate vibration and air bubbles. Yeah, this is a bit over the top for something you will probably flush down in the toilet in a week—but then again, most design concepts are out there to begin with. [Yanko]

R2-D2 Aquarium With Radar Eye Periscope

Sean Fallon — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Now you can add “fish tank” along side “beverage cooler” and “projector” on the long list of job titles R2-D2 has had in his post-acting career. But rest assured that no matter what his occupation happens to be, R2 has a strong work ethic. In addition to housing your fish, he will rotate his head and utter his trademark bleeps with any voice command. He also features overhead LED tank lights that rotate colours and a periscope built-into his radar eye for spying on the fish floating in his robo-belly. On the downside, R2 never works cheap—this beauty will set you back $US130. [Hammacher Schlemmer via TFTS via Geekalerts]

Mineral Oil-Cooled Aquarium PC Kit Now Available For Purchase

Sean Fallon — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Custom PC maker Puget Systems has decided to capitalise on their wildly successful YouTube video demonstrating a mineral oil-cooled “Aquarium PC” by actually selling a DIY version. Puget claims that they have been running the system for over a year now with “no ill effect on the hardware,” which may or may not help ease the mind of anyone willing to void all of their warranties.

Each kit includes:

•Aquarium tank and cover
•Motherboard tray and IO panel
•Power/HDD LEDs
•Power switch (mounted to top panel)
•SSD hard drive mounting bracket, and all necessary screws
•Power cord and extension cord to bottom of the tank
•Kit does not include light kits, however, lights are available separately.

You could probably put this same setup together for less that the $US312 Puget Systems is charging for the kit—but it may be worth it if you want to save a little time. Also available in a $US375 version with an external radiator for high-powered rigs.

Puget Systems Brings Aquarium PC Kits to the Consumer Tech, Enthusiast PC Market; “As Seen on YouTube”

Puget Systems’ Do-It-Yourself’ Aquarium PC Kit Enables Users to Replicate Mineral Oil-Cooled PC as Seen on YouTube; Puget’s Online Video Captures Over 1 Million Views

SEATTLE, WA (October 28, 2008) – Puget Systems (www.pugetsystems.com), a boutique integrator of custom PC systems for enthusiasts, gamers, consumers and SMB markets, today announced the launch of the Puget Systems ‘Do it Yourself’ Aquarium PC kit, enabling personal computer enthusiasts to replicate their own version of an aquarium-style PC, a technique made widely visible by Puget Systems on YouTube. With over 1 million views online, the Puget Systems Aquarium PC YouTube video demonstrates, with some innovative thinking, how easy it is to create a unique and fun new look to a personal computer.

As part of the development, testing and quality assurance process for the new Aquarium PC kit, Puget Systems has been running their own Aquarium PC — a plexiglass enclosed, mineral-oil submerged PC — for well over a year and with no ill-effect on the hardware. Puget Systems’ team of engineers have devised a unique new way of combining the non-corrosive, cooling benefits of mineral-oil submersion with a fun new look of an aquarium on the desktop.

“The widespread notoriety of our aquarium PC video on YouTube confirmed one thing for us at Puget Systems; there are a lot of people out there very interested in this idea,” said Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems. “We saw this as an opportunity, for everyone from PC enthusiasts to interior designers looking to add a fun new twist to an office or home decor, to put together a powerful desktop system that will surely be a visually stunning and highly functional conversation piece.”

The Puget Systems Aquarium PC ‘Do It Yourself’ kit ships with all the components you need to build your very own mineral-oil submerged system. The kit includes:
Aquarium tank and cover;
Motherboard tray and IO panel;
Power/HDD LEDs;
Power switch (mounted to top panel);
SSD hard drive mounting bracket, and all necessary screws;
Power cord and extension cord to bottom of the tank;
Kit does not include light kits, however, lights are available separately.

Puget Systems also provides online tips and advice, as well as helpful suggestions of things you may need for easy, successful assembly of the Aquarium PC.

Important disclosure: Submerging your hardware in mineral oil will void your warranty. Do this project only at your own risk. Puget Systems is not liable for any hardware problems, or damage to your personal property. Mineral oil is very difficult, if not impossible to clean from your components once they are submerged.

Pricing and Availability
The Puget Systems Aquarium PC ‘Do It Yourself’ kit is available immediately and is priced at $315.

[Puget Systems]

LED Earth Globe Aquarium Addresses Poorly Represented Fish Bowl Rave Demographic

Jack Loftus — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000

As if fish had it bad enough. They’re trapped in a tiny bowl, dependent on you to toss them a handful of dried shrimp from time to time, and now with this glass LED-illuminated globe bowl they’re going to be forced into an underwater rave every time the lights go off. Still, this little US$50 half gallon bowl is pretty cool looking, even if it does tease the fish with a map of their native habitat (oceans and lakes) whenever you hit the switch. Any aquarium pros out there know if LED’s are the proper lighting for fish? [Wrapables via Nerd Approved]

Infinity Aquarium is a Goldfish Freedom Simulator

Sean Fallon — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Your goldfish may never truly be free, but if you had one of these infinity aquariums you can trick them into thinking they are thanks to a design that “loops the fish around in an infinite tunnel of water and glass.” It’s like a mini fortress of solitude for your little underwater friends—giving them a life precious semi-freedom before you unceremoniously flush them down the toilet. Not surprisingly, the “Swimming Around In Circles” aquarium is only a concept at this point.

[Yanko Design]