The Macquarium

Completed in October, 1995

Historical note - I paid more than $2000.00 for this computer in 1986. Ouch!



Okay, most everyone knows that Andy Ihnatko built the first Macquarium and published a humorous set of plans for anyone who wanted to build their own tank. Look around on the Web - you can't miss it.

My acrylic tank departs considerably from Andy's glass tank design. It's a lot more work to build and costs more than a glass tank would. It's also a lot stronger though, and not that expensive if you already have the tools.

Fitted onto this "Mark II" tank is a sump to hold a small undergravel filter. It's a simple box that I glued to the bottom of the tank over a hole cut for that purpose. A pair of 4 watt flourescent lights on each side of the box provide illumination.

This tank, while sturdy enough, is still very hard to clean. The only way into the tank was through the handle hole in the back. Siphoning is tricky business and I had to build a special 'dog-leg' scrubber to clean the inside of the tank. The next version incorporated several improvements...

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