The Cult of the Cool Mac: Made with 100% USDA real meat!

I wanted to do an imacquarium for so long! I am so inspired now! Hello fishyfishy!

Good pics. I din't go thru the whole site, but I like the way you seprate the different parts. Did you keep the gutswhat did you do with the insides?

IKeep them Bondis running or The GrandMaster will be angry!

There's a Lime iMac cowering in the corner in fear of what I'm about to do to him!

Thank you! I wanted to make an iMacquarium ever since I saw them at Macworld many years ago. Your site has so much information! I can see that some parts of the iMacquarium will be very tough for me, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

Terrific Guide!
BUt.... is there anyone that could build one for me. Anyone selling these Monster iMacquariums????

--
James
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So far as I can tell, nobody is selling iMacquariums.

There's no way to get a steady supply of cases and it's too expensive and time-consuming to build kits or to build them on-demand.

That's one of the things that makes it such a great mod project. Each one is unique.

Thanks for having these instructions up. We have an original Bondi Blue that is dead. Now I can put it to good use!

Hi way cool! I should have know I didn't have an original idea. I scored a MAC Plus today and now I am made I gave my old IMac to my kids school.

It's not clear to me why there are gaps.

> It's not clear to me why there are gaps.

If you're talking about the gaps in the back of the tank when you're assembling it, they are there because the back is slightly smaller than the front and the plastic is cut at 90-degree angles. The pieces can't sit flush against one another.

I had the same problem when I made my own aquarium.

Wow... nice!

but... if you guys don't know about what to do with the iMacs... plz, send 1 to me!! I always wanted to have one!

Hi, I'd like to ask how much would an iMacquarium sell for. As an example, how much would you sell the Monster iMacquarium? How much would a simple (without the radio and clock) iMacquarium sell for? Any estimates?

I have an idea, I need your help: I'd like to use the speakers, mic and the power button. I will connect the air pump, the speakers, the mic and the energy saving light to the power cord of the original iMac 350. The mic and speaker will also have wolume control. So when all of that's connected, I just turn the power button and the mic, speakers, light turn on. You could also turn each on individually or not if say you want to turn on the light and/or mic/speaker but leave the air pump on. Any ideas which capacitor, transistor, etc. any layout or diagram ideas?

God bless,
Alvin

> how much would you sell the Monster iMacquarium?

It would take a pretty large sum. It's my own unique creation and I'm very attached to it. My betta seems to like it a lot, too. :-)

> How much would a simple (without the radio and clock) iMacquarium sell for?

About 5 years ago, there were a few companies that manufactured iMacquaria for sale.

As I recall, prices started around $250 dollars. Part of that was the prohibitive cost of an iMac case. The only reliable source for cases was through Apple resellers who could purchase empty shells for display purposes. Now complete original iMacs are selling for around $35 dollars on eBay, so if you could mass-manufacture the tanks, the price could be much lower. If you had to build each tank by hand, the price might be the same or even higher.

I have also seen conversion-kits consisting of a prefab tank, gravel and an air pump selling on eBay starting at $35 dollars, but often selling for more.

> I have an idea, I need your help: I'd like
> to use the speakers, mic and the power
> button. I will connect the air pump, the
> speakers, the mic and the energy saving
> light to the power cord of the original
> iMac 350.

If you're saying that you want to have a PSU inside the case that connects to the standard iMac power cord, you're talking about having open power connections that would have to go inside the case behind the tank. The iMac power plug connects at a very low point in the case where a water spill is likely to hit. In an aquarium, there is a LOT of potential for spillage, which invites short-circuits, fire, electrical shock, etc.

My decision to power each device OUTSIDE the case was deliberate.

I took great care to minimize risk of electrical problems by elevating and shielding components as well as adding drip-loops and making strategic use of vents as drains.

With every device inside powered from a house-current junction inside the case, I think that there's there's too much potential for electrical mayhem. I would not risk it.

On the other hand, if you are talking about simply using the front power switch to control one or more internal components, that shouldn't be a big problem. It seems to me that the front power switch and the recessed port-panel on the side both are inviting places for power switches and controls.

> Any ideas which capacitor, transistor, etc. any layout or diagram ideas?

I cannibalized a radio for my project for good reason: It's easy. And running speaker wire isn't exactly rocket science, nor is connecting a Radio Shack switch to the back of the power button. If you're doing something complicated enough that you need a circuit diagram and you can't come up with one, yourself, then you're going to need more help than I can provide.

My old Bondi Blue just died today--it was a long time coming. I'm very interested in making a Macquarium! But here's a few questions: The CRT had been screwy for ages (it has a burned-out spot in the middle), so I just want to get rid of it. What did you do with yours? I assume there's some place I could take it to be disposed of, but is there a safe way to de-pressurize it first?

> is there a safe way to de-pressurize it first?

You don't "depressurize" a CRT.

Leave the iMac unplugged for a few days to let the tube's capacitors discharge. It's still advisable to handle it with care just in case there's a residual charge and of course because it is made out of glass.

If you can't leave it for curbside pickup, most municipalities will let you drop off CRT's at the local landfill.

Hi. I am in the process of putting up iMacQuariums for sell on eBay. I am starting with an Indigo, and will go from there depending on how well it sells. Anyone interested should take a look when I get it up, probably within a week. I will most likely offer more, so if someone is, they should check back to see when I offer more. My eBay name is "movimaker5000" if anyone needs it, and my email is " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " if you would like to contact me. Thank You!!! -J.

PS- this site is WONDERFUL if you are looking to build one of your own. THANK YOU to the creator. I started looking for info even before you made the site. How luck I was to find it!

Hey
We are representing a group of Mac users in Israel.
In order to bring the professional among us all the news and knowledge they seek for
We are about to establish a new magazine for our community.

We were impressed by the iMacquarium and wanted to ask you some questions on your point of view on the Mac world

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Thanks

I have an indigo imac i'm v loathed to dispose of, and would love an imacquarium. way beyond my capabilities though... is there no one out there that offers this service ???

After somes problems with size of tank... i finish my Imacquarium!

I love the site and I am currently in process of building an iMacquarium with my 7 year old.

I got an old iMac for $10 and disemboweled it. I have also purchased the acrylic.

The only problem I am having is in printing out the cutting guide. I can only get my printer to print out an 8.5x11 section of the guide. I have played around with Acrobat and my printer's advanced options (poster printing, changing the paper size etc.) and have had no luck.

Any Tips?

We love the iMacquarium and really appreciate what you posting such great instructions.

Thanks!

Thanks for the input! That was an issue that I overlooked.

A multi-page version of the cutting guide will be posted sometime in the next few days.

I WANT TO SELL MY IMAC - TAKERS??
-NYC

Hey Man,

You inspired me so much... i just bought some iMacs at ebay and now take some time to get that done...
But now i need your help: What kind of lamp can I use? I may have a problem, because every kind of lamp is getting too hot!? And I don't want to buy special lamps that are designed for aquariums, because they'll burst my financial limit...
Can you help me????

Thanks for creating this site. I used it as a starting point in my quest to make an iMacquarium out of a slot loading iMac. I am now building several iMacquariums because people keep buying them from me! I have pics and info on my site at

www.jakeharms.com

Let me know what you think.

I have two iMac cases for sale. Anyone interested.

Heads-up for people wanting to use the old faceplate for the USB, Ethernet, and modem ports: You will have to cut off about 1.5" from the left side to keep it from interfering with the level of your tank. It will have a sharp edge so BE CAREFUL!

I could have left mine off and used a blank to fill the space, but I'm planning on modding my filter and accessories to rocker switches in the USB and Ethernet holes.

In the works is also a nice MP3 player hookup in the CD bay, linking back to the speakers. Yeah, they aren't the best speakers around, but my kids will love the stereo fish tank. :)