I thought this would be my final design for the 'classic' Mac case but it wasn't. It does sucessfully addresses the major problems of limited access to the tank, complicated filter sump design, and inadequate lighting.
The problem of access to the tank was solved by cutting the entire top off the computer case (why didn't I think of that before?). It (the lid) now sits directly on the top of the tank and lifts off to give complete access. The complicated undergravel filter box was replaced with a "deep end" design like the Lisaquarium. This left room for a single 4 watt fixture to run across the front of the tank under the lip of the bezel. Because of its superior angle, this single light outprerforms the twin lights of the previous design.
Capacity is increased to about 3 gallons, still small but a significant improvement. The UGF does a very good job on this little tank but (as with all my tanks) having the light below the waterline means faster algae growth on the acrylic closest to the light. I cut a diskette in half and stuck it into the drive slot and set a keyboard (and later a mouse) in front of the tank to complete the illusion. It is my opinion that this may be the ultimate desktop betta or neon tetra tank.
As I said earlier, there was still room for improvement. The Mk IV tank is the current model and even though I believe it's the final design, I've learned to never say never...
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