The Lisaquarium is my favorite design. It allows plenty of room for the light and pump and the tank is uncomplicated in design and straightforward to build. The case and inner frame of the Lisa are easy to dissassemble and convert into an aquarium enclosure.
In the picture above the original Lisaquarium undergoes final leak testing on my kitchen countertop. Fresh from my disastrous experience with the first Mac 512kE tank, I let this baby sit for several days, periodically checking for leaks. I've since learned that my tanks will either leak immediately upon filling or (apparently) hold water forever.
The tank is made from 3 pieces of 1/4" acrylic. The two end pieces are shaped to fit the contour of the case and the middle is one long piece bent 4 times to form the front, bottom and back. The bottom is 'split-level' with an undergravel filter in the lower (back) half. Lighting is provided by an 8 watt flourescent fixture mounted on the right side. I like this setup because it's completely self-contained. Lights, pump, valves, net, food, etc all fit inside the case. The front, top, and back panels lift off for easy access.
In the picture (above left) the space for the air pump, hoses, and light can be seen. I left room behind the tank for the original Lisa motherboard (above right) to slide in and form a backdrop for the aquarium. I occasionally remove this circuit board and replace it with a mirror to create a different look. Also in that picture is one of a pair of headlight and taillight tetras that were among my original batch of fish and (amazingly) survive to this day.
These are all pictures of the original Lisaquarium. Although I started with 3 Lisa cases, I only had one keyboard and no genuine Lisa mice. To complete the illusion, I really need a Lisa keyboard and mouse to sit with this tank. Anybody out there have an unwanted Lisa keyboard or mouse lying about? Write me.
Back to AquariaMain.