Check this out…this moray seems to enjoy being pet like a dog, cuddled, and man-handled. Either that or he tolerates it just enough not to bite this guy in the face!

What is this and why would you build it?

This was a custom project that was just for fun.  It’s a fully functional saltwater aquarium, complete with live corals, fish, crabs, snails, and shrimp.  The tank is built into an Xbox 360 case.  The tank itself is made of glass, and is approximately 6″ long, 8″ tall, and 2.5″ wide.  Water volume inside the tank is 0.45 gallons.  The tank is lit with a color-changing (RGB) LED strip.  Lighting color and intensity is controlled with a wireless remote.

Design & Construction

I started by gutting an Xbox.  I purchased a broken console through local classifieds for this purpose (my Xbox is still safe and sound by my TV).   Once all of the internals were removed, the tank was built to fill as much of the console as possible while still allowing room for filtration components.  The viewing window in the console was cut perfectly by water jet.

I wanted to keep the design of the system simple and safe.  Lighting is low-voltage, with the power supply and controller located inside the Xbox’s external power supply box.  I utilized the existing power cable and connection and routed the wiring for the lighting through it.

Filtration is accomplished with an external canister filter adapted to 1/4″ hose.  The filter intake and output is located in the corners of the tank, against the front glass and just out of view.  The canister filter contains a sponge and live rock.

Aquascape

Considering the narrow width of this tank, it would have been nearly impossible to arrange rock and corals from inside the tank.  The background of this tank started as a piece of acrylic that slides into a slot at the rear of the aquarium.  Corals were then glued to the acrylic background with aquarium epoxy.  The faux coraline look is owed to a mixture of pink and grey epoxy.

Maintenance

The maintenance schedule for this tank will be a weekly water change, and daily feeding and top-up.  60% water changes are easily accomplished by disconnecting and refilling the canister filter with freshly mixed saltwater.  We’ve also made a tiny cleaning magnet for the the front glass.

Here’s What People Have To Say about The XBOX 360 Aquarium:

“The XBOX 360 aquarium by Blue World Aquariums is simply a stunning work of both video game console modding and ingenious pico reef aquarium design.” -ReefBuilders.com

“Blue World Aquariums has custom-built a doozy of an aquarium.” -Advanced Aquarist Online Magazine

“It looks like they knocked it out of the park…If this tank is any indication of Blue World Aquariums skill, they are going to be a company to watch!” -Marine-Engineers.org

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More pictures in the photo album.

This nano reef by Youtube user digitallyblue is a great example of clean and simple design.  The tank is a rimless ADA 8.5 gallon, with a 5 gallon sump and a 9 gallon refugium.  It’s lit by LED spotlights, and uses a Vortech MP10 for water movement.  Great job!

Gordon sees shark fin soup as the purpose for the incredibly wasteful and abhorrent practice of shark finning.  He takes a sneak peak into the industry behind the most expensive soup in the world, and hopes that the exposure will lower the demand.

Pacific Shores Resort & Spa in Parksville, BC features the largest privately owned aquarium in the province.  The connected twin cylindrical aquariums in the restaurant total more than 6,000 gallons!  The tanks are stocked with cold-water fish, anemones, urchins, starfish, and other species native to our Pacific Northwest. Two smaller aquariums are featured in the resort’s lobby and spa.

Equipment

An impressive array of equipment keeps the massive system running. All three aquariums within the resort are plumbed together into one system. The majority of the water movement is provided by pumps hidden in the equipment room, we also noticed a few Tunze Stream pumps in each tank.

In the equipment room, trays of poly pre-filters, a huge carbon canister, and a fluidized bed filter handle basic filtration.  UV sterilizers and ozone reactors help prevent parasites and disease.  An unknown controller system uses a touch screen for pump and solenoid control.  The protein skimmer is large, but we see more skimmate from our Vertex Alpha skimmers in our store.  I would love to see how a Bubble King skimmer could rip on this system! A water temperature of 54 degrees F is maintained by a two ton heat exchanger with an eight foot long titanium chiller barrel.  Lighting is minimal, with 2,400 watts of metal halide shining over the restaurant system.

Maintenance

Water changes are performed weekly by pumping water from the sea.  An open system with water continuously circulating from the ocean was purposefully avoided for control over water quality.  Glass is cleaned with a magnetic cleaner.  We didn’t get to see this device, but I imagine it’s a behemoth…the acrylic tanks are 1 3/8″ thick!  The tanks are fed daily, PE Mysis Shrimp, whole squid, anchovies, and shrimp.  Feedings are scheduled daily so guests can see the action…just stay clear of the splash zone!

This video by Underwater Studios captures a Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) in the wild.  If you’re not sure what cuttlefish are all about, this is a must-watch.

Fish Wiki is an information source for aquarium fish, corals, and invertebrates.  It’s a wiki with a twist.  What makes this unique is that we actually reward contributors for their efforts!  You can earn gift certificates to our store by submitting species profiles and photos!  You will notice a new link to the Fish Wiki in our main navigation bar.  Check it out here: Fish Wiki.