In July 2005, I needed a hobby to keep myself occupied during my first summer home from college. I put out an ad on CraigsList for a cheap iMac shell and decided to make an iMacQuarium, using the directions available from imacquarium.cool-mac.com. I even decided to update a blog (using Blogger) with the status of building my own aquarium. (Oddly enough, designing the blog was my first experience with the latest amazing web technology: CSS) After just three posts and about halfway done with the project, work stopped and the empty shell and assembled pieces of plastic were put into the closet.

Just two weeks ago, after moving the pieces around to three different homes, Christine casually mentioned that we should finish up the project and I wholeheartedly agreed. (I now live about 5 blocks from where I first bough the shell, which was 30 minutes away from where I lived at the time.) Fortunately, the tank was already waterproof and it was just the final touches that were needed to finish the product. I finished fitting together the tank and the iMac shell, added a small IKEA lamp and a Whisper brand air pump and filter, added some plants and gravel, and we were in business. The final piece of the puzzle was an aquarium stand, which I quickly threw together with a 2′ square piece of plywood and three IKEA desk legs.

There are now three lovely goldfish swimming around inside of a blueberry iMac in my living room. And it only took four and a half years to complete.