How crazy is this?
 

I think I might've gone off my rocker, but I really want to give this a try. Do you think it'd be possible to have a watercooled rig inside of a plexi enclosure, and then have that plexi enclosure placed in, oh say, a fifty gallon fish tank complete with water and fishies? There's a large thread going over at the [H] concerning my idea, but I won't link to it 'cause I know how much some of you hate it over there. :p

Anyway, what do you think?

I'm sure you could, just like you can stick a V8 into a mini.

it all comes down to how practical it is. for one, there will be a lot of organic matter in the water. we know how bad this is.

If the main thing you're after is using a large body of water to passively cool a cpu, just use a 44 gallon drum

are u talking about using the fish tank water for wc or just having the case itself isnide the tank for show?

This would of course be for show only. I'm well aware that I couldn't use the fish water as coolant and I don't want to passively cool the system with the fish water either. The watercooling loop would be entirely separate from the fish tank itself. Think of it as a box inside of a box and you pretty much get where I'm coming from.

For some reason, I just think it'd be neat as hell to have live fish swimming around your system while the damn thing is running at a nice and low temp 'cause it's watercooled! :D

you'd need to run it for a while to see what the water temps are like, to choose your fish correctly. you might cook your fish :P

Sounds nice but please don't abuse them poor fishies.

I'm not sure that it is a good idea.
First, look what you got... 2 separate systems locked on themselves.
Your inner system ( computer ) has to be cooled down. Means the heat has to be taken away from it. And you still have a surrounding system( fish tank ) around inner system.
How did you want to take away heat from your inner system is the main question/problem.... and you did not introduce it properly ( to us ).

i guess a radiator outside the innercase that cools down the water form the inner case by the water from the aquarium should do

It'll really depend on size of the fish tank

I did read once about a company who had made a tank that was attached to the front of your monitor - you can still buy them.

This is simular idea - and rearly doesn't sound that crazy to me. If you have the tank going around the four sides, but keep the top dry, it will give you a place for cd rom access. The rad can be mounted underneith like a stand and also be used as a external heater for the fish.

Have I lost it..:shrug:

you could make a standard ATX case from plexy, then surround the edges with another layer of plexy, but dont extend it past the front or rear. Think of a picture frame arround the front of the tower and the back or the tower, now out of the two frames make a box by connecting them with more plexy. The problem with this, you cant open it to put in hardware from the side. Youwould have to install the mobo and eavrything from the front. This will be a huge pain in the ass since you will have verry verry little room to work with.

Well, I've got a fella who's gonna work up a 3D CAD model for me. He should have it done by Friday. Then maybe I can explain my idea to everyone a bit more clearly.

Just be crazy and put your components in a fish tank filled with mineral oil... I think that'd turn more heads.

WOW someone that knows what a Mini is :) haven't seen one of those in years... My cousin had a Cooper, And I with my little http://3rotor.dns2go.com/images/daih...d_0_02_sml.JPG Daihatsu-Sedan (utterly modified of coarce) just loved to kick the shit out of any VW Golf.... or whatever... that might want to show us the way...
ooops sorry way off topic.... :D


oh fish..... I went for one of those screen savers.... :)

do superart's idea of a picture frame, and just make the central computer able to slide out, have the tubing going to the fish tank at the read, make them quick disconnect fittings. just disconnect them and slide the case out

yea, thats a good idea, i didnt even think to make the central computer slide out. I was thinking making the fish tank actually part of the case, like epoxy or glue it on. But sliding out is better, since then you can access the side pannel and its easier to install things.