• Guess Where This Crab Lives! (Hint: Inside An Xbox 360)

    Jordan Crook

    Jordan Crook studied English Literature at New York University before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch, Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps as well as doing device reviews for MobileMarketer and MobileBurn. Crook is fascinated with alternative energy production and greentech. She is now a writer for CrunchGear. Hello → Learn More

    Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
    Screen shot 2011-12-14 at 3.47.14 PM

    We’ve all been there.

    After years of faithful service and happy memories, the trusty old (insert gadget here) is tuckered out and needs replacing.

    Some of us recycle our old gadgetry (and bravo/a to you), while others might try to sell it on the cheap, eBay-style.

    But here‘s something I bet you never considered doing with your old… say, Xbox 360:

    That’s right. What you’re looking at is a fully functional salt-water aquarium housed inside an old Xbox 360 console. Of course, the console no longer operates (just in case anyone is that hopeful), but the existing power cable and connection are still in use, as well as the external supply box. On the inside, however, you’ll find live corals, fish, crabs, shrimp, and snails.

    Spencer Shepard of Blue World Aquariums first removed all the innards of the Xbox, cut a viewing window, and then had the tank custom built to fit the console. He then hooked up the wiring for the lighting using the existing power cable and connection, with the low-voltage power supply and controller hidden inside the external power supply box. The tank is lit with the help of a color-changing LED strip, which is controlled by a wireless remote.

    Clearly not all of us have the time or the skills necessary to complete such a task, but if you happen to have an old Xbox around and had been contemplating a fish tank, take this as a sign.


    Product: Xbox 360
    Company Microsoft

    The Xbox 360 is Microsoft’s 2nd generation game console.

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