Building A Goldfish Arcade

[UnoWho]

Hi,

I do not know where to start.  I have an idea to make an arcade out of an aquarium but using a cocktail cabinet as the container.  It is a strange concept but I have the wood, plans and the aquarium to make this all happen.

The question is heat.  What monitors are low heat emitting?  I think I will go for a floor plexi case filled with baby oil, and a future proof PC.  It is not going anywhere so the tank should be fine even for heavy use gaming.

Any ideas for the monitor?

I don't want to cook my fishies. 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Did you mean non-conductive mineral oil for the PC?  Is that going to be in a separate enclosure next to the cocktail machine?

I'm not quite understanding the concept.  Drawings would help.

DeL

[yotsuya]

[yotsuya]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

[harveybirdman]

Draw me a picture...


I gotta see what's going on in your head... do I have to look through the fish to see the screen... or are the fish the bezel?

[thomas_surles]

So something like this?

[PL1]

Sounds like taking a tabletop cocktail build like Griffindodd/Maximus' Little Miss Pac-Man or mgb's Verti-GO and putting it on top of an aquarium.   

! No longer available




I doubt the fishies will like the game sounds and button-mashing. 


Scott

[rackoon]

Dude, why would you build you fish an arcade, they don't even have fingers

[PL1]

Dude, why would you build you fish an arcade, they don't even have fingers

So you're suggesting a pincab, because . . . flippers? 


Scott

[UnoWho]

I am grateful for the enthusiasm and the comedy but I am adding an aquarium into the centre of a cocktail cabinet.  I just need to know what my display options are?  I will be adding concrete blocks to help in the stability of the cabinet.  I know you think it is a ludicrous idea but now I am unsure about the wood strength.

Should I reinforce it with steel braces?  I'll get my sketches scanned and upload them if I am allowed.

Thanks for the help.

[thomas_surles]

You should call the dudes on that tanked show. Might make for a good episode

[Mike A]

Are you building a house or an aquarium stand? My 150 gallon tank sits on a wooden stand. This idea sounded bad to start with. Now it sounds comically bad.

[aldub516]

Concrete blocks? Steel bracings?  JET FUEL CANNOT MELT YOUR GAME

[yotsuya]

Build what your fishies dig, bro. Build what your fishies dig.

[UnoWho]

So something like this?

I do apologise, I missed this example in my previous posts.  This is exactly what I have in mind.  My biggest problem is the monitor.  All the 24 inch monitors I have heat up quite a bit.  Does anyone know which monitor runs the coolest?

I'm sorry for sounding like a broken record but I am stuck.  Below the aquarium will be a sealed pc in baby oil.  I don't know if I post my images as there are security measures on this site stopping me.

[thomas_surles]

You could post pictures elswhere and copy the url and tap the little mona lisa icon and paste between the image words in the brackeys. Have you considered reptiles instead since it will be hot? Like little turtles?

[nitrogen_widget]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

[yotsuya]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

[Mike A]

Don't do this. Every part of this is bad. There are many issues involved just with the oil immersed PC. This will be a bad aquarium, paired with a bad arcade cab, powered by a problematic PC setup.

[PL1]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

No pics, but here's the last archive.org capture of the thread before LT wiped his posts.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141018203422/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com:80/index.php/topic,138220.0.html

I love your creativity in general, Louis, but I don't think anyone could make this work and not look like an afterthought bolted onto a file cabinet. Sorry. 

The rest of the story is that the thread eventually morphed into his outstanding Mario pedestal build.


Scott

[yotsuya]

The sad thing is I think that pedestal build is ultimately what broke him.

[nitrogen_widget]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

didn't see that.

Worst goldfish idea i ever saw:

[yotsuya]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

didn't see that.

Worst goldfish idea i ever saw:

I was thinking the same exact thing!

[Mike A]

One of the problems is that people stick goldfish in a tiny aquarium and then wonder why they die so quickly. I have 4 koi in a 150 gallon aquarium. My homemade filter is a 100 gallon plastic tank. I wouldn't want to put any more fish in that setup. They are 7 years old now. Koi and goldfish produce a lot more waste than most other fish.

[leapinlew]

Don't let the haters get you down!

My suggestion is that you don't worry about the heat. Make the top of the arcade self contained, but also acts as the lid, like this:



or this:



And mount the whole self contained top onto your cabinet which contains your aquarium. You'll need access for cleanings, feedings, etc anyhow, so you'll want a quick and easy way to perform that on the fish tank and you'll want a way to remove the top so you can work on the cabinet when components fail.


Do I think this is a good concept? Who cares, it's yours. Have fun.

[yotsuya]

I think Lew secretly hates us all.

[nitrogen_widget]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

didn't see that.

Worst goldfish idea i ever saw:

I was thinking the same exact thing!

 

[leapinlew]

I think Lew secretly hates us all.

No way mang! It's no secret.

[yotsuya]

I think Lew secretly hates us all.

No way mang! It's no secret.

True.

[UnoWho]

I figured out the monitor problem and decided to mount the monitor underneath and use a mirror to display the game.  I also got inspiration from another person who converted an Atari Asteroids into a aquarium.  The problem will be the fish but I can buy one sided glass or use a bubbler to keep the tank busy.  My design will be similar as I can get an old asteroids cab off a friend and throw away the monitor and use the space for the monitor like in space invaders.  Then there will be no heat issues.  I hope you can view the images.  Please don't laugh as I think this will be really cool.

[yotsuya]

Don’t ever throw away a vector monitor. At least sell the damn thing.

[Mike A]

I can think of several things I would rather do than laugh. Throwing away a vector monitor? You have got to be a troll.

[thomas_surles]

Mail it to me

[Haze]

doing anything with an original Asteroids and Vector Monitor other than restoring it to full working condition should be illegal.

Those things need protecting, not converting into novelty hipster garbage.

[leapinlew]

This is getting better and better!

[UnoWho]

To be absolutely clear, I appreciate arcade games like you and would not bastardise a classic arcade machine.  I thought that the asteroids machine aquarium was a good idea and I will be able to add plenty of controls on the control panel.

I will change the artwork to shark attack or big bass to keep the theme going.  It is a heavy cabinet but adding weights and a shelf system for my consoles.  The fish will add to the game play by creating a custom tank.  It will go into projects so please move it into the correct forum.

A word on etiquette.  People on this board was rude to me and threatened me.  I think this is not warranted and I would ask for those viewing my project to show the proper respect.  If you cannot be positive please delete my account and I will go elsewhere.  You have helped others and I understand this is unusual to create.

Thank you.

[Mike A]

This is definitely a troll.

[markc74]

This is definitely a troll.

I assumed that from the username. Shame tho...

[Ian]

I gotta be honest with you. In 7 years, this has to be the second stupidest idea I have ever heard. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it’s the truth.

what was the first?

Louis Tully’s File Cabinetcade, which he had the good sense to abandon when he saw it was the bad idea everyone else thought it was.

Go ahead, Scott, post the picture.

Im sorry but the dumbest cab I ever saw was the Ikeacade. Good grief.

[UnoWho]

I decided on a slimmer variation of this style of aquarium for each side and a mirror for the back.  I can mask the sides to minimally the action on the mirror and not freak out the fish.



I'm not sure about weight of the two tanks but I need a water barrier between the monitor shelf and the monitor below.  I'm reading up on how to orient the monitor but I am sure there is an option in mame.

I'm getting the cab and the parts next.