The periquarium is an upside-down periscope for houseboats. Outfitted with a simulation “filter” and “box of fish food”, it looks just like a regular aquarium, but it’s not. Instead, it’s a clever arrangement of mirrors that allows you too look at the marine life swimming beneath your home.

You will enjoy the antics of fish and other aquatic beasts, but without the hassle of feeding and cleaning. It looks so real, your visitors will never know it’s fake.
-- AO, Mar 31 2003

Neat idea but would it be very interesting to watch? I think one of the things that make aquariums interesting is the constraints that the glass walls impose upon the fish. Wouldn't this setup yield just a poorly lit fish or two streaming by every once in a while?

Maybe if there were a light source and some sort of attractant?
-- bristolz, Mar 31 2003


[bristolz] Those are good ideas. The light source would be easy. The attractant part would be harder. Maybe you could put fish food in the top, and it would get channeled down and deposited in the water. Or you could just watch squids and other light-attracted animals.
-- AO, Mar 31 2003


This would be fantastic if porpoises were keeping pace with your boat.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 31 2003


squids...heh. i like calamari.
-- igirl, Mar 31 2003


Maybe you could modify a Solatube like thing for the light.
-- bristolz, Mar 31 2003


You could lower your pet fish in a cage over the side, and then watch this aquarium in water.
-- FarmerJohn, Apr 01 2003


[2 fries]: This idea has no porpoise. It does, however, have fishies. (+)

You could put a glass bottom on a houseboat, and giant, overhead flourescent light, some plastic plants here and there and make your guests think _they_ were the ones in the fishbowl...
-- Cedar Park, Apr 01 2003


Who gets porpoises and squid under their houseboats? I imagine they're not moored in the River Thames.
-- pottedstu, Apr 01 2003


AO, you've just invented the turd-cam
-- FloridaManatee, Apr 01 2003


//Who gets porpoises and squid under their houseboats? I imagine they're not moored in the River Thames.//

Well funny you should say that!! My dad lives on a houseboat on the Thames and found a dead porpoise on their doorstep just a couple of days ago! Very chuffed he was with it n all! But, apart from that little rarity, I'm sure there wouldn't be much else you could make out through the murk.

Well, apart from that whale...
-- daaisy, Apr 02 2006


Baked... Well, movie baked anyway. Check out Water World. the Mariner's got one on his boat.

Of course, his is a more business like version, which does not simulate an aquarium, an which turns much like a submarine periscope would.
-- ye_river_xiv, Jun 15 2006



random, halfbakery