Turn Your Aquarium Up to 11 With the MetalFish PC Case

By Mark Tyson
published

A Micro-ATX case and fish tank combo for all aquarist PC enthusiasts.

MetalFish Y2 Fish Tank Chassis
(Image credit: MetalFish)

China’s MetalFish has added a new PC case to its stables, called the Y2 Fish Tank Chassis. The name is quite apt, as the product combines a Micro-ATX PC at the bottom with a fish tank above. If you are an aquarist and PC enthusiast looking for a new HTPC, this might be a match made in heaven. For others, MetalFish reckons its new product will help owners “feel relaxed and calm.”

Many PC makers describe the size of their PC cases in liters, but MetalFish has omitted this important spec for its Y2 Fish Tank Chassis. We have the dimensions of the complete tower, which are 370 x 250 x 290mm (about 27 liters), so if we say that about half of the case is the fish tank, that would give your fish about 13 liters to swim around in.

While on the topic of looking after your fish, MetalFish bundles a USB-powered pump/filter/oxygenator. The LED light strip above the 5mm glass panel constructed water tank is also claimed to be tuned for fish and plant health, so it probably doesn’t sync with your RGB gaming peripherals. The case has separate RGB lighting, which can be turned on and off and adjusted using a supplied remote.

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MetalFish Y2 Fish Tank Chassis
(Image credit: MetalFish)

No mention is made about the fish tank's impact on the PC  cooling, but having such a sizable thermal mass atop might help keep your PC a bit cooler. On the other hand, it is possible that pushing the PC’s performance for several hours may make your fish feel a bit hot.

As a PC case, the Y2 Fish Tank Chassis can fit your choice of Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX motherboard. Made from 1.5mm thick aluminum alloy, there are mounts for a single 2.5-inch drive, twin 90mm fans at the front (supplied), a 90mm tall CPU cooling solution, and a video card up to a maximum of 220mm in length. In addition, you have to install a small 1U or FlexATX power supply.

(Image credit: MetalFish)

Surprisingly (or not), the Y2 Fish Tank Chassis isn’t the firm’s first PC case and fish tank hybrid design, but it looks a lot more elegant and integrated the previous Fish Cube chassis, which was also a Mini-ITX only design.

The MetalFish Y2 Fish Tank Chassis sells for a reasonable sub-$75 in China.

Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
Freelance News Writer

Mark Tyson is a Freelance News Writer at Tom's Hardware US. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

44 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dehjomz
    What happens when this thing starts to leak as your 600W RTX 4090 is under extreme load (assuming the 4090 can even fit inside this thing)?
    Reply
  • gman68
    This is definitely in the running for stupidest ideas of all time.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    This looks incredibly fishy.

    Don't worry people, I'll be here all afternoon!

    Regards XD
    Reply
  • jefferzbooboo
    3.4 gallons isn't big enough for 99.9% of fish in the aquarium hobby.

    dehjomz said:
    What happens when this thing starts to leak as your 600W RTX 4090 is under extreme load (assuming the 4090 can even fit inside this thing)?
    Or you cook your fish. 80 degrees Fahrenheit, 26.6 Celsius, is usually the top end for tropical fish.
    Reply
  • Katana.lx
    13L that's for 2, max 3 fish and cold water fish... Maybe a Beta...
    Reply
  • ODuffer
    Missing a trick by not making the fish tank a reservoir :LOL:
    Reply
  • Bob O' Goobo
    Anyone that has ever owned and maintained an aquarium knows that this is a bad idea. What happens when you do a water change? No matter how careful you are, water still goes everywhere
    Reply
  • eichwana
    I’d have loved something like this for my tarantula
    Reply
  • sizzling
    dehjomz said:
    What happens when this thing starts to leak as your 600W RTX 4090 is under extreme load (assuming the 4090 can even fit inside this thing)?
    I was thinking what happens when your 600w 4090 is under extreme load? Boiled fish? Brings a new meaning to fish ‘n’ chips
    Reply
  • Bob O' Goobo
    eichwana said:
    I’d have loved something like this for my tarantula
    That could work. No water and heat from the system would be good for a tarantula
    Reply