Recreating the Ocean

Some aquarium hobbyists do the darnedest things, from installing fish'n flush toilet tanks (which makes it look as though they may flush the fish out to sea) to turning those wooden-framed TV stands from the '70s into fish tanks. More serious hobbyists may opt for a 90-gallon saltwater tank complete with reefs, live corals and invertebrates. Many, as described here, do it themselves. According to the American Pet Products Association, some 700,000 U.S. households have saltwater aquariums. While the tank can become a place where bullies torment the gentle and some fish view others as, well, fish food, for the owner an aquarium can be a mesmerizing oasis.

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