Brando's USB-powered aquarium: for the fish owner to-be

If you've been eying one of those snazzy USB-enabled fish tanks of late, but are still a bit gun shy when it comes to taking care of a live animal, Brando's got you covered. The USB Interactive Aquarium looks to be the perfect device for the wannabe fish owner, as this completely USB-powered tank includes a pair of thoroughly fake fish that swim around using mechanical tails. The included software allows owners to feed, care for, and play with their robotic pets, and you can even get an underwater rave going by flipping the built-in LEDs off and on in rapid succession. Not a bad way to see if you're up to the real challenge, and for just $23, it's an inexpensive way to snag an office pet that's not needy on the weekends.

[Danny @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:02PM]

Same group of characters from Finding Nemo?

[Mark @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:29PM]

by "characters", do you mean "fish" ??

[Aaron @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:36PM]

Like Mark said, those are just common tropical fish, dude. Probably why they were chosen to be "characters" in the first place.

[MikeN @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:28PM]

Question!: What powers the fishy tails? Are they rechargable?

[thesawzall @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:29PM]

Hmm, no wonder the food I put in my coworkers tank on the weekends doesn't get eaten.

[MikeN @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:31PM]

From the website: "Swimming fish with hinged tails and life-like motion"

It also mentions a water current, so I guess the fish move in more of a passive manner rather than independently. Way to get my hopes up Engadget.

[Lindy @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:48PM]

I have a similar (not USB) faux fish tank....there are magnets in the tank that move the fishies.

[Rodfather @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:16PM]

This is old and rebranded. ThinkGeek has been selling this on their site for a while now.
I have one that's been sitting on my desk for almost a year now.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6984/

[Mile @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:24PM]

Not just rebranded, as I have given the thinkgeek one as a gift, I too have seen it in person and it only has two (2) fishies, no cavern, and no software to interact with the fish. And by interact I mean poking them with sharp objects so they'll show the proper respect to their overlord.

[MeNotyou @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:13PM]

Perhaps you would like a cookie?

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:15PM]

Yes, but can it run Doom?

[ryan10ad @ Jun 23rd 2007 2:01PM]

I have had one of these since Christmas. Mines in blue and jellyfish (the sender didn't really like me). The first few days they stayed at the top. Hit it everyday and it gets moving. Very intresting bu cause computer to refuse to boot sometimes.