Many factors have contributed to GoPro’s financial woes in recent years, but it doesn’t help that the company’s userbase simply doesn’t have a solid reason to upgrade their cameras every year like they would a fancy smartphone. YouTube’s Imaginative Guy actually makes a stronger case for upgrading your action cam than GoPro does. Built-in video stabilization? Nah, try turning the camera’s packaging into an adorable miniature aquarium.
It’s a fun hack, and one that requires only the basic of DIY skills. There’s a dash of soldering involved for the overhead LED light, but you can always design your own solution if you don’t trust yourself with hacking electronics. Otherwise, if you can saw, glue, and not lose a finger while handling a hobby knife, you can easily follow along with this 18-minute video’s step-by-step breakdown.
Unlike keeping a goldfish in a tiny bowl, this is a fully-functional aquarium that even has a miniature CO2 system for keeping a collection of tiny plants alive. You won’t be squeezing more than tiny guppies or brine shrimp into this miniature ecosystem, but it’s a better desk distraction than staring at a Newton’s Cradle.