Online fish tanks

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So, today, I wondered if there were any options for live streaming fish tanks for those who wanted the fish tank experience but didn’t have time to care for one and its fish inhabitants.

As expected, there are plenty of prerecorded videos on youtube for fish enthusiasts or for relaxation, such as this one:

And, of course, there are virtual fish tanks. Sharkbreak.com, for example, is a fun, little interactive site to visit — probably mostly in short bouts — to choose a fish and watch it follow your mouse around.

There were lots of live streaming options. Here are some that I found:

The National Aquarium has three: Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion and Pacific Coral Reef All three are currently not live streaming during business hours and providing previously recorded livestream segments at other times.

One live stream that seems to be up and running 24/7, and absolutely lovely is this Japanese Koi pond from San Diego, California. I just wish I had a better internet connection, so the fish didn’t keep buffering.

While not flashy or large, https://www.fishcam.com/ is actually noteworthy as “the second live camera on the web and is the oldest camera site still in existence.” For an interesting read, check out: “How a Decades-Long Livestream of a Fish Tank Helped Shape the Internet”

For now, my absolute favorite is this one:

https://explore.org/livecams/oceans/pacific-aquarium-tropical-reef-habitat-cam

The colors of the fish and the coral are absolutely gorgeous, and that soothing aquarium noise starts up as soon as you open the link. And, if you the urge to see other animals, there are dozens of others cam links, including a seal pup cam, available underneath the tropical fish cam.

Feature image: Screenshot from https://explore.org/livecams/oceans/pacific-aquarium-tropical-reef-habitat-cam