# Computer aquarium: parts submerged in mineral oil
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 28, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993 "2007-11-28T02:21:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993/1 "2007-11-28T02:21:13Z")
Does this work? Can a computer really function normally while submerged in mineral oil? Would it provide adequate cooling? Seems like a cool idea, but I’m suspicious.
Here’s the video: [http://www.5min.com/Video/Build-Your-Own-Mineral-Oil-Computer-Aquarium-772248](http://www.5min.com/Video/Build-Your-Own-Mineral-Oil-Computer-Aquarium-772248)
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993/2 "2007-11-28T02:39:30Z")
Check out [their page](http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php) on their site about it. They have temp graphs and updates and stuff.
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### Author:  [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993/3 "2007-11-28T02:41:08Z")
Yea, it works. But for how long, I don’t know. Maybe after a few months or years the oil would eat away at something. Also, changing cards or whatever would be a bitch.
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### Author:  [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-aquarium-parts-submerged-in-mineral-oil/427993/4 "2007-11-28T03:03:47Z")
Oil is a very good electrical insulator, so there’s no problem there. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were long term problems, like some plastic bit dissolving or swelling in the oil.
Hell, I’ve heard of similar attempts, using high-purity deionized water. It works, until the water picks up enough solutes to become conductive (though I can’t find a cite). [Here’s](http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=submersion.html) an example where people used the more exotic (and expensive) fluorinert.