Wall mountable aquarium or terrarium

Abstract

A wall mountable tank system for holding live flora or fauna includes a tank including a rear panel, a bottom panel, and at least one of a front panel, first side panel, and second side panel. The panels define a tank interior for containing the flora or fauna. The rear panel includes a mounting portion having a receiving groove. A mounting member capable of being fixedly coupled to a vertical mounting surface is provided. The mounting member includes a tongue portion receivable in the receiving groove for engaging the mounting member to the tank.

1 . A wall mountable tank system for holding live flora or fauna comprising 
 a tank including a rear panel, a bottom panel, and at least one of a front panel, first side panel, and second side panel, the panels defining a tank interior for containing the flora or fauna, the rear panel including a mounting portion having a receiving groove,    a mounting member capable of being fixedly coupled to a vertical mounting surface, the mounting member including a tongue portion receivable in the receiving groove on the rear panel for engaging the mounting member to the tank.    
   
   
       2 . The tank system of  claim 1  wherein the groove includes an at least one slot, and the mounting member includes at least one tab sized and positioned for insertion into the slot to resist lateral movement of the tank on the mounting member.  
   
   
       3 . The tank system of  claim 1  wherein the mounting member comprises a generally elongate strap-like member having a plurality of fastener-receiving apertures through which fasteners can pass for securing the mounting member to the vertical mounting surface.  
   
   
       4 . The tank system of  claim 3  wherein the elongate strap-like member comprises a generally rigid plastic elongate strap-like member, further comprising fasteners sized and configured for passing through the fastener receiving apertures and engaging the vertical mounting surface.  
   
   
       5 . The tank system of  claim 1  wherein the groove is generally bevel-shaped and includes at least one tab receiving slot, and wherein the tongue member is generally bevel shaped and includes at least one tab sized and positioned for being received in the tab receiving slot, the engagement of the tab in the tab receiving slot serving to resist lateral movement of the tongue member relative to the groove portion.  
   
   
       6 . The tank system of  claim 1  wherein the front panel includes an upper edge and the rear panel includes an upper edge, the upper edge of the rear panel extending above the upper edge of the front panel to form an upwardly extending mounting portion containing the mounting portion and the receiving groove.  
   
   
       7 . The tank system of  claim 6  further comprising a light assembly coupled to the upwardly extending mounting portion for illuminating the interior of the tank.  
   
   
       8 . The tank system of  claim 7  wherein the upwardly extending mounting portion includes a light assembly mounting aperture and the light assembly includes a mounting bracket having a mounting bracket aperture.  
   
   
       9 . The tank system of  claim 8  further comprising at least one fastener sized and configured for passing through the light assembly mounting aperture and the mounting bracket aperture for fixedly coupling the light assembly to the upwardly extending mounting portion of the rear panel of the tank.  
   
   
       10 . The tank system of  claim 9  further comprising a filter capable of being coupled to the upwardly extending mounting portion for filtering water contained within the interior of the tank.  
   
   
       11 . The tank system of  claim 9  further comprising a picture frame-shaped frame capable of being coupled to the tank, the frame including a first leg positionable in front of the upwardly extending mounting portion of the rear panel.  
   
   
       12 . The tank system of  claim 11  wherein the first leg of the frame has a width wide enough to conceal the light assembly when the light assembly is coupled to the upwardly extending mounting portion.  
   
   
       13 . The tank system of  claim 12  wherein the frame includes a second leg, a third leg and a fourth leg, the first, second, third and fourth legs forming a generally rectangular picture frame-shaped frame, the second leg being positionable to conceal the bottom panel, the third leg being positionable to conceal the first side panel, and the fourth leg being positionable to conceal the second side panel of the tank, wherein the frame includes a hook member removably engageable with an edge of a panel of the tank, for removeably engaging the frame to the tank.  
   
   
       14 . The tank system of  claim 1  further comprising a picture holder for holding a picture flushly against the rear panel of the tank.  
   
   
       15 . The tank system of  claim 14  wherein the picture holder includes the mounting member which is adjacent to a rear surface of the rear member for engaging a first edge of a picture held by the picture holder, and at least one lower picture holding member disposed adjacent a lower surface of the rear panel member for engaging a second surface of the picture held by the picture holder.  
   
   
       16 . The tank system of  claim 1 , further comprising a picture frame-shaped frame capable of being coupled to the tank.  
   
   
       17 . The tank system of  claim 16  wherein the front panel member includes an upper lip, and the frame includes at least one front member engagable with the upper lip for securing the frame to the tank.  
   
   
       18 . The tank system of  claim 17  wherein the frame includes a lower guide for engaging the bottom panel for aiding in maintaining the frame in a proper position on the tank.  
   
   
       19 . The tank system of  claim 18  further including a first and second cord clip member disposed on a rear surface of the frame for engaging electrical cords.  
   
   
       20 . The tank system of  claim 19   wherein the frame includes a first leg, further comprising a light assembly capable of being coupled to the tank and positioned behind the first leg of the frame, wherein the first leg of the frame is wide enough to conceal the light assembly, and 
 wherein the light assembly includes an electrical cord capable of being clipped to the first cord clip member.  
   
   
   
       21 . The tank system of  claim 16  further comprising at least one side frame member, the side frame member being disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to a plane in which the frame is disposed, and positionable adjacent a side panel of the tank.  
   
   
       22 . The tank system of  claim 21  wherein the at least one side frame member comprises a first and a second side frame member, the first side member being disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to a plane in which the frame is disposed, and being positionable adjacent the first side panel of the tank, and the second side frame member being disposed in a plane generally parallel to the first side frame member, and being positionable adjacent to the second side panel of the tank.  
   
   
       23 . A wall mountable tank system for holding live flora and fauna, comprising 
 a tank including a rear panel, a bottom panel, and at least one of a front panel, first side panel and second side panel, the panels defining a tank interior for containing the flora or fauna    a mounting member capable of being fixedly coupled to a vertical mounting surface for mounting the tank to the vertical mounting surface; and    a picture frame-shaped frame capable of being coupled to the tank.    
   
   
       24 . The tank system of  claim 23  wherein the first panel member includes an upper lip, and the frame includes at least one hook member engageable with the upper lip for securing the frame to the tank.  
   
   
       25 . The tank system of  claim 24  wherein the frame includes a lower guide for engaging the bottom panel for aiding in maintaining the frame in a proper position on the tank.  
   
   
       26 . The tank system of  claim 25  further comprising first and second cord clip members disposed on a rear surface of the frame for engaging electrical cords.  
   
   
       27 . The tank system of  claim 26  wherein the frame includes a first leg, further comprising a light assembly capable of being coupled to the tank and positioned behind the first leg of the frame, wherein the first leg of the frame is wide enough to conceal the light assembly, and wherein the light assembly includes an electrical cord capable of being clipped to the first cord clip member.  
   
   
       28 . The tank system of  claim 23  further comprising at least one side frame member, the side frame member being disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to a plane in which the frame is disposed, and positionable adjacent to a side panel of the tank.  
   
   
       29 . The tank system of  claim 28  wherein the at least one side frame member comprises a first and a second side frame member, the first side member being disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to a plane in which the frame is disposed, and being adjacent to the first side of the tank, and the second side frame member being disposed in a plane generally parallel to the first side frame member, and being positionable adjacent to the second side panel of the tank.