World's smallest aquarium holds just two teaspoons of water

This is the world's smallest working aquarium - which holds just two teaspoons of water.

The miniature wonder, which is made of glass and measures just 30 mm wide by 24 mm high and 14mm deep, can be held in the palm of your hand. And it is so small there is only room for these tiny zebra fish. Despite the miniscule proportions, it does comes with miniature plants as well as stones.

When it came to filling up the tank, the 10ml of water had to be applied with a syringe to ensure the arrangement was not disturbed. And the fish had to be added with a specially made miniature fish net. The extraordinary creation is the latest by Anatoly Konenko, from Omsk, in Russia. The 57-year-old was the first in Siberia to make what he calls 'microminiature' art.

During the past three decades he has perfected the painstaking skill of writing on tiny grains of rice, poppy seeds and even human hair. In 1996 he was even recognised by the Guinness World Records for the smallest ever book. Measuring just 0.9 mm by 0.9 mm the 29 page novel, an edition of 'Chameleon' by Russian author Anton Chekhov is dwarfed by a five pence piece.

Working with a microscope, he has built up quite a collection of miniature art over the years. Other creations include a caravan of 12 miniature camels inside the eye of a needle, which measures an incredible 0.25 mm. Mr Konenko has also made an incredibly detailed ship in a bottle, which stands at just 0.25 mm high, and a pair of shoes smaller than a matchstick.

Some of his creations are worth as much as 50,000 euros, 44,000 pounds. He said: "The tank was made out of curiosity.  It is the world's smallest and holds only 10 ml of water.

"For reference, 5 ml is one teaspoon, so the aquarium can only hold two teaspoons worth of water."


/The Telegraph/